A discovery system employing a neural network, training within this system, that is stimulated to generate novel output patterns through various forms of perturbation applied to it, a critic neural network likewise capable of training in situ within this system, that learns to associate such novel patterns with their utility or value while triggering reinforcement learning of the more useful or valuable of these patterns within the former net. The device is capable of bootstrapping itself to progressively higher levels of adaptive or creative competence, starting from no learning whatsoever, through cumulative cycles of experimentation and learning. Optional feedback mechanisms between the latter and former self-learning artificial neural networks are used to accelerate the convergence of this system toward useful concepts or plans of action.