[fuzzfactor]

There's something about being first that gives a pioneer a great head start that can't be matched when it comes to considering the implications of their groundbreaking work.

Even if they're too busy doing the work, they're still thinking about what it would be like if it performed successfully, and it does seem to always take more retrospection before a leader can fully raise their head and more carefully consider unintended consequences.

Early success can give the impression that future efforts have difficulty being as meaningful, but also realistically after that the successful individual does not need to struggle to prove themself any more the way the less-accomplished would be expected to do.

Then there's seniority itself, and maturity levels that can not be gained any other way.

Beyond that when retirement is within easy reach you don't really have the same obligation to decorum itself as you would earlier, in order to actually maintain the same desired level of decorum.

Dr. Hinton seems to do a pretty good job of comparing himself to Oppenheimer.

I don't see how anyone else can question his standing more seriously than that.