We at the Foundational Questions Institute have often been asked what exactly "foundational" means, and what relation it holds to "fundamental" as a term describing some branches of physics. Today we're happy to turn the tables.
It is time for the next FQXi essay contest, and so we ask, What Is "Fundamental"?
We have many different ways to talk about the things in the physical universe. Some of those ways we think of as more fundamental, and some as "emergent" or "effective". But what does it mean to be more or less "fundamental"? Are fundamental things smaller, simpler, more elegant, more economical? Are less-fundamental things always made from more-fundamental? How do less-fundamental descriptions relate to more-fundamental ones?
We invite interesting and compelling explorations, from detailed worked examples through thoughtful rumination, of the different levels at which nature can be described, and the relations between them.
This year's contest is part of our program Agency in the Physical World, operated with and sponsored by The Fetzer Franklin Fund. Help also comes from co-sponsors The Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation.
We are open for entries from now until January 22, 2018. See our contest pages for the usual rules and timeline. Please share this info with all of your fellow thinkers and writers. Good luck!