We should forget about small efficiencies, say about 97% of the time: premature optimization is the root of all evil.

Random numbers should not be generated with a method chosen at random

The hardest thing is to go to sleep at night, when there are so many urgent things needing to be done. A huge gap exists between what we know is possible with today's machines and what we have so far been able to finish.

Programming is legitimate and necessary academic endeavour.

Whenever the C++ language designers had two competing ideas as to how they should solve some problem, they said, "OK, we'll do them both". So the language is too baroque for my taste.

In fact what I would like to see is thousands of computer scientists let loose to do whatever they want. That's what really advances the field.

I have a hunch that the unknown sequences of DNA will decode into copyright notices and patent protections.