Talk:John von Neumann

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I remember reading that von Neumann had said something like:

"Not taking into account ideology in considering history is like not taking into account hysteresis in considering magnetism."

I would dearly like to find a source and an accurate version of what von Neumann said. I'm not sure whether he mentioned hysteresis.

John McCarthy jmc@cs.stanford.edu www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/

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  • 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.
  • There's no sense in being precise when you don't even know what you're talking about.
  • The sciences do not try to explain, they hardly even try to interpret, they mainly make models. By a model is meant a mathematical construct which, with the addition of certain verbal interpretations, describes observed phenomena. The justification of such a mathematical construct is solely and precisely that it is expected to work.
  • The most vitally characteristic fact about mathematics is, in my opinion, its quite peculiar relationship to the natural sciences, or more generally, to any science which interprets experience on a higher than purely descriptive level.
  • You insist that there is something that a machine can't do. If you will tell me precisely what it is that a machine cannot do, then I can always make a machine which will do just that.
  • With the Russians it is not a question of whether but of when. [...] If you say why not bomb them tomorrow, I say why not today? If you say today at 5 o'clock, I say why not one o'clock?
  • Technological possibilities are irresistible to man. If man can go to the moon, he will. If he can control the climate, he will.
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