‘Fantasy and Reality’ is the 2015 theme of HowTheLightGetsIn, the world’s largest philosophy and music festival. In our topsy-turvy, postmodern, and often virtual world, has the real become a mirage created from our fantasies? And which current fantasies will become tomorrow's reality? There's an array of new stages and surprises, as our site expands again for 2015 with many more events running throughout the day and evening. Earlybird tickets are now on sale.

In this issue of IAI News, we look at some of the traditional views on the relationship between fantasy and reality. In a society that places originality on a pedestal, author Meg Rosoff asks whether we should encourage our children to be more imaginative? Or must fantasy and reality be kept apart? She argues that there’s no such thing as the perfect childhood to foster creativity: for humans, imagination is an instinct.

But does that mean it’s unique to humanity? Unlikely, says Margaret Boden, professor of cognitive science at the University of Sussex. What if we could teach computers to think creatively? What if we already have? Boden examines the latest progress from the field of Artificial Imagination.