Knowing a rival is close is enough: from CRISPR to DeepSeek R1, competition drives discovery
MaxUnfried · x · 2026-09-09
The post amplifies @pdhsu's observation that in scientific discovery and quant trading, simply knowing a competitor is close to a solution is often enough to find the answer yourself. Examples cited include first-hand experience in the CRISPR race, the four-minute mile, the Soviet bomb after Trinity, Explorer after Sputnik, and DeepSeek R1 following OpenAI's o1. The author adds: "Need more of this sort of competition" — suggesting close competition in AI is accelerating breakthroughs.
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