The Theory of Everything Online
In last week’s New Yorker, there was a great story about a reclusive physicist named Garret Lisi who is currently being heralded for creating one of the decade’s most compelling unification theories.
Needless to say, Lisi’s ability to publish a coherent mathematical framework to unite all the universe’s forces is stirring up a good deal of conversation among physicists, but what I found most compelling is that Lisi came to publish the work at all.
See, prior to receiving International praise for “An Incredibly Simple Theory of Everything”, Lisi had abdicated his profession in exchange for a life spent surfing in Hawaii and skiing in Tahoe. After almost ten years completely removed from academia, Lisi came from out of nowhere when he published his paper on an online forum.
What interests me about this story (because trust me, physics is not my forte) is the power of the Internet to expose and reward what I am dubbing Outsider Brilliance. Like Outsider Art, reclusive intellects have also historically stayed off of the mainstream path. Now, thanks to the immediacy of the Internet, we do not have to wait to recognize their achievements.
Beyond Lisi, there are other examples of websites gearing up to harness the brain-power of the masses. The New York Times yesterday profiled Innocentive, a website where large organizations post problems that cannot be solved internally, giving people around the world the opportunity to find solutions in exchange for cash prizes. To date, solvers are registered in more than 175 countries, and more than 250 solutions have been found.
Working in technology, it is easy to forget the historical significance of the innovation that surrounds us, but the social web is undoubtedly changing the way we interact and ultimately exist as a species.
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