When you are famous it is hard to work on small problems. This is what did [Claude Elwood] Shannon in. After information theory, what do you do for an encore? The great scientists often make this error. They fail to continue to plant the little acorns from which the mighty oak trees grow. They try to get the big thing right off. And that isn't the way things go. So that is another reason why you find that when you get early recognition it seems to sterilize you.
Interpretation
Fame can distract from addressing smaller, foundational problems that lead to greater achievements.
This quote highlights the challenges faced by famous individuals, especially scientists, in maintaining focus on smaller, incremental challenges after achieving significant recognition. Richard Hamming emphasizes the importance of nurturing foundational ideas and projects ('little acorns') that can eventually grow into larger successes, contrasting this with the tendency to chase after monumental achievements immediately, which can lead to stagnation or 'sterilization' of creativity and innovation.
In practice
In a presentation on innovation, referencing this quote can illustrate the importance of foundational work.
Science is composed of laws which were originally based on a small, carefully selected set of observations, often not very accurately measured originally; but the laws have later been found to apply over much wider ranges of observations and much more accurately than the original data justified.
Does anyone believe that the difference between the Lebesgue and Riemann integrals can have physical significance, and that whether say, an airplane would or would not fly could depend on this difference? If such were claimed, I should not care to fly in that plane.
If you don't work on important problems, it's not likely that you'll do important work.
Beware of finding what you're looking for._x000D_ _x000D_ A favorite aphorism he often used.
One of the characteristics of successful scientists is having courage. Once you get your courage up and believe that you can do important problems, then you can. If you think you can't, almost surely you are not going to.
Put glibly:_x000D_ _x000D_ In science if you know what you are doing you should not be doing it._x000D_ _x000D_ In engineering if you do not know what you are doing you should not be doing it._x000D_ _x000D_ Of course, you seldom, if ever, see either pure state.
Pooh," said Rabbit kindly, "you haven't any brain." "I know," said Pooh humbly.
Journalism is just a gun. It’s only got one bullet in it, but if you aim right, that’s all you need. Aim it right, and you can blow a kneecap off the world.
You will always be too much of something for someone: too big, too loud, too soft, too edgy. If you round out your edges, you lose your edge. Apologize for mistakes. Apologize for unintentionally hurting someone - profusely. But don't apologize for being who you are.
Periods of tranquillity are seldom prolific of creative achievement. Mankind has to be stirred up.
It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.
Your minds may now be likened to a garden, which will, if neglected, yield only weeds and thistles; but, if cultivated, will produce the most beautiful flowers, and the most delicious fruits.
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