Gordon Worley's $2K Essay Contest for 'Fundamental Uncertainty'

Gordon Seidoh Worley, author and researcher, has launched a $2,000 essay contest to celebrate the print release of his book 'Fundamental Uncertainty,' which explores why it is so hard to know the truth. The contest runs from May 20 to August 1, 2026, with a total prize pool of $2,000: $1,000 for first place and $500 each for two runners-up. Entrants must write an original essay between 500 and 5,000 words that reviews, critiques, extends, or otherwise engages with the book's themes. Essays must reference the book by name and include a link to fundamentaluncertainty.com. Submissions must be published on a public platform such as Substack, LessWrong, Medium, or a personal blog, and entrants must comment on the contest announcement post on uncertainupdates.com or lesswrong.com with a link to their essay. No purchase is necessary; the full book is available online for free.

Judging criteria include clarity, originality, depth of engagement, and how much the essay makes the author think. Worley explicitly welcomes essays that argue against the book's central thesis. Examples of desired entries include ACX-style book reviews, applications of the thesis to new domains, literature reviews connecting the book's ideas to other sources, or critiques that change his mind. The contest is open to legal residents of any country except Quebec, Canada, and jurisdictions where prohibited. Winners will be announced on or about August 15, 2026. This initiative highlights a growing trend of authors using contests to drive deep, thoughtful engagement with complex ideas, particularly in the rationalist and LessWrong communities.