"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."?

Question

could anyone explain this quote please

Answer 1

Just the other meaning of the word "Simpler" as insignificant, unimportant, which is used here to mean, that in the process of making it too simple, or over simplified, let not people fail to recognise its value & importance, thereby, tending to neglect it.

Answer 2

What is meant by this quotation depends somewhat on the context in which it is used. I believe the statement is attributed to Albert Einstein, and thus suspect that he was considering various physical theories (though perhaps he would generalize the statement to broader areas of knowledge). In the context of physical theories, Einstein suggests (following Occam's razor) that a simple theory (that is, one with fewer presuppositions, mathematical machinery, etc) is preferable to a more complicated one. One often used example is a comparison between the Ptolemaic system of astronomy, with that of Johannes Kepler. The Ptolemaic system used complicated mathematics to represent the planets moving on "celestial spheres" that were embedded in other spheres all going around the Earth. Kepler's system is far simpler in that it considers all the planets (including Earth) to be traveling around the Sun, in elliptical orbits rather than circular. This makes the theory a lot shorter and simpler, both in the number of theoretical constructs and in the difficulty of the mathematics involved.

It should be noted that the two competing theories are assumed to give the same results when compared with experiment. Thus, once both of them are found to be correct with respect to their range of application, the shorter and simpler theory is selected over the longer and more complicated one. This is often simply because the shorter theory is easier to use, understand, and/or is aesthetically more pleasing.

The second part of the quote, that the theory should not be made "simpler" than is possible, is meant to warn against discarding essential parts of a theory in an all-consuming quest to reduce it to a smaller size. Simply put, one should not over-simplify things such that they fail to be correct or applicable to the situation.

Answer 3

I think everything has its own limit, therefore, it can be made as simple as possible to such a degree, no more. If we make it simpler, it might be meaningless, impossible to understand or, in short, something with the least possibility of being understandable by ordinary people or the scholars in their particular fields.

Answer 4

It was Einsteins way of saying to make things as simple as possible, to try to make it anymore simple would only make it complex. Kind of like changing things for the sole puropose of change. Look at the metric system for example... hot is still hot, cold is still cold, large is still large & such. Nothing changed cuz the distance between 2 points remained the same, we only messure it different now & call the mesurement something else.

Answer 5

Things shouldn't be made more simple than possible, because when you get to the point where it's MORE simple thaan possible it then becomes TOO simple, SO simple that it is no longer possible, and that is hard work to do something that is not possible, or something that is hardly possible, so at that point, it is no longer simple...I think. that's how I interpret it.

Answer 6

It means that as simple as life is, human ignorance misinterprets everything and makes it bigger than necessary.

Answer 7

I'm thinking it refers to technology. Technology is becoming so great that certain things are becoming unnecessarily simple.