Understanding the world we live in is one of the most fundamental goals of mankind. It is essential to our survival, gives our existence purpose, and is the very heartbeat of progress. The capability of the human mind to understand nature is our window to the universe. It is the intention of the Lightcone Institute to extend our understanding while establishing and strengthening contact with our society's needs and interests.

Science is the endeavor to understand, to find our place in the world, and to utilize that knowledge in bettering our lives. Modern research is the process by which we examine how the world works and try to understand how it came to be that way. This forms the basis understanding from which we actively shape our future. At the most fundamental level, it is science that changes our view of the world. As the connection between pure ideas and the universe, science is where imagination meets reality. Science is the driving motor of progress. As such, basic research is the first pillar of the Lightcone Institute's organizational structure.

The natural and social sciences have dramatically altered our lives. The importance of mathematics and statistics is paramount in modern research; these powerful tools are ubiquitous in both natural and social sciences. And whereas the interrelationships between the various natural sciences are pursued in an increasing number of research projects, the connections between social and natural sciences remain insufficiently explored. Despite notable developments during the past decades, especially in mathematical sociology, the importance of these fields remains underestimated and under-appreciated.

In this 21st century we are faced with the ever increasing complexity of our political, economic and social lives. To meet these new challenges, the widely applicable methods of natural science can be used to predict and direct our efforts. Rapidly developing scientific research fields - the analysis of processes and dynamics, the development of analytical and computational models, and the study of complex systems - have relevance beyond natural science. The scope of their application has not yet been even remotely explored.  Interdisciplinary research between the social and natural sciences is thus the second pillar of the Lightcone Institute.

Over thousands of years scientific research has grown into a well organized endeavor, divided into many subfields. With this growth however come questions of management and of efficient use of resources - time, money, knowledge and people. In countries all over the world, the question how scientific research can be brought to optimal functionality is central to progress. The scientific community is the key to change, and its internal and external workings are thus the third pillar of the Lightcone Institute's research.

Communication is the most essential human skill that sets us apart from other species. Our ability to pass on information to others over increasingly long distances in space and time is what allows us to efficiently accumulate and use acquired knowledge. Establishing a fruitful exchange between researchers and the society they are part of is central to progress. An active public outreach program is thus the forth pillar of the Institute's mission.

Our drive to understand has always been, still is, and will remain the prime motive bringing success in achieving our society's well being. Science is not merely a profession, it is a worldview.

1. Mission Statements