Edsger W. Dijkstra quotes
@ewdquotes.bsky.social
Various interesting quotes from computer scientist Edsger Wybe Dijkstra (1930 - 2002).
Profile picture is a black and white version of a photograph taken by Hamilton Richards and is available under the GNU Creative commons licence.
Profile picture is a black and white version of a photograph taken by Hamilton Richards and is available under the GNU Creative commons licence.
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By their mere existence, computers are a daily reminder of their healthy limitations
(EWD 1051)
(EWD 1051)
November 28, 2025 at 8:13 PM
By their mere existence, computers are a daily reminder of their healthy limitations
(EWD 1051)
(EWD 1051)
in the second half of the century the mere suggestion that even industrial programming could require brains was blasphemy. For a while, the "deskilling of the programmer" was a hot topic.
(EWD 1298)
(EWD 1298)
November 28, 2025 at 8:00 PM
in the second half of the century the mere suggestion that even industrial programming could require brains was blasphemy. For a while, the "deskilling of the programmer" was a hot topic.
(EWD 1298)
(EWD 1298)
For some undergraduates the major computer science problem seems to be in which month to drop out so that they can become a billionaire, and in the more pragmatic graduate schools it becomes very difficult to attract Ph.D. students
(EWD 1298)
(EWD 1298)
November 28, 2025 at 7:59 PM
For some undergraduates the major computer science problem seems to be in which month to drop out so that they can become a billionaire, and in the more pragmatic graduate schools it becomes very difficult to attract Ph.D. students
(EWD 1298)
(EWD 1298)
To put it quite bluntly: as long as there were no machines, programming was no problem at all; when we had a few weak computers, programming became a mild problem, and now we have gigantic computers, programming had become an equally gigantic problem.
November 24, 2025 at 8:17 PM
To put it quite bluntly: as long as there were no machines, programming was no problem at all; when we had a few weak computers, programming became a mild problem, and now we have gigantic computers, programming had become an equally gigantic problem.
How does science justify itself, why does a society tolerate scientists?
The way in which these questions are answered has a deep influence on the scientist's behaviour, not only on the way in which he presents his results, but also on his way of working and his choice of topics.
(EWD 611)
The way in which these questions are answered has a deep influence on the scientist's behaviour, not only on the way in which he presents his results, but also on his way of working and his choice of topics.
(EWD 611)
November 14, 2025 at 1:33 PM
How does science justify itself, why does a society tolerate scientists?
The way in which these questions are answered has a deep influence on the scientist's behaviour, not only on the way in which he presents his results, but also on his way of working and his choice of topics.
(EWD 611)
The way in which these questions are answered has a deep influence on the scientist's behaviour, not only on the way in which he presents his results, but also on his way of working and his choice of topics.
(EWD 611)
I would like to recall that Science as a whole has dismally failed to meet its original objectives. As you all remember, those original objectives were three.
November 14, 2025 at 1:29 PM
I would like to recall that Science as a whole has dismally failed to meet its original objectives. As you all remember, those original objectives were three.
"The organizational love of mediocrity has severely hampered all sciences in their effort of contributing to the industrial effort, and mathematics has been hampered most of all."
(EWD 966)
(EWD 966)
November 12, 2025 at 5:50 PM
"The organizational love of mediocrity has severely hampered all sciences in their effort of contributing to the industrial effort, and mathematics has been hampered most of all."
(EWD 966)
(EWD 966)
(EWD 936 - On anthropomorphism in science)
November 12, 2025 at 5:41 PM
(EWD 936 - On anthropomorphism in science)
(EWD 1284 - Computing Science: Achievements and Challenges )
November 12, 2025 at 5:08 PM
(EWD 1284 - Computing Science: Achievements and Challenges )
About the birth of "Dijkstra's algorithm"
(EWD 1166)
(EWD 1166)
November 12, 2025 at 12:04 PM
About the birth of "Dijkstra's algorithm"
(EWD 1166)
(EWD 1166)
"The effort of using machines to mimic the human mind has always struck me as rather silly: I'd rather use them to mimic something better"
(EWD 1036 - On the cruelty of really teaching computer science )
(EWD 1036 - On the cruelty of really teaching computer science )
November 12, 2025 at 11:25 AM
"The effort of using machines to mimic the human mind has always struck me as rather silly: I'd rather use them to mimic something better"
(EWD 1036 - On the cruelty of really teaching computer science )
(EWD 1036 - On the cruelty of really teaching computer science )
(EWD 1305)
![And I don't need to waste my time with a computer just because I am a computer scientist.
[Medical researchers are not required to suffer from the diseases they investigate.]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:atezdzgeerqhprrwgelntq4r/bafkreicrzyqyp4vouzdunp6wtki7gb2w5uvfaziizrpolgxr4wrpljug5u@jpeg)
November 12, 2025 at 11:15 AM
(EWD 1305)
« Beware of "the real world".
A speaker's appeal to it is always an invitation not to challenge his tacit assumptions.
When a speaker refers to the real world, a useful counterploy is pointing out that he only refers to his perception of it. »
(EWD 800)
A speaker's appeal to it is always an invitation not to challenge his tacit assumptions.
When a speaker refers to the real world, a useful counterploy is pointing out that he only refers to his perception of it. »
(EWD 800)
November 12, 2025 at 11:12 AM
« Beware of "the real world".
A speaker's appeal to it is always an invitation not to challenge his tacit assumptions.
When a speaker refers to the real world, a useful counterploy is pointing out that he only refers to his perception of it. »
(EWD 800)
A speaker's appeal to it is always an invitation not to challenge his tacit assumptions.
When a speaker refers to the real world, a useful counterploy is pointing out that he only refers to his perception of it. »
(EWD 800)