“M.I.T.’s Building 20, built in 1943, was widely regarded 
as one of the most creative spaces in the world. In the postwar
decades, scientists working there pioneered a stunning list of
breakthroughs, from the development of high-speed photography 
to the physics behind microwaves. The lesson of Building 20 is that
when the composition of the group is right — enough people with
different perspectives running into one another in unpredictable ways
— the group dynamic will take care of itself.”

– Jonah Lehrer’s remarkable refutation of “brainstorming”
    in GROUPTHINK, The New Yorker, Jan. 30, 2012
 

Smart people in “problem-solving” mode,
forced by circumstances to interact together,
bring out the best in each other just by
listening and asking questions.