I think the first version that reached me through the rationality sphere had Hamming asking the all the questions on the same day.
A bit later there was a local rationalist who got a different version of the story through family connection and a Bell labs source. In that story Hamming asked “What’s the most important question” in week 1, “What are you working on?” in week 2 and “Why isn’t that the same?” in week 3.
The way I understand it, Hamming was a real guy doing real annoying questions in Bell labs.
That’s my understanding too, I just wouldn’t be that surprised if that story went through a few games of telephone before it reached us.
I think the first version that reached me through the rationality sphere had Hamming asking the all the questions on the same day.
A bit later there was a local rationalist who got a different version of the story through family connection and a Bell labs source. In that story Hamming asked “What’s the most important question” in week 1, “What are you working on?” in week 2 and “Why isn’t that the same?” in week 3.
(Pun intended? The former name of Bell Labs, and so on...)
Oh lol. No, unfortunately.