--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In fact what I would like to see is…" description: "\"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.\" — Dona..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c47/donald-knuth-8762_computer_in-fact-what-i-would-like-to-see-is-thou_1106540.jpg" --- # In fact what I would like to see is thousands of computer… ![“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.” quote by Donald Knuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c47/donald-knuth-8762_computer_in-fact-what-i-would-like-to-see-is-thou_1106540.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c47/donald-knuth-8762_computer_in-fact-what-i-would-like-to-see-is-thou_1106540.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c47/donald-knuth-8762_computer_in-fact-what-i-would-like-to-see-is-thou_1106540.jpg) > “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.” [Donald Knuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-knuth/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Free exploration by many computer scientists drives true advancement in the field. **In simple terms:** Unrestricted research fuels progress. Key Takeaway Encourage open, curiosity‑driven research. Themes research freedom innovation computer science collaboration Mood optimistic curious Type inspirational strategic When to use this quote - academic labs - industry R&D - hackathons - personal projects Key Concepts exploratory programming theoretical inquiry open‑source development Questions to Reflect On - How can institutions balance freedom with guidance? - What structures support productive exploration? A Different Perspective Unstructured work may lack focus or resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advances/) [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Computer Scientists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer-scientists-336138/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fields/) [Really Advances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-advances-2927096/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Scientist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientist/) [Scientists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientists/) [Scientists Let](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientists-let-2927095/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [Part of what made the Macintosh great was that the people working on it were musicians and poets and artists and zoologists and historians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/part-of-what-made-the-macintosh-great-was-that-the-people-working-on/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The best computer scientists are...technologists who crave beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gelernter/the-best-computer-scientists-are-technologists-who-crave-beauty/) [David Gelernter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gelernter/) > [Mathematicians stand on each others' shoulders and computer scientists stand on each others' toes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hamming/mathematicians-stand-on-each-others-shoulders-and-computer-scientists/) [Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hamming/) > [Computer scientists stand on each other's feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hamming/computer-scientists-stand-on-each-other-s-feet/) [Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hamming/) > [I am worried that algorithms are getting too prominent in the world. 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Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/) > [The idea would be in my mind - and I know it sounds strange - is that the most important advances in medicine would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-soon-shiong/the-idea-would-be-in-my-mind-and-i-know-it-sounds-strange-is-that-the/) [Patrick Soon-Shiong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-soon-shiong/) > [I don't know what country's willing to export - for free - the computer scientists, engineers, doctors. It's hard to me to understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-videgaray-caso/i-don-t-know-what-country-s-willing-to-export-for-free-the-computer/) [Luis Videgaray Caso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-videgaray-caso/) > [“Computer scientists have been working on finding this balance for more than fifty years. They even have a name for it: the explore/exploit tradeoff.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-christian/computer-scientists-have-been-working-on-finding-this-balance-for/) [Brian Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-christian/) > [If every sector of business and society will be driven by software - how does that get enabled? By highly-paid computer scientists funded by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satya-nadella/if-every-sector-of-business-and-society-will-be-driven-by-software/) [Satya Nadella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satya-nadella/) > [It is cheaper to pay mathematicians and computer scientists to design algorithms that will eliminate webspamming, rather than to pay lawyers to do lawsuits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-tour-chayes/it-is-cheaper-to-pay-mathematicians-and-computer-scientists-to-design/) [Jennifer Tour Chayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-tour-chayes/) ## More by Donald Knuth > [I'll never know everything. My life would be a lot worse if there was nothing I knew the answers about - and if there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-knuth/i-ll-never-know-everything-my-life-would-be-a-lot-worse-if-there-was/) [Donald Knuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-knuth/) > [“Nearly every example of faulty reasoning that has been published is accompanied by the phrase "of course" or its equivalent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-knuth/nearly-every-example-of-faulty-reasoning-that-has-been-published-is/) [Donald Knuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-knuth/) > [ \[The Euclidean algorithm is\] the granddaddy of all algorithms, because it is the oldest nontrivial algorithm that has survived to the present day. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-knuth/the-euclidean-algorithm-is-the-granddaddy-of-all-algorithms-because/) [Donald Knuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-knuth/) > [The process of preparing programs for a digital computer is especially attractive, not only because it can economically and scientifically rewarding, but also because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-knuth/the-process-of-preparing-programs-for-a-digital-computer-is/) [Donald Knuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-knuth/) > [When certain concepts of TeX are introduced informally, general rules will be stated; afterwards you will find that the rules aren't strictly true. 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Yet we should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-knuth/we-should-forget-about-small-efficiencies-say-about-97-of-the-time/) [Donald Knuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-knuth/) > [...One of the most important lessons, perhaps, is the fact that SOFTWARE IS HARD. 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Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [The idea would be in my mind - and I know it sounds strange - is that the most important advances in medicine would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-soon-shiong/the-idea-would-be-in-my-mind-and-i-know-it-sounds-strange-is-that-the/) [Patrick Soon-Shiong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-soon-shiong/) > [We live increasingly in a world of haves and have-nots, of gated communities next to ghettos, of extreme poverty and unbelievable riches. Some enjoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/we-live-increasingly-in-a-world-of-haves-and-have-nots-of-gated/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [“Advances in technology can be empowering, progressive and enriching. History has shown this across civilisations and societies. But it has also shown, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasheed-ogunlaru/advances-in-technology-can-be-empowering-progressive-and-enriching/) [Rasheed Ogunlaru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasheed-ogunlaru/) > [“Advances are made by answering questions. Discoveries are made by questioning answers. —Bernard Haisch”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-houston/advances-are-made-by-answering-questions-discoveries-are-made-by/) [Philip Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-houston/) > [My mother often mailed me articles from 'Reader's Digest' about advances in DNA chemistry. No matter how I tried to explain it to her,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kary-mullis/my-mother-often-mailed-me-articles-from-reader-s-digest-about/) [Kary Mullis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kary-mullis/) > [Evolution advances, not by a priori design, but by the selection of what works best out of whatever choices offer. 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