--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the long run, curiosity-driven…" description: "\"In the long run, curiosity-driven research just works better... Real breakthroughs come from people focusing on what they're excited about.\" — Geoffrey..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e8/geoffrey-hinton-12991_better_in-the-long-run-curiosity-driven-researc_1830510.jpg" --- # In the long run, curiosity-driven research just works… ![“In the long run, curiosity-driven research just works better... Real breakthroughs come from people focusing on what they're excited about.” quote by Geoffrey Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e8/geoffrey-hinton-12991_better_in-the-long-run-curiosity-driven-researc_1830510.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e8/geoffrey-hinton-12991_better_in-the-long-run-curiosity-driven-researc_1830510.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e8/geoffrey-hinton-12991_better_in-the-long-run-curiosity-driven-researc_1830510.jpg) > “In the long run, curiosity-driven research just works better... Real breakthroughs come from people focusing on what they're excited about.” [Geoffrey Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-hinton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Research driven by curiosity tends to outperform goal‑oriented work, leading to unexpected breakthroughs. **In simple terms:** Curiosity leads to better research outcomes. Key Takeaway Follow your curiosity in research. Themes innovation curiosity research methodology Mood inquisitive optimistic Type motivational analytical When to use this quote - academic labs - startup R&D - personal projects Key Concepts intrinsic motivation serendipity Questions to Reflect On - What curiosity could you explore today? - How can you balance curiosity with practical constraints? A Different Perspective Curiosity may not align with immediate business goals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breakthroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breakthroughs/) [Innovation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innovation/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [When you realize that the real breakthroughs come from levels of higher consciousness, then you also realize that the achievement of maturity and wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/when-you-realize-that-the-real-breakthroughs-come-from-levels-of/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [It is important to fund young researchers who want to do curiosity-driven research. Curiosity-driven research is a part of life. Some people are curious.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serge-haroche/it-is-important-to-fund-young-researchers-who-want-to-do-curiosity/) Serge Haroche > [The type of science that I do is sometimes known as 'curiosity-driven research.' This means that my work will never result in a marketable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/the-type-of-science-that-i-do-is-sometimes-known-as-curiosity-driven/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [“Curiosity-driven research may seem self-indulgent and far from the immediate public good. However, essentially all of our current quality of life, for people living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/curiosity-driven-research-may-seem-self-indulgent-and-far-from-the/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [“Here was a guy who had taken much of the Silicon Valley ethic behind moving quickly and running organizations free of bureaucratic hierarchies and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/here-was-a-guy-who-had-taken-much-of-the-silicon-valley-ethic-behind/) [Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/) > [Real breakthroughs are not found because you want to develop some new technology, but because you are curious and want to find out how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-zeilinger/real-breakthroughs-are-not-found-because-you-want-to-develop-some-new/) [Anton Zeilinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-zeilinger/) > [How do you discover a need that nobody yet knows about? This is where the product breakthroughs come through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/how-do-you-discover-a-need-that-nobody-yet-knows-about-this-is-where/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [Breakthroughs come from crazy ideas, taking risks, optimism, doing whatever it takes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/breakthroughs-come-from-crazy-ideas-taking-risks-optimism-doing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is false to suggest that medical breakthroughs come only through government research.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-wicker/it-is-false-to-suggest-that-medical-breakthroughs-come-only-through/) [Roger Wicker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-wicker/) > [On my walks, that's when the good ideas come. The kind of hard, gritty work is when you're sitting at the computer and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/on-my-walks-that-s-when-the-good-ideas-come-the-kind-of-hard-gritty/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [“The book depicts thoughts, unveils imaginings, answers unspoken questions, clarifies doubts, resolves arguments, and finally reveals the very atoms of the most curiosity-driven desire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-book-depicts-thoughts-unveils-imaginings-answers-unspoken/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“a prerequisite for the creation of the intellectual edifice upon which your spreadsheets, air-conditioned offices and mobile phones rest was the curiosity-driven quest to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-cox/a-prerequisite-for-the-creation-of-the-intellectual-edifice-upon/) [Brian Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-cox/) > [I