It might be not very true for papers that almost nobody is going to cite ever again, but the idea in general is to have "some kind of impact" that outlives you.
Having kids fulfills the same, but does not "scale" very well (for lack of a better word), since you can only have so many, parenting is hard and you might screw it up irreversibly. Creating something novel and useful (even if only marginally so) has the potential to touch countless lives, even after yours is over.
It could be art, or software, or an algorithm, or a formula...
>Having kids fulfills the same, but does not "scale" very well (for lack of a better word), since you can only have so many.
Unless you are Geghis Khan. ;)
And yet, that is not what he is remembered for, which is my point.
It's the nearest thing to immortality that a human will achieve. It's the moral of one of the oldest written stories (Gilgamesh). Immortality (true immortality) is impossible to achieve. Better to achieve great things and be remembered for them, immortal in the minds of the many generations that follow.
Honest request: Could you elaborate this idea a bit ? I find it very intriguing; investing so much time of your limited time on earth so that random people will be able to find your name and read your work.
I have restricted the impact I want to leave to my very close circle (especially my kids), and not in tangible things, but in how they behave, think and act.