“Jim Simons looked to math and computers as ways to eliminate the emotional ups and downs of investing. “I don’t want to have to worry about the market every minute. I want models that will make money while I sleep.”
“ Mr. Simons developed a unique perspective. He was accustomed to scrutinizing large data sets and detecting order where others saw randomness. Scientists and mathematicians are trained to dig below the surface of the chaotic, natural world to identify simplicity, structure, and even beauty. Mr. Simons concluded that financial prices featured defined patterns, much as the apparent randomness of weather patterns can mask identifiable trends.”
The world’s greatest investor was a math professor.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Simons_(mathematician)
Also, all the Quanta Magazine stories that are published on HN are from a magazine that Simons funded: