The right time

Picture a room filled with casually dressed scientists, all between the ages of 18 and 37 years, who know the ins and outs of heat transfer and neutron scattering, and the mathematical theory that underpins it. Suppose they are applying that knowledge to the financial markets. And imagine the room is set up as a trading floor, with everyone focused on maximising returns. This could be any one of a hundred banks or hedge funds, but this is 1977 and the trading floor in question is that of the