Fame

Daan Roosegaarde is an acclaimed designer, entrepreneur and artist. He has gained a reputation for innovation with an impressive oeuvre of high-tech art installations addressing major problems in the modern world, such as a smog-free tower, illuminated cycling tracks and smart highways. During a recent interview he was criticized for his soloist role when accepting recognition.

In the same week, another major achievement went public: the discovery of gravitational waves. The author list in Physical Review Letters covers five pages with over a thousand names, starting with B. Abbott, R. Abbott and T. Abbott. Nobody remembers the name of the spokesperson and the event has been almost forgotten.

Both events raise a question that gains importance in today’s complex technological world. How do we deal with glory and recognition in a world where sole achievements are rare and breakthroughs come from teamwork?