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It’s a strange feeling reading Ioffe’s memoir. When I was a physics undergraduate, I understood the mentality. The high-maintenance asshole professor was exact

It’s a strange feeling reading Ioffe’s memoir. When I was a physics undergraduate, I understood the mentality. The high-maintenance asshole professor was exactly who I’d be drawn towards. I learned how unhealthy that was, and many of those who didn’t ended up burning out HARD. Landau was the rare asshole whose ability to hone students was worth the abuse. And reading this, I found myself in the frame of mind of “yeah, in that scenario, I’d absolutely work my ass off just to be in that guy’s favour”. Years training myself out of that unhealthy mentality and boom, a few pages of memoir and I’m back in that naive frame of mind.

elteto 3y ago
We are seduced and captivated by raw genius. I’m sure Landau was one of the highest caliber. To pass his examination, to be well regarded by him, to be part of such a select group, who wouldn’t want to? Don’t be hard on yourself.
- sdenton4 3y ago
  I don't even know that it's even raw genius - our brains are full of 'ape shit' which at times includes close attention to hierarchy. Seems likely to be a combination of charisma, ape-dominance, and enough smarts to be a good physics researcher.
- ogurechny 3y ago
  Many groups that select people for arbitrary reasons exist. Sure, here we see external cause and zealous dedication, but those things don't automatically make anything good. We then have to decide whether “advancement of scientific knowledge” should be seen as some kind of royal mantle (and by whom). And so on, and so forth. It is easier to compare it to professional sport. Not only athletes have natural talents, they also participate in training that would be useless or harmful for everyone else. Only then they can reach the record setting zone.
freefaler 3y ago
What memoir you're referring to? A.Ioffe didn't write one as far as my research shows. My bad... Boris Ioffe (not related to A. Ioffe) has indeed written a memoir: Иоффе Б. Л. Без ретуши. Портреты физиков на фоне эпохи. —М.: ФАЗИС, 2004; 160 с. ISBN 5-7036-0088-Х

elteto 3y ago

We are seduced and captivated by raw genius. I’m sure Landau was one of the highest caliber. To pass his examination, to be well regarded by him, to be part of such a select group, who wouldn’t want to? Don’t be hard on yourself.

sdenton4 3y ago
I don't even know that it's even raw genius - our brains are full of 'ape shit' which at times includes close attention to hierarchy. Seems likely to be a combination of charisma, ape-dominance, and enough smarts to be a good physics researcher.
ogurechny 3y ago
Many groups that select people for arbitrary reasons exist. Sure, here we see external cause and zealous dedication, but those things don't automatically make anything good. We then have to decide whether “advancement of scientific knowledge” should be seen as some kind of royal mantle (and by whom). And so on, and so forth. It is easier to compare it to professional sport. Not only athletes have natural talents, they also participate in training that would be useless or harmful for everyone else. Only then they can reach the record setting zone.

freefaler 3y ago

What memoir you're referring to? A.Ioffe didn't write one as far as my research shows. My bad... Boris Ioffe (not related to A. Ioffe) has indeed written a memoir: Иоффе Б. Л. Без ретуши. Портреты физиков на фоне эпохи. —М.: ФАЗИС, 2004; 160 с. ISBN 5-7036-0088-Х