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Too complex to comprehend?
Author(s) -
Gan Frank
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
embo reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.584
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1469-3178
pISSN - 1469-221X
DOI - 10.1038/sj.embor.7401041
Subject(s) - distrust , simplicity , epistemology , philosophy of science , phenomenon , philosophy , computer science , psychology , psychotherapist
The English mathematician and philosopher Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947) said, “seek simplicity and distrust it”—a quote I first encountered as an essay title in my final biochemistry exams at university. The fact that it has stuck in my mind might be related to the traumatic circumstances of this experience, but is probably also due to its inherent wisdom. The words resonate with the development of science; practicing scientists seek out simplistic, utilitarian descriptions of reality and distrust them for their simplicity. But, because we know that our descriptions are only approximations, we are able to continue to refine our understanding. Yet, the process is rarely straightforward or predictable, and without a regular critical assessment of our knowledge and without asking new questions, we would remain in an erroneous comfort zone.All research is based on the belief that eventually any puzzle can be solved and any phenomenon comprehended, if only we do the right experiments in a rigorous manner. Time and again, however, we arrive at an impasse where the available techniques are insufficient to discover the next piece of information …