[bitwize]

This is why when Big Bang Theory debuted, I thought Sheldon Cooper was specifically supposed to be a parody of Stephen Wolfram.

In math, how you came by the results you came by is always relevant. Don't tell mathematicians they don't need to know that. It's their job to know that.

[carlob]

Well, no. They are not at all alike. Stephen Wolfram has a lot more _people skills_ than Sheldon Cooper. Sheldon Cooper is the stereotype of the Asperger scientist who succeeds despite his inability to interact with people, while Stephen Wolfram has been at the helm of a tech company for 30+ years, and that's not something you can really do without having to interact with other people.

[johncolanduoni]

I suspect Wolfram also succeeds despite the nature of his people skills. I found this letter from Feynmann[1] to be an interesting and early read on his behavior.

[1]: http://www.lettersofnote.com/2010/06/you-dont-understand-ord...

[Myrmornis]

That's amazing.

[x0x0]

An acquaintance who worked directly for him would disagree with you.

[carlob]

I still do and I beg to differ. I'm not saying he's the most personable human being I've met but he's certainly not autistic like Sheldon.

[gohrt]

While you are here, would you care to offer any other diagnoses of people you've never met or who don't actually exist?

[nxzero]

People liking you and being able to work with people are not the same thing; possible I misunderstood you, but not clear to me.

[gohrt]

Wolfram invented v1 of Mathematica, and founded a company to sell it to technical users. It takes minimal people skills to hire people and to sell a technically good product.