
On Saturday, August 25, 2001, at 02:46 PM, Faustine wrote:
I'd be interesting in hearing whom you think are good examples. I can think of some scientists who had enormous influences on policy, men like Szilard, Von Neumann, Fermi, Einstein, Oppenheimer, Teller, and a bunch of others just in their field. Or in fields like game theory, economics, biology, medicine, and so on. But the typical "mathematician-analyst" coming out of a typical grad program, even a high-reputation grad program, is not going to have "enormous influence." A vanishingly small fraction will, in fact. Look, while you condemn all the anonymous and pseudonymous posts here, we know zero about who you are, where you are, what you do, except that you're probably some kind of intern who surfs the Net while your employer for the summer is paying you do some kind of study. Do you think you are preparing to have "enormous influence" on policy? Do you think the superdupercomputer you say you want to assemble out of old machines will help you in some magical way in this goal? I know a couple of ex-CIA "mathematician-analysts" who were deemed tops in their classes. One is now headed out to the Bay Area to do something more useful. Another I've lost track of. Neither seems to have had "enormous influence" on policy.
The children shall lead us... --Tim May

At 16:29 8/25/2001 -0700, Tim May wrote:
On Saturday, August 25, 2001, at 02:46 PM, Faustine wrote:
What better, to illustrate one simple point? It isn't what you know, it is who you know. Deja vu all over again.
The children shall lead us...
Oh God. Not another Children's Crusade. For the Children. *retch* Reese
participants (2)
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Reese
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Tim May