alt Hacker NewsThe mathematics are above my intellectual capacities, but I still find the man and his lifestyle fascinating. Though I admit his heart attack probably wasn't a coincidence, sadly.
I wonder if national, institutional, or otherwise "eccentric" sponsorships (encouraging a similar migrant-madman approach to academic cultivation) of some of the folks on HN wouldn't lead to meaningful discoveries in CS.
I often see comments that some of the users here long to "make a computer do neat tricks all day", and I can't help but think meager sponsorship could go a long way in this area. Existing grant structures, being much more traditional, are constrained by their cost.
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When Gwern needed a fellowship to come to SF he got one. When he had his “great idea” it was funded. The truly unique people out there find a way. Any government bureaucrat will just find the Jason Ardays of the world.
> Though I admit his heart attack probably wasn't a coincidence, sadly.
He died aged 83...
> I wonder if national, institutional, or otherwise "eccentric" sponsorships (encouraging a similar migrant-madman approach to academic cultivation) of some of the folks on HN wouldn't lead to meaningful discoveries in CS.
The problem is that Paul Erdos was eccentric but he was also Paul Erdos. I'm not saying you're implying that, but I feel it's a similar line of thinking to how popular culture often romanticizes autism and Asperger's because some very smart people are (allegedly) affected. The same group includes people who need 24/7 care.
Computer science at the frontier is as specialized and hard as mathematics, you need years of study to truly understand a field well enough to make meaningful contributions. You can try sponsoring me if you really want, but I don't think you'd be spending your money wisely in expectation.