Von Neumann: Architect of the computer age(orion.math.uwaterloo.ca)
orion.math.uwaterloo.ca
Von Neumann: Architect of the computer age
http://orion.math.uwaterloo.ca/~hwolkowi/neumann1.html
2 comments
My favorite John Von Neumann quote is: "It would appear that we have reached the limits of what it is possible to achieve with computer technology, although one should be careful with such statements, as they tend to sound pretty silly in 5 years." That was circa 1949. The statement may appear silly at first glance. Nevertheless, even when Mr Von Neumann couldn't foresee any more advancements in the industry, he still was humble enough to concede his own limitations by implying that maybe there was more to do/discover. That stance alone deserves much praise.
Well I have heard that he was one of the people on which Dr.Strangelove ( of the Stanley Kubrick movie ) was based because of his nuclear firststrike thinking and in the days leading upto his death he used to go to meetings on wheelchairs !