HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_023455.jpg

‘obs SR eee aSe tee PAI RIC RR EC >> >> PRESS EMBARGO UNTIL PUBLICATION (12am EST, Sunday, January 15th). DO NOT CITE OR CIRCULATE >> SSE eee ie rir i nin oli >> >> "We'd certainly be better off if everyone sampled the fabulous EDGE symposium, which, like the best in science, is modest and daring all at once." = >> — David Brooks, THE NEW YORK TIMES SE mee DD me ra nn nn ne ce nnn nn ne nn rn enn nn nn nt en nn nn nn nn nn nn ne nn re en nnn ne enn ce enn nn ne ene >> >> Scientists’ greatest pleasure comes from theories that derive the solution to some deep puzzle from a small set of simple principles in a surprising way. These explanations are called "beautiful" or "elegant". Historical examples are Kepler's explanation of complex planetary motions as simple ellipses, Bohr's explanation of the periodic table of the elements in terms of electron shells, and Watson and Crick's double helix. Einstein famously said that he did not need experimental confirmation of his general theory of relativity because it "was so beautiful it had to be true." >> >> The EDGE Question 2012 bis >> WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DEEP, ELEGANT, OR BEAUTIFUL EXPLANATION? bis >> Since this question is about explanation, answers may embrace scientific thinking in the broadest sense: as the most reliable way of gaining knowledge about anything, including other fields of inquiry such as philosophy, mathematics, economics, history, political theory, literary theory, or the human spirit. The only requirement is that some simple and non-obvious idea explain some diverse and complicated set of phenomena. ‘obs >> [Thanks to Steven Pinker for suggesting this year's EDGE Question and to Stewart Brand, Kevin Kelly, and George Dyson for their ongoing advice and support. | ‘obs DD eer nn ne ne ce nnn nn nn nnn ee nn nnn nn ne nn nn nn ne nn nn ne ne nn re en nn nn nen ne nnn ne ne eee DD eer nn ne ne ce nnn nn nn nnn ee nn nnn nn ne nn nn nn ne nn nn ne ne nn re en nn nn nen ne nnn ne ne eee =>. >> "Open-minded, free ranging, intellectually playful ... an unadorned pleasure in curiosity, a collective expression of wonder at the living and inanimate world ... an ongoing and thrilling colloquium." >> >> —lan McEwan in THE TELEGRAPH >> SE mee = >> SUBMITTING ESSAYS: Email as text or attached Word file to me (brockman@edge.org). = >> DUE DATE: 5pm, Thursday, January 12th >> >> PUBLICATION DATE: 12am EST, Sunday, January 15th >> >> URL: Essays will be posted at this draft URL (not visible to search engines). Please keep confidential. >> >> PRESS EMBARGO: Until publication. Do not cite or circulate. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_023455