“Ten Simple Rules for Lifelong Learning, According to Hamming”, Thomas C. Erren, Tracy E. Slanger, J. Valérie Groß, Philip E. Bourne, Paul Cullen2015-02 (; backlinks)⁠:

A mathematician, like a painter or poet, is a maker of patterns. If his patterns are more permanent than theirs, it is because they are made with ideas.

G. H. Hardy, “A Mathematician’s Apology”.

Learning is a lifelong imperative for any scientist, and Richard Hamming provided timeless advice on how to achieve this. In this sequel to our 2007 contribution to the “10 Simple Rules” series, we attempt to distil the essence of what this mathematician and computer science and telecommunications pioneer addressed in one of his talks and in his book The Art of Doing Science and Engineering: Learning to Learn.

Hamming developed both the talk and the book as a synthesis of his graduate course in engineering at the United States Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. We have organized his authoritative advice into 10 rules. We believe these will equip the reader to more confidently face the unremitting emergence of an exponentially increasing amount of new knowledge, coupled with the equally relentless obsolescence of established knowledge, in a world containing a greater number of scientists than ever before. Our rules promote a certain “style of thinking.” They also emphasize orientation towards the future and—we hope—will help the reader learn how to learn while motivating him or her to continue learning throughout life.

  1. Cultivate Lifelong Learning as a “Style of Thinking” That Concentrates on Fundamental Principles Rather Than on Facts
  2. Structure Your Learning to Ride the Information Tsunami Rather Than Drown in It
  3. Be Prepared to Compete and Interact with a Greater and More Rapidly Increasing Number of Scientists Than at Any Time in the Past
  4. Focus on the Future but Don’t Ignore the Past
  5. Look for the Personal Angle
  6. Learn from the Successes of Others
  7. Use Trial & Error to Find the Style of Learning That Suits You
  8. No Matter How Much Advice You Get and How Much Talent You Possess, It Is Still You Who Must Do the Learning and Put in the Time
  9. Have a Vision to Give You a General Direction
  10. Make Your Life Count: Struggle for Excellence