For several years now, Jeffrey Epstein has been an energetic and supportive member of a very interesting group, called Edge Foundation: Third Culture, which was assembled by his friend publisher John Brockman. Brockman established it in 1988 as an intimate, and by-invite only party, of some of the most fascinating and cutting minds in the world of thought. Many of the Edge Foundation’s affiliates are friends of Jeffrey Epstein, and he has preferred to support the work of number of Edge members through the Jeffrey Epstein Foundation.

CP Snow’s classic work, The Two Cultures, which was first published in 1959 inspired Brockman, this work explores the gap in communication between literary intellectuals and scientific intellectuals thus the phrase Two Cultures. In the later parts, Snow made a comprehensive discussion on how much was lost because of the two unique language, which made it tougher to communicate. The scientists were not interacting efficiently to the artists and the artists were not communicating effectively to the scientists. There was little in the way of comprehending or perception between them. Even in the arts, the artists tend to dismiss scientists who find mathematical symmetries like the works of MC Escher stunning simple because for them what matters is the power of the painting to draw emotion from the viewer through the use of light, tone, color, and approach. It essentially came down to the scientist looking at a contemporary art abstraction, and saying, “I don’t get it,” and the artist listening to the scientist, and declaring “I don’t understand it.”. As Jeffrey Epstein said, this resembles the story I read about physicist Richard Feynman who agreed to trade lessons in physics for lessons in art with his buddy, the artist, Jyair Zorthian. Even though Feynman turned into a very good draftsman, his friend Zorthian was still not able to see the beauty of physics even when Feynman tried to demonstrate electromagnetism using a coiled magnet. In that situation, it was a catastrophe; the Two Cultures collided, in spite of Feynman’s reputation as an exemplary physics teacher.”

This gap is still existing up to this day. Snow included a new essay in “The Two Cultures: A Second Look” in 1963,which suggests that the human race will benefit significantly if this gap between two cultures is closed and this will not only improve the Two Cultures, but whole world as well. This party is now called The Third Culture, a name coined by Snow himself. It is in this line of thinking, Brockman has built a first class collection of minds from the disparate areas of hard-core science, philosophy, high-tech, and social enterprise, to supply a forum for eclectic and robust thinkers to talk about ideas that are bold, controversial, and cutting edge, and allow the public audience to have access to some of the deepest thoughts at the level of an intelligent reader, devoid of technical language.

As a publisher, Brockman has been the social glue for these minds, he has organized events, and has goaded them into giving away their unrehearsed thoughts on a selection of cutting edge and inciteful questions, which he later gathers up and publishes as a collection of Edge works.

Each year, Brockman throws a new question and each associate of the Third Culture dutifully gives out their replies. The questions can be profound, deep, philosophical, and at times routine. Nevertheless, if you consider the individuals who are going to answer these questions, surprises should be expected. What is enjoyable to watch is how the thoughts works.

Some replies to his queries are too glib, others, cynical, some downright idiotic, but there is enough richness in content to gratify and stimulate even the everyday curious mind. When Jeffrey Epstein is asked about a good place to start, he would simply respond ” If the quest is for richness and originality of thought amidst the world’s elite minds then I recommend Brock’s yearly query as the best place to start with.”.