For some things, we must let time pass and allow it to reveal the answers we so desperately seek.
We must be patient.
In 2022, Yuri Burda and Harri Edwards were working in the research team at OpenAI, tasked with training AI to do basic math. Their early attempts were failures. Researchers at the time thought that training AI models for long periods only gave marginal improvements in performance. But on one occasion, when Burda and Edwards planned to train their AI model for just a few hours, they accidentally let it go on for several days. When they realised their mistake and went back, they saw the AI made an unexpected leap in progress. It could now do math. In forgetting to stop the clock, they unlocked a new level of AI capability that nobody considered possible a few years ago.
Warren Buffet started his investment journey in 1951, when he was 21. Although he’s known for being one of the richest people on Earth, few realise he earned 99% of his wealth in the second half of his career, after the age of 50. He didn’t become a billionaire until 56. Buffet’s small gains and smart decisions compounded over decades. With time, things moved slowly… until they didn’t.
In 1928, Alexander Fleming forgot about a few bacterial cultures in his lab before going on holiday. On his return, he noticed they became mouldy, but the bacteria on the plates were dead. He isolated what was killing the bacteria, and in doing so discovered penicillin. If it wasn’t for this accidentally long experiment, the cultures would have probably met the trash before the mould. With a stroke of luck, time revealed the most important medical discovery we’ve ever made.
These are just three cases where the passage of time has offered its good fortune. Often it happens by mistake, but just imagine how many more things we’d discover if we lean into its power with intention.
In a world where speed is king, letting time do its thing is more important than ever.
The question is: how many experiments are you stopping too early, before time can work its magic?
One Liners
“We're sold on the idea that time is something to be managed.
But I'm not so sure that’s the right default assumption.” -
Recommended reading from Substack:
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gives an excellent overview in his layman’s guide to electricity.🧠
on the neurological effects of criticism.🕰️
keeps with the time theme, sharing his 20-year rule for investing.👩🏫
on what to teach young people.📖
encourages us to treat life like a trip to the used bookstore.
Recommended reading beyond Substack:
Song of the week:
I never get bored of Alexander Fleming's story on his discovery of penicillin. It was one of the few topics that I still remember from bio because of how revolutionary yet coincidental it was. As Fleming said himself:
“Penicillin started as a chance observation. My only merit is that I did not neglect the observation…” -Alexander Fleming
Remarkable story, with a remarkable lesson: time and patience will prevail :)
Compounding is the eighth wonder of the world! Great post Zan, and a great song too. Jungle are one of the best I’ve ever seen live, it’s like one big party! I’d highly recommend.