Ivan Sutherland

Computer Science American 1938 101 quotes

Computer scientist who created Sketchpad, the first graphical user interface, and advanced virtual reality.

Quotes by Ivan Sutherland

The ultimate display would, of course, be a room within which the computer could control the existence of matter. A chair displayed in such a room would be a chair for you to sit in. A dragon displayed in such a room would be a dragon that could eat you. I think that the problems of such a display are problems of physics, not of computer science.

The Ultimate Display 1965

A display connected to a digital computer gives us a chance to gain some intellectual control over processes that are essentially only understood by their creators.

Sketchpad: A Man-Machine Graphical Communication System 1963

The computer can be a medium for communication, not just a tool for computation.

Sketchpad: A Man-Machine Graphical Communication System 1963

The most important thing about Sketchpad is that it is a general system. It can be used for any kind of drawing, not just for engineering drawings