Simplicity

1. Simplicity may relate to the mathematical form of laws, to the number of independent variables which appear in them, or to the kinds of concepts they involve. There appears to be no commonly accepted definition. It is an aspect of structure. To be perceived however, structural simplicity must blend with a cognitive act, leading to recognition, experienced subjectively as a catharsis (release of tension). The inquiring mind seeks such experiences through solving problems and perceiving regularity where none was apparent before. The quest for simplicity stems from a conviction that underlying apparently wide dissimilarities are profound similarities, which when perceived, make order out of chaos, and simplicity out of complexity.

2. Science is a systematized search for simplicity, a method of making the world predictable. Science harnesses the search for simplicity to other purposes specifically to gain power over the environment.