4 ms·

Google Tech Talks: "All Questions Answered" by Donald Knuth

130 points by tjr 16y ago

staunch 16y ago
Direct: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLBvCB2kr4Q http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLBvCB2kr4Q
- tjr 16y ago
  Thanks! The link I posted was the link cited on Knuth's website... no blog spam intended.
theodpHN 16y ago
Compare the reception Googlers gave Lady Gaga vs. Donald Knuth http://youtubedoubler.com/?video1=hNa_-1d_0tA&start1=115&video2=xLBvCB2kr4Q&start2=65&authorName=Gaga+vs.+Knuth http://youtubedoubler.com/?video1=hNa_-1d_0tA&start1=115...
- Jach 16y ago
  I'm actually glad programmer-type people don't tend to scream like that, at least for another programmer-type person. (Though it disturbs me when anyone does it for someone--I can't stand live sporting events or concerts.)
  - leon_ 16y ago
    I would totally scream for Knuth!
- trin_ 16y ago
  directly from the yt comments: "Donald frickin Knuth in the room and look at all the people still tapping away on their notebooks. What would it take? The Queen of England?"
vessenes 16y ago
I haven't heard Knuth lecture for maybe five years, but he seemed sort of stuttery -- something I don't remember from his last lecture I saw at MIT. Does anyone know if the stuttering is common / worsening? I'm worried about his mental health!!
- brg 16y ago
  In most of his online talks, his extemporaneous speaking style seems to be consistent. For instance compare with his Christmas trees lectures from the previos years.
- tomn 16y ago
  I was lucky enough to see him in Manchester a few months ago, and the people who weren't expecting the stuttering were quite put off. Still, it was an incredible experience.
glenra 16y ago
I loved this: "If there were ten people like me in the world, we wouldn't have time to read each other's books." - Donald Knuth
- Tiomaidh 16y ago
  "The answer is....I'm 73 years old and....I have friends."
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
enterneo 16y ago
but I submitted the same link 25 days ago, and I got no upvote love: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2380269 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2380269
- ww520 16y ago
  Sorry to hear it wasn't voted up. I suspect HN has an aversion to direct link to video in submission.
ww520 16y ago
Link in GoogleTechTalk's channel http://www.topchan.tv/show/public1/265/GoogleTechTalks/2011-03-27.w/1 http://www.topchan.tv/show/public1/265/GoogleTechTalks/2011-....
dpkendal 16y ago
I was fortunate to see him in Manchester, England in February. As Manchester is the birthplace of the Small Scale Experimental Machine (SSEM), someone asked him: Q: What would you have done with the SSEM if you had access to it? A: Given that I was about ten years old at the time, I would probably have used it to check Facebook. A great man, with a great sense of humour. (He later gave his real answer: he would write a program to play music on it.)
melling 16y ago
He talks about The Bank of San Serrifee near the end. http://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~uno/boss.html http://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~uno/boss.html

130 points by tjr 16y ago

staunch 16y ago

Direct: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLBvCB2kr4Q http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLBvCB2kr4Q

tjr 16y ago
Thanks! The link I posted was the link cited on Knuth's website... no blog spam intended.

theodpHN 16y ago

Compare the reception Googlers gave Lady Gaga vs. Donald Knuth http://youtubedoubler.com/?video1=hNa_-1d_0tA&start1=115&video2=xLBvCB2kr4Q&start2=65&authorName=Gaga+vs.+Knuth http://youtubedoubler.com/?video1=hNa_-1d_0tA&start1=115...

Jach 16y ago
I'm actually glad programmer-type people don't tend to scream like that, at least for another programmer-type person. (Though it disturbs me when anyone does it for someone--I can't stand live sporting events or concerts.)
- leon_ 16y ago
  I would totally scream for Knuth!
trin_ 16y ago
directly from the yt comments: "Donald frickin Knuth in the room and look at all the people still tapping away on their notebooks. What would it take? The Queen of England?"

vessenes 16y ago

I haven't heard Knuth lecture for maybe five years, but he seemed sort of stuttery -- something I don't remember from his last lecture I saw at MIT. Does anyone know if the stuttering is common / worsening? I'm worried about his mental health!!

brg 16y ago
In most of his online talks, his extemporaneous speaking style seems to be consistent. For instance compare with his Christmas trees lectures from the previos years.
tomn 16y ago
I was lucky enough to see him in Manchester a few months ago, and the people who weren't expecting the stuttering were quite put off. Still, it was an incredible experience.

glenra 16y ago

I loved this: "If there were ten people like me in the world, we wouldn't have time to read each other's books." - Donald Knuth

Tiomaidh 16y ago
"The answer is....I'm 73 years old and....I have friends."

deleted 16y ago

[deleted]

enterneo 16y ago

but I submitted the same link 25 days ago, and I got no upvote love: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2380269 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2380269

ww520 16y ago
Sorry to hear it wasn't voted up. I suspect HN has an aversion to direct link to video in submission.

ww520 16y ago

Link in GoogleTechTalk's channel http://www.topchan.tv/show/public1/265/GoogleTechTalks/2011-03-27.w/1 http://www.topchan.tv/show/public1/265/GoogleTechTalks/2011-....

dpkendal 16y ago

I was fortunate to see him in Manchester, England in February. As Manchester is the birthplace of the Small Scale Experimental Machine (SSEM), someone asked him: Q: What would you have done with the SSEM if you had access to it? A: Given that I was about ten years old at the time, I would probably have used it to check Facebook. A great man, with a great sense of humour. (He later gave his real answer: he would write a program to play music on it.)

melling 16y ago

He talks about The Bank of San Serrifee near the end. http://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~uno/boss.html http://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~uno/boss.html