[dimator]

What a stunning thought. I always think about the sheer number of things that have to go right in order for a person to achieve scientific greatness. It is such a difficult, life long endeavor, and the path is so fraught with events that can derail.

Like even being born in the wrong country, one lacking in food or academic mobility, for example. Right off the bat, how many millions of gifted humans just died of starvation, malnutrition, in poverty, in isolation, violence, etc. All that potential just lost to time.

[xeonmc]

Makes Ramanujan’s journey all the more special.

[Xmd5a]

Or Bose for that matter

[xeonmc]

I'd argue that Ramanujan was taking much more of a moonshot mailing Hardy as an unknown clerk, than Bose who was already an established academic when he contacted Einstein.