Re:At 17, Hannah Cairo solved a major math mystery
by lsuresh on Saturday August 02, 2025 @03:33PM
(#44770652)
Not the one you asked, but here's what I would have told my 17 year old self.
* "Slope beats y-intercept." The best computer scientists and engineers I've ever worked with and/or mentored embodied this principle more than anything else.
* It can be tempting to over-optimize for short-term milestones (e.g., an important admissions exam, the next job or promotion), but there is a significant compounding value to knowledge accumulation and truly learning your craft well. Read and learn as much as you can, all the time, even if it isn't immediately necessary or useful.
* "Slope beats y-intercept." The best computer scientists and engineers I've ever worked with and/or mentored embodied this principle more than anything else.
* It can be tempting to over-optimize for short-term milestones (e.g., an important admissions exam, the next job or promotion), but there is a significant compounding value to knowledge accumulation and truly learning your craft well. Read and learn as much as you can, all the time, even if it isn't immediately necessary or useful.