The Art of Doing Science and Engineering: Learning to Learn

by Richard Hamming

Yes, we did some of the hardest problems on the most primitive equipment—it was necessary to do this in order to prove machines could do things which could not be done otherwise. Then, and only then, could we turn to the economical solutions of problems which could be done only laboriously by hand! And to do this we needed to develop the basic theories of numerical analysis and practical computing suitable for machines rather than for hand calculations. This is typical of many situations. It is first necessary to prove beyond any doubt the new thing, device, method, or whatever it is, can cope with heroic tasks before it can get into the system to do the more routine, and, in the long run, more useful tasks. Any innovation is always against such a barrier, so do not get discouraged when you find your new idea is stoutly, and perhaps foolishly, resisted. By realizing the magnitude of the actual task you can then decide if it is worth your efforts to continue, or if you should go do something else you can accomplish and not fritter away your efforts needlessly against the forces of inertia and stupidity.