A two-day symposium in celebration of Murray Gell-Mann's 60th birthday was held at the California Institute of Technology on January 27–28, 1989. The theme of the Symposium was “Where are Our Efforts Leading?” Each speaker was asked to choose one (or more) of the great challenges in science or human affairs and try to answer, in connection with our present effort to respond to that challenge, “Where do we stand? What kind of progress are we making? In fifty or a hundred years, how do you think today's efforts will appear?”. The topics discussed spanned a very broad range, representative of Murray's remarkably diverse interests and activities. These included particle physics and quantum cosmology, studies of complex adaptive systems, environmental challenges and studies, education and equality of opportunity, arms control and governmental issues.

Given the unusually broad scope of the Symposium, we decided it would be appropriate to publish separately a ‘physics volume,’ including all of the more technical contributions in theoretical physics and related topics. There were many marvelous contributions in other areas that we hope to publish elsewhere. The present volume includes the texts of presentations at the Symposium by Professors J. B. Hartle, E. Witten, H. Fritzsch, T. D. Lee, I. M. Singer, and V. L. Telegdi. It also includes ten additional contributed papers by well-known physicists who are close personal friends of Murray Gell-Mann.