Experts Convened at Harvard University Propose the 'Hardest Unsolved Problems' for the Next Century in the Social Sciences

Over Next 45 Days, Entire World Invited to Rank Proposals and Submit Additional Problems; Highest Votes Announced in June

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, April 22, 2010 - The first results from an initiative of Harvard University's Division of
Social Science to identify the world's hardest unsolved problems in
economics, psychology, government, sociology, and other social sciences were
announced today.

"The social sciences have never had more vitality than today, and
answering their unsolved questions has never been more important," said
Stephen Kosslyn, Social Science Dean at Harvard.

During a daylong symposium which was broadcast live, 12 distinguished
experts from multiple universities proposed over 30 important questions for
the social sciences to address in future years, including:

    - How do our social relationships influence our genes, and how do our
      genes influence our relationships?
    - How do societies create, or re-create, effective and resilient
      institutions?
    - Why do women still earn, on average, less than equally experienced men
      in similar jobs, and how can we close this gap?
    - How can we build systems resistant to financial crises?
    - How do we reduce the eighth grade "skill gap" between ethnic groups?
    - Does free trade reduce the risk of state failure?
    - How do simple elements combine in large numbers to produce complex
      systems (for example, economic systems)?
    - What are the origins of personal preferences and tastes?
    - How can we induce more people to engage in behaviors that are widely
      known to improve health?
    - As more personal information is recorded and stored, how will cultures
      and institutions change?

The experts included Nick Bostrom (Oxford), Susan Carey (Harvard),
Nicholas Christakis (Harvard), James Fowler (UCSD), Roland Fryer (Harvard),
Claudia Goldin (Harvard), Gary King (Harvard), Emily Oster (Chicago), Ann
Swidler (Berkeley), Nassim Taleb (NYU/Polytech), and Richard Zeckhauser
(Harvard).

All the proposals, discussion forums, and symposium videos are available
at socialscience.fas.harvard.edu/hardproblems.

The second, critical, phase begins today. Over the next 45 days, anyone
worldwide can submit additional problems for inclusion at the website above
and vote on the importance and difficulty of every proposal. In June, Harvard
will announce the problems which received the highest votes.

Initiated and funded by the non-profit Indira Foundation, this effort was
inspired by David Hilbert, who challenged the world to solve 23 fundamental
mathematical problems in 1900. Since then, mathematicians have solved 10 of
the now-famous 'Hilbert Problems', creating new fields of knowledge along the
way.

"Hilbert made two powerful observations," said Nicholas Nash, a member of
the Indira Foundation. "First, having important, unsolved problems is
essential to the vitality of a discipline. And, as important, by identifying
those problems, we can inspire future generations to solve them."

About the Indira Foundation

The Indira Foundation is a Connecticut-based charitable organization
dedicated to supporting programs that can make a difference in the fields of
education, health care, and social welfare.

Media Contact: Steve Bradt (+1-617-496-8070, sbradt@fas.harvard.edu)

Facebook: Hard Problems in Social Sciences

Steve Bradt, +1-617-496-8070, sbradt at fas.harvard.edu