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by kulahan 30 days ago
Author must not have heard of Nobel Disease - many laureates go on to propose absolutely batshit insane theories. Sounds disruptive to me…
3 comments

They’re usually outside their field of expertise, though.

It’s like being a billionaire; you stop getting “no, that’s stupid” feedback and it rots your brain.

This happens in lots of different fields. I feel like people need to start developing pseudonyms when they achieve success, so that they still get feedback. Either that, or they have to carefully cultivate a group of no people to hang around and tell them which ideas are stupid.
Stephen King tried this (as Richard Bachman), but he was found out after just 4 books. His last novel as Bachman sold 10x as many copies after the connection was made known.
When brilliance in one area doesn't translate to another.
Ironically the article claims scientists become less radical as they get older. I suppose it depends what you consider radical.
Radical in their area of expertise. If you have spend decades building certain mental models and then theoretical models that most likely work well(as you were rewarded for them) you are likely get stuck in following those.

Does not mean you have well working models outside these. Or that those same models will work well in entirely distinct contexes.

Examples? I can't really think of any.
lol, who keeps downvoting this explicitly appropriate response?