Mideas

Mideas is a term used in discussions of creativity and cognitive science to describe a theoretical system in which ideas are produced and refined through networked collaboration. The concept treats ideas as emergent properties of social interaction rather than solely the product of a single thinker. There is no single canonical definition, and the term appears across diverse contexts, from academic theory to speculative fiction, with meanings varying by author.

Origin and usage: The word "Mideas" blends "mind" and "ideas" and is not widely adopted as a formal term in established disciplines. It is often used descriptively to frame collaborative processes, idea-management platforms, or collective intelligence experiments that aim to amplify creativity beyond individual capacities. Because it is informal, its precise scope depends on the project or discussion in which it is invoked.

In literature and media: In some works of speculative fiction, Mideas denotes a governance or research apparatus that coordinates the contributions of many minds to tackle complex problems. In other contexts, it may refer to community-run platforms designed to seed and curate ideas among distributed contributors.

Related concepts include collective intelligence, distributed cognition, collaborative creativity, and idea management.