The Simplicity Complex

 
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SueEllen Campbell describes three multidisciplinary projects in her essay to illustrate the simplicity complex, or how high-quality information can best be made available to people beyond small groups of specialists. Her first project, Even Mountains Vanish, began as a short essay on ancestral Puebloan ruins but evolved into a book because of the complexity of the topic. The second, The Face of the Earth, combined texts from the humanities and sciences, and required extensive collaboration and editing to make it coherent and accessible for general readers. The third project, Changing Climates @ CSU, started as a grassroots initiative with her husband to educate on climate change through talks and a website. Campbell advocates for clear communication, careful simplification, and inclusion of diverse perspectives. She concludes that effective simplification is a challenging but essential skill.