Re: [OT] was "Re: Appreciation / Financial support"

[Phil Holmes]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kieren MacMillan" <address@hidden>
To: "David Kastrup" <address@hidden>

> > I don't think that the "last bugs" category can be
> > closed while Donald Knuth is alive

> In January 2009, I presented one of my mathematical papers at a conference 
> in San Francisco.
> Much to my surprise, at one of the other sessions I attended (on the 
> mathematics origami), Mr Knuth sat
> next to me. We struck up a small conversation, prompted by me telling him 
> that I referenced his paper in the
> one I had just presented. Ultimately, I told him thanks — on behalf of 
> everyone — for TeX.

> He seems like a wonderful man.

> Cheers,
> Kieren.

I had a similar experience travelling to a conference in Washington.  I was 
reading Simon Singh's book "The secret history of codes and code breaking" 
in my hotel room the evening before the conference, and had just got to the 
section on asymmetric key encryption.  I was working hard to understand it, 
and admiring Diffie and Hellman's work.  Something made me pick up the 
programme to see who was speaking the next day, and the first speaker was 
none other than Whit Diffie.  I had a great "we are not worthy" experience 
then and next day when I met him.

--
Phil Holmes