In this article, Anderson breaks down the reductionist hypothesis.

This hypothesis assumes

that a complex system can be understood through the understanding of the smaller parts of the system.
Based on this hypothesis, Anderson explains that we can build a linear hiearchy of sciences
where "the elementary entities of science X obey the laws of science Y". For example, entites in Social
Sciences (humans) can be understood through the laws of Psychology, which can be understood
through the laws of Physiology, and so on and so forth, until we arrive to Chemistry, and then to
Particle Physics. So by mastering the laws at a granular level (particles) we would be able to
extrapolate the behavior at the larger scales.

Unfortunately, things do not work as simply this way in the real world. In "More is
Different", Anderson gives an example at the molecular level: A peculiar broken symmetry appears in
larger scale molecules, apparently against a law defined at the smaller scale. This broken symmetry is
a new effect that appears when the scale changes. To quote Anderson: "we can see how the whole
becomes not only more than but very different from the sum of the parts.".

Today, after seeing data grow dramatically in volume, velocity and variety, we start building
the capabilities to use, process and govern this data. As data is reaching new stages in terms of scale
and complexity (becoming "More"), to take the words of Anderson, we must expect in data
management and data science "to encounter fascinating, and I believe, very fundamental questions at
each stage in fitting together less complicated pieces into the more complicated system and
understand the basically new types of behavior which can result." (something "Different")

In addition, as data becomes more and more valuable and pervasive, exploring new data
opportunities mandates that its management no longer remains the sole prerogative of a minority of IT
experts. A better approach should involve a diversity of people, skills, mindsets and backgrounds
coming from outside the "data and information science valley". 40 years later, the words of Anderson
sound again very true: "So it is not true [..] that we each should 'cultivate our own valley, and not
attempt to build roads over the mountain ranges ... between the sciences.' Rather, we should
recognize that such roads, while often the quickest shortcut to another part of our own science, are
not visible from the viewpoint of one science alone."