Daniel Berlyne
The British-Canadian psychologist who asked what curiosity is, and how novelty and surprise stir it up.
Books
Conflict, Arousal, and Curiosity1960His classic on why the new, the surprising and the complex make us want to look closer.
Mentioned in
In praise of asking, part one
Answers got cheap, so where does a good question come from? The story starts with a parrot asking “What’s that?” in front of a mirror, and goes on to silent classrooms and an AI that never needs anything.