Meaning of 'Make things as simple as possible, but not simpler'

Wish to understand the meaning of Einstein's words:

Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.


Solution 1:

It means that one should find the simplest way of explaining or expressing something, that's just short of oversimplifying.

There. I hope I have managed to follow his dictum.

Solution 2:

I think he was saying two things:

  1. Make sure your statements are true (science).
  2. Find the simplest human language to describe the thing completely.

If 0 is complicated, 10 is the simplest description, 11 might be the step you are removing information/adding false information to make it "simpler", thereby departing from the underlying truth of what you are trying to describe (and moving from science to fiction).

I think he is saying "10 is as simple as possible, but to go to step 11 you need to make the underlying thing simpler (and in the process factually incorrect)".