The Edge just published their annual Q/A in which they pose a question and ask a group of artists, scientists, and various kinds of intellectuals for their answer. This year the question was
“What Is Your Favorite Deep, Elegant, Or Beautiful Explanation?“
The list of contributors stretches to 192, most of whom i can't claim to know, however three names I'm particularly interested in stick out:
Rudy Rucker on Inverse Power Laws
Tim O Reilly on Pascal's Wager
Stewart Brand on Fitness Landscapes
Worth taking a dig through, tons of good stuff.