In 1932, a young Claude Shannon entered the University of Michigan with the intention of building depth in the fields of engineering and mathematics, but Shannon was a passionately curious individual who prized breadth as much as depth. Despite the considerable academic load of a dual major, Shannon made time to pursue many tangents. He participated in the Junior Math Club, the Radio Club, the gymnastics team; he taught himself to juggle and ride a unicycle. He would also take elective classes on subjects outside of his majors. Through the narrow lens of that time, it might appear that Shannon lacked focus and was squandering his chance at an academic career, but it was his breadth of knowledge and diversity of thought that paved the way for Shannon to fundamentally change the world.