This is a nice interview with Don Knuth:
http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1193856
I know that important applications for parallelism exist–rendering graphics, breaking codes, scanning images, simulating physical and biological processes, etc. But all these applications require dedicated code and special-purpose techniques, which will need to be changed substantially every few years.
When reading it remember that he only cares about fundamental stuff, not about trends.
I currently use Ubuntu Linux, on a standalone laptop–it has no Internet connection. I occasionally carry flash memory drives between this machine and the Macs that I use for network surfing and graphics; but I trust my family jewels only to Linux.
No Internet in his computer. I really understand how this works. I really love how this guy does things in batch. Reading articles of the same subject in batch is a very good thing to do.
On the other hand, I willingly put myself in God's hands with respect to how much more I'll be able to do before cancer or heart disease or senility or whatever strikes.
He has accomplished a lot and he still wants to accomplish more. I've noticed that a lot of people I know start thinking they are too old for anything when they are 30!
Almost every biography of every person whom you would like to emulate will say that he or she did many things against the "conventional wisdom" of the day.
This interview is a very good thing to read.
Discussion (2)Last update: 2008-04-26 (Rev 14046)