John von Neumann Professions : Mathematician Born : December 28, 1903 Died : February 8, 1957 Browse All Authors Top 37 quotes by John von Neumann If people do not believe that mathematics is simple, it is only because they do not realize how complicated life is. John von Neumann simple math believe You insist that there is something a machine cannot do. If you tell me precisely what it is a machine cannot do, then I can always make a machine which will do just that. John von Neumann machines ifs justice Computers are like humans - they do everything except think. John von Neumann computer humans thinking Young man, in mathematics you don't understand things. You just get used to them. John von Neumann math men science Science, as well as technology, will in the near and in the farther future increasingly turn from problems of intensity, substance, and energy, to problems of structure, organization, information, and control. John von Neumann technology organization energy 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-that is, correctly to describe phenomena from a reasonably wide area. John von Neumann mathematics trying science There's no sense in being precise when you don't even know what you're talking about. John von Neumann programming knows talking Truth is much too complicated to allow anything but approximations. John von Neumann truth-is complicated religion If you tell me precisely what it is a machine cannot do, then I can always make a machine which will do just that. John von Neumann machines i-can ifs Anyone who attempts to generate random numbers by deterministic means is, of course, living in a state of sin. John von Neumann numbers science mean All stable processes we shall predict. All unstable processes we shall control. John von Neumann meteorology unstable process With four parameters I can fit an elephant, and with five I can make him wiggle his trunk. John von Neumann fit four elephants The total subject of mathematics is clearly too broad for any of us. I do not think that any mathematician since Gauss has covered it uniformly and fully; even Hilbert did not and all of us are of considerably lesser width quite apart from the question of depth than Hilbert. John von Neumann mathematics depth thinking There probably is a God. Many things are easier to explain if there is than if there isn't. John von Neumann easier ifs god Technological possibilities are irresistible to man. If man can go to the moon, he will. If he can control the climate, he will. John von Neumann climate moon men I am thinking about something much more important than bombs. I am thinking about computers. John von Neumann bombs important thinking When we talk mathematics, we may be discussing a secondary language built on the primary language of the nervous system. John von Neumann nervous language may Problems are often stated in vague terms... because it is quite uncertain what the problems really are. John von Neumann uncertain term problem I would like to make a confession which may seem immoral: I do not believe absolutely in Hilbert space any more. John von Neumann space may believe It is just as foolish to complain that people are selfish and treacherous as it is to complain that the magnetic field does not increase unless the electric field has a curl. Both are laws of nature. John von Neumann selfish law people Similar Authors Abram Samoilovitch Besicovitch mathematician Brahmagupta mathematician Augustus De Morgan mathematician Augustin-Louis Cauchy mathematician Atle Selberg mathematician Arthur Cayley mathematician All Authors
