Archimedes and the Quest for the Theory of Everything

Twenty-three centuries ago Archimedes showed how complicated physical phenomena, such as his Law of Buoyancy, can arise from a few basic assumptions. His seminal work has led to attempts to explain the entire cosmos from a few elementary physical principles. This talk will trace the history of this quest for a Theory of Everything and describe some of the unexpected roadblocks it has encountered in the 21st century.