Nicolas Delon argues that the world's inherent strangeness is not a bug in our understanding, but a feature that drives discovery, art, and a flourishing life. While many treat scientific explanation as a process of stripping away mystery, Delon contends that true inquiry begins with, and is sustained by, a childlike sense of wonder at the inexplicable.
The WWW Thesis and the Value of Weirdness
Delon introduces what he calls the "WWW thesis"—the idea that the world is "weird and wonderful" as an ineliminable feature of reality. He suggests that attempts to explain these features away as mere artifacts of our finite understanding are ultimately futile. "If WWW is true, then any attempts to explain these features of the world away... are futile," Delon writes. This framing is particularly effective because it challenges the modern assumption that to understand something is to demystify it. Instead, he posits that we should embrace the weirdness as a source of wonder for its own sake.
He illustrates this with the example of music, noting the sheer improbability that twelve arbitrary frequencies could generate such profound aesthetic experiences. "Isn't it weird that the relations between twelve arbitrary... frequencies... generate some of the most incredible aesthetic and spiritual experiences?" he asks. The argument lands because it shifts the focus from the mechanics of the phenomenon to the emotional and intellectual impact of its existence. Critics might argue that this romanticizes ignorance, suggesting that we should strive for complete explanation rather than settling for wonder. However, Delon counters that the drive to explain is itself fueled by the initial sense of puzzlement.
Wonder is instrumental in discovery; it prompts us to better understand nature by uncovering its laws.
Philosophy, Science, and the Childlike Approach
Delon connects this sentiment to the history of philosophy and science, citing recent works by Eric Schwitzgebel and Helen De Cruz. He highlights Aristotle's assertion that philosophy begins in wonder, noting that "Human beings began to do philosophy even as they do now, because of wonder, at first because they wondered about the strange things right in front of them." This historical grounding is crucial; it reminds the reader that the scientific method did not emerge from a desire to disenchant the world, but from a deep curiosity about its strange complexities.
He draws a parallel to Martha Nussbaum's work on animal justice, where she argues that we should not "make a sour face" at the study of less exalted creatures. Delon quotes Nussbaum's interpretation of Aristotle: "For even in the case of those animals that give no delight to our senses, nature the artificer provides countless pleasures to those who can study the causes of things and who have a philosophical spirit." This reframing of scientific inquiry as a moral and aesthetic virtue is a powerful move, suggesting that a lack of wonder is a deficit in our humanity, not a sign of intellectual rigor.
The Tension Between Disenchantment and Re-enchantment
Addressing the common belief that science inevitably leads to a "disenchanted" world, Delon references Max Weber but points out that Weber himself believed disenchantment did not preclude re-enchantment. He argues that the tension between science and wonder is a myth. "De Cruz dispels this myth that science and wonder are antithetical—in fact, Weber himself believed that disenchantment did not preclude re-enchantment," Delon observes. This is a vital correction to the narrative that scientific progress must come at the cost of awe.
He turns to the weirdness of physics, noting that quantum mechanics and general relativity are counterintuitive and difficult to comprehend. "What could be more suspicious than a world the scientific understanding of which perfectly lines up with our naive expectations?" Delon asks. This rhetorical question effectively undermines the idea that a "normal" world would be one that aligns with our evolved psychology. Instead, the fact that the universe defies our intuition is a source of wonder, not a problem to be solved.
The problem is not the world, it is—unfortunately but inevitably— you —until you stop seeing this as a problem but instead take it as a source of wonder.
Musical Weirdness as a Metaphor
To conclude, Delon uses music as a final metaphor for the "weirdness is normal" conjecture. He describes a specific moment in Mozart's Symphony No. 40 where the composer introduces a sequence of notes that defies the established tonal grounding. "After that expression of unbridled joy, Mozart stops in his tracks, and writes the most harmonically adventurous music he would ever write in his huge output of music," Delon writes. This musical interruption serves as a perfect analogy for the scientific and philosophical journey: a moment of disruption that leads to a deeper, more complex understanding.
He notes that while this moment might seem bizarre, it is also wonderful and essential to the piece's emotional impact. "It is truly bizarre and out of its time. It is unexpected. Its role isn't obvious. It's also wonderful," Delon concludes. This synthesis of music, science, and philosophy reinforces his central thesis: that the weirdness of the world is not something to be feared or explained away, but something to be cherished.
Bottom Line
Delon's argument is a compelling defense of wonder as a necessary component of intellectual and spiritual life, successfully reframing "weirdness" from a problem of understanding to a catalyst for discovery. Its greatest strength lies in bridging the gap between the rigorous demands of science and the emotional depth of art, though it risks underestimating the practical challenges of maintaining wonder in a world increasingly driven by efficiency and utility. Readers should watch for how this perspective influences the next generation of scientific inquiry and philosophical thought.
The problem is not the world, it is—unfortunately but inevitably— you —until you stop seeing this as a problem but instead take it as a source of wonder.