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From: sb@cosivax.UUCP (Sam Black)
Newsgroups: net.jokes
Subject: Re: Request for computer science bloope
Message-ID: <153@cosivax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 15-Aug-85 10:48:51 EDT
Article-I.D.: cosivax.153
Posted: Thu Aug 15 10:48:51 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 18-Aug-85 05:07:39 EDT
References: <53100120@trsvax> <628@deepthot.UUCP>
Organization: COSI, Ann Arbor, MI
Lines: 15

A friend of mine once took a course from Von Neumann and had
a humorous anecdote to relate.

Von Neumann was proving a theorem to his class.  He wrote up
the first step, paused for a second,a nd wrote up the conclusion.
One student raised his hand and said "I didn't quite follow
that, professor."  So, Von Neumann erased the board, wrote up
the first step, paused for about 10 seconds, and wrote up the
conclusion.  The same student said "I still don't follow the
proof; could you go through it in some more detail?"  So, again
Von Neumann wrote the first step on the board, paused for a full
minute, and wrote the conclusion.  Now, the student still seemed
confused.  Von Neumann said, "Look, I've done it three different
ways now.  If you don't understand it now, you'll have to work it
out for yourself."