“ Colleagues worried that Erdős might have become addicted. In 1979, he accepted a $500 bet from his friend Ronald Graham. Graham challenged Erdős to abstain from speed for 30 days. Erdős met the challenge, but his output sank dramatically. Erdős felt the progress of mathematics had been held up by a stupid wager. In an article by Paul Hoffman published in November 1987, Atlantic Monthly profiled Erdős and discussed his Benzedrine habit. Erdős liked the article, “…except for one thing…You shouldn’t have mentioned the stuff about Benzedrine. It’s not that you got it wrong. It’s just that I don’t want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics to think that they have to take drugs to succeed.”
The truth is far more nuanced. Like I said no one will openly admit to this as it sets a risky example for others.
I'm sure any addicted person would perform very poorly when undergoing 30 days of withdrawal. I know when I withdraw from caffeine, the next few days are hopelessly unproductive.
The truth is far more nuanced. Like I said no one will openly admit to this as it sets a risky example for others.