Mathematics Quote by Simon Singh
““I had written this paper on pancake numbers with help from my adviser, Manuel Blum, who's a well-known computer scientist, and we submitted it to a journal called Discrete Applied Mathematics . I subsequently left graduate school to come and write for The Simpsons . After the paper was accepted, there was an extremely long lag between it being submitted, revised, and published. So, by the time the paper was published, I had been working at The Simpsons for a while, and Ken Keeler had also been hired at that point. So, finally the research article appeared, and I came in with the reprints of this article and I said, 'Hey, I've got an article in Discrete Applied Mathematics .' Everyone was quite impressed except Ken Keeler, who said, 'Oh yeah, I had a paper in that journal a couple of months ago.'" With a wry smile on his face, Cohen bemoaned: "What does it mean that I come to write for The Simpsons and I cannot even be the only writer on this show with a paper in Discrete Applied Mathematics ?””
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Simpsons creator interview, 2010
A writer feels eclipsed when a colleague shares a similar academic achievement, highlighting professional rivalry and the quirks of fame.
In simple terms: Feeling outshone by a peer with the same credential.
Key Takeaway
Recognize your unique contributions beyond accolades.
Themes
professional rivalry
humor
academic achievement
media industry
Mood
reflective
wry
lighthearted
Type
anecdotal
humorous
When to use this quote
- writing for TV
- academic publishing
- peer comparison
Key Concepts
ego
validation
career identity
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you define personal success?
- What unique value do you bring to your work?
A Different Perspective
Success can be measured in many ways, not just publications.
![“Geometry, which should only obey Physics, when united with it sometimes commands it. If it happens that the question which we wish to examine is too complicated for all the elements to be able to enter into the analytical comparison we wish to make, we separate the more inconvenient [elements], we…” quote by Jean le Rond d'Alembert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0d9/jean-le-rond-d-alembert-26487_able_geometry-which-should-only-obey-physics_6945.jpg)
