The march of science is stumbling and easily sidetracked, fraught with bias, fads and dead ends. A new research initiative based at the University of Chicago and the Computation Institute will use the latest computational tools to scrutinize this imperfect path and better understand how knowledge was and is created.
Is wisdom a superpower or some kind of mythical ideal? Or, is it a practical, relevant, vital virtue, crucial to the functioning of individuals, organizations and societies? These are some of the myriad questions the Chicago Wisdom Project will explore during the next three years.
What's a marine ecologist who specializes in environmental microbiology doing at the University of Chicago's New Hospital Pavilion as it prepares to open in early 2013? Change everyone's perception of bacteria, that's all.
Art fits very well into the mix at the University of Chicago, where inquiry is paramount. As with science or philosophy, business or religion—making, studying and appreciating art involves looking closely at one's surroundings and posing fundamental questions about why we are here and how we can or should live.