am betting on Google's team to be the epicenter of future breakthroughs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-hinton/i-am-betting-on-google-s-team-to-be-the-epicenter-of-future/) [Geoffrey Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-hinton/) > [Historic changes and challenges. Breakthroughs in human knowledge and opportunity. And yet, for vast numbers across the globe, the daily realities have not altered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/historic-changes-and-challenges-breakthroughs-in-human-knowledge-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“O Lord, I desire breakthroughs concerning . . . this month, in the name of Jesus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-k-olukoya/o-lord-i-desire-breakthroughs-concerning-this-month-in-the-name-of/) [D.K. Olukoya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-k-olukoya/) ## More by Geoffrey Hinton > [I think the way we're doing computer vision is just wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-hinton/i-think-the-way-we-re-doing-computer-vision-is-just-wrong/) [Geoffrey Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-hinton/) > [Irony is going to be hard to get. You have to be master of the literal first. But then, Americans don't get irony either.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-hinton/irony-is-going-to-be-hard-to-get-you-have-to-be-master-of-the-literal/) [Geoffrey Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-hinton/) > [My main interest is in trying to find radically different kinds of neural nets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-hinton/my-main-interest-is-in-trying-to-find-radically-different-kinds-of/) [Geoffrey Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-hinton/) > [A deep-learning system doesn't have any explanatory power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-hinton/a-deep-learning-system-doesn-t-have-any-explanatory-power/) [Geoffrey Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-hinton/) > [We want to take AI and CIFAR to wonderful new places, where no person, no student, no program has gone before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-hinton/we-want-to-take-ai-and-cifar-to-wonderful-new-places-where-no-person/) [Geoffrey Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-hinton/) > [In deep learning, the algorithms we use now are versions of the algorithms we were developing in the 1980s, the 1990s. People were very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-hinton/in-deep-learning-the-algorithms-we-use-now-are-versions-of-the/) [Geoffrey Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-hinton/) > [Computers will understand sarcasm before Americans do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-hinton/computers-will-understand-sarcasm-before-americans-do/) [Geoffrey Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-hinton/) > [The role of radiologists will evolve from doing perceptual things that could probably be done by a highly trained pigeon to doing far more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-hinton/the-role-of-radiologists-will-evolve-from-doing-perceptual-things/) [Geoffrey Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-hinton/) > [I get very excited when we discover a way of making neural networks better - and when that's closely related to how the brain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-hinton/i-get-very-excited-when-we-discover-a-way-of-making-neural-networks/) [Geoffrey Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-hinton/) > [Deep learning is already working in Google search and in image search; it allows you to image-search a term like 'hug.' It's used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-hinton/deep-learning-is-already-working-in-google-search-and-in-image-search/) [Geoffrey Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-hinton/) > [In A.I., the holy grail was how do you generate internal representations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-hinton/in-a-i-the-holy-grail-was-how-do-you-generate-internal-representations/) [Geoffrey Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-hinton/) > [As soon as you have good mechanical technology, you can make things like backhoes that can dig holes in the road. But of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-hinton/as-soon-as-you-have-good-mechanical-technology-you-can-make-things/) [Geoffrey Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-hinton/) > [To deal with a 14-dimensional space, visualize a 3-D space and say 'fourteen' to yourself very loudly. Everyone does it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-hinton/to-deal-with-a-14-dimensional-space-visualize-a-3-d-space-and-say/) [Geoffrey Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-hinton/) > [In science, you can say things that seem crazy, but in the long run, they can turn out to be right. We can get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-hinton/in-science-you-can-say-things-that-seem-crazy-but-in-the-long-run/) [Geoffrey Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-hinton/) > [My view is we should be doing everything we can to come up with ways of exploiting the current technology effectively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-hinton/my-view-is-we-should-be-doing-everything-we-can-to-come-up-with-ways/) [Geoffrey Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-hinton/) [Explore all 52 Geoffrey Hinton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-hinton/) ## More Better quotes > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [Everybody has their cliques, and I was very shy. I'm still very shy. Music opened up doors. 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