Also on the old guard problem: Let’s say you’re one of the luminaries of a field, and you have a lot invested in one particular approach or theory for doing things—maybe you invented this approach and you remain one of the best in the world at it. Now suppose there’s a new approach that shows strong signs of being better than the one you’re invested in.
If your career is going to end “soon” due to age, then taking the time to learn the new approach and become really good at it—as good as you currently are with your approach—may take up a substantial portion of the remainder of your career. In that case, just from a calculated-risk perspective, it may be in your interest to double down on your current approach even at times when the new approach is clearly the right choice for newcomers. But if you expect your career to last another 200 years, then it’s much more likely in your interest to keep up with the times.
“Approach” is a very general term here. It might describe “experimental method and type of equipment used”, “sub-area of study”, “hypothesized method of treatment of a disease”, “programming language and editor used”, and lots of other possibilities.
Also on the old guard problem: Let’s say you’re one of the luminaries of a field, and you have a lot invested in one particular approach or theory for doing things—maybe you invented this approach and you remain one of the best in the world at it. Now suppose there’s a new approach that shows strong signs of being better than the one you’re invested in.
If your career is going to end “soon” due to age, then taking the time to learn the new approach and become really good at it—as good as you currently are with your approach—may take up a substantial portion of the remainder of your career. In that case, just from a calculated-risk perspective, it may be in your interest to double down on your current approach even at times when the new approach is clearly the right choice for newcomers. But if you expect your career to last another 200 years, then it’s much more likely in your interest to keep up with the times.
“Approach” is a very general term here. It might describe “experimental method and type of equipment used”, “sub-area of study”, “hypothesized method of treatment of a disease”, “programming language and editor used”, and lots of other possibilities.