Abstract

Symmetry: Culture and Science
Volume 35, Number 3, pages 231-233 (2024)
https://doi.org/10.26830/symmetry_2024_3_231

LEANING SYMMETRY: BRIDGING SCIENCE, EDUCATION, AND CULTURE

Johan Gielis

Dear readers, authors, and esteemed colleagues, The journal Symmetry: Culture and Science has been in existence for nearly 35 years. The first volume was published in 1990, and since then, it has evolved into an influential platform exploring and bringing together a wide range of phenomena related to symmetry and its related invariants.

György Darvas, the journal’s founder and the creator of the Symmetrion Foundation, described the three essential conditions of symmetry as: under any kind of transformation (or operation), such that (ii) at least one property, (iii) of the object concerned remains invariant (identical, indistinguishable). The specific nature of the transformation, property, or invariant may vary greatly, making symmetry relevant to virtually all aspects of science, culture, and life.

Under György’s leadership, the symmetry network grew into a worldwide community under the umbrella of a such symmetry concept, connected through the journal and numerous international symmetry festivals. His untimely passing in late 2023 left a significant void, raising questions about the future direction of the journal, the organization, and the network. From the journal’s perspective, as co-editors, Simone Brasili and I had already assured that the journal’s future was secure. However, there was a pressing need for decisions regarding the future of the organization and its network. Gyuri had built a strong network, including connections with several Nobel Prize winners in physics, but the challenge is how to sustain and build on this foundation for the future...