A Prize, a Prediction, and a Drama

We like to think that we are involved in dramatic and exciting work. We certainly talk a good game. Changing the world! Reinventing society! Disrupting! Yet, anyone who has spent any time in computer science knows that it is a game of inches, not miles. Much of our work is fine and detailed. We do it hunched over a keyboard, with our faces illuminated by the light of a screen, and hope that the result will gain us 2% or 5% or maybe even 10%. This month’s article from the body of knowledge both confirms our conventional model and gives us at least a suggestion of drama along with a reminder of how our contributions fit into the wider world.