The Edge's question for 2012

From The Edge: To arrive at the edge of the world's knowledge, seek out the most complex and sophisticated minds, put them in a room together, and have them ask each other the questions they are asking themselves.

Yes, it's time again to marvel at the stimulating ideas put forward in highly condensed form by some of the world's leading scientists, philosophers and so forth. The question for 2012:

What is your favorite deep, elegant, or beautiful explanation?

Last year's was especially good, considering the topics on this blog:

What scientific concept would improve everybody's cognitive toolkit?

My choice? Well, obviously that would be Occam's Razor, as reflected in Einstein's Blade in Ockham's Razor by Kai Krause.

Other Edge questions over the years were:

2005 - What do you believe is true, but cannot prove?

2006 - What is your dangerous idea?

2007 - What are you optimistic about?

2008 - What have you changed your mind about?

2009 - What will change everything?

2010 - Is the internet changing the way you think?