Minimum message length

Minimum message length is like figuring out the shortest way to tell a story. Imagine you want to tell your friend about your favorite superhero. You could say, "My favorite superhero is Superman. He can fly, has X-ray vision, and super strength." That's a short message length.

But what if your friend has no idea who Superman is? Then you might have to give more information like, "Superman is a superhero from a comic book. He wears a blue and red costume with a big S on his chest. He comes from another planet called Krypton and was sent to Earth as a baby. He has these really cool powers like flying, x-ray vision, and super strength." That's a longer message length.

Minimum message length is all about finding the shortest message that has all the important information. Scientists use it to figure out the simplest explanation for complex things. They look at all the data they have and try to come up with the shortest explanation that still covers everything they know. It's like solving a puzzle, but instead of having to put together pieces, you have to put together words and ideas.