E10: The magic of Bell Labs
The CS Primer Show
00:00
Bell Labs' Paradoxical Environment
- Bell Labs thrived on a long-term vision, accepting projects that might not be relevant for decades, a stark contrast to today's market-driven tech companies.
- Claude Shannon's experience reveals a paradoxical blend of urgency and freedom. He worked on critical wartime projects like fire control systems, with life-or-death implications, yet enjoyed complete autonomy in his research, never being explicitly told what to work on. This unusual combination fostered an environment where both immediate needs and long-term exploration could coexist.
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