And also that, 'a theme' is a bulwark against the random emergencies as always distract. Moving from one distraction to next, may have become a pattern for many.

I don't know if one can "decide to focus" though, however sensible the idea. But I'm quite sure (for myself) that teachers have been the catalyst for my major choices - only seen 20/20 later. I had the pleasure of finding again, getting together for a couple of days with my HS chem, physics teacher - and thanking him for the attention and maybe even more importantly: the freedom to explore as I chose (have the run of the place, and on weekends, etc). Only much later did I discover the rarity of my experience.

I felt 'relieved' that I had the chance to thank him, to let him know what had mattered. Attention is love. Kids 'processed', due to time-$ constraints and all the other current problems of schools - have missed something vital. (Ditto when someone decides that 'music / art' is a dispensable frill.)

I can't imagine a more daily demanding occupation than teaching - maybe even so fine a theoretician as Feynman would agree that his teaching was as important as anything else that concerned him (?) I also think that few possess a proper appreciation for the value to us all, of the excellent ones: who ought to be celebrated (were we as wise as the Japanese culture) as National Treasures.

Believe the wonderful film with Edward James Olmos playing Jaime Escalante, in Stand By Me captures exquisitely what that Importance is like. Calculus was just the medium.

Glad you are in that field. Among my deepest sorrows about the direction of Murica has been, and all along - that we value celebrities, sports figures (yes, and CIEIOs and even Billy) vastly more than 'we' respect, encourage, *reward* our teachers. This defect may prove fatal; it has certainly been costly re our growth towards something like a mature culture IMhO. Anti-intellectualism we may have inherited from the Puritans - but we could have outgrown it.

Science was my lucky lucky, "pay the bills while enjoying your work" escape, from the vast fields of the mercantile; there again I'm grateful for the genetic? disposition in that direction. But as to an ongoing 'theme' - I believe some science folk find a sufficiency in just 'doing science' (it is at least honest! or it isn't science you're doing). Corporate 'research' is quite another matter.

Some larger questions alas, don't yield to algorithms and logic can help only part way. Continuing to have questions (?) appears to be one self-test / innoculation against stagnation.

(Love the 1-minute PBS videos whose theme also is, Stay Curious!. These gems are surely among the best generally-seen video work since the first, Got Milk? ads :-)


Cheers,

Ashton

PS There may not be much actually 'new' under the local sun - but there are unlimited connections waiting to be noticed - leading towards honest work for more than just the lucky elite, whenever we have the will to move in that direction. Hope we make it, despite current fascination with toys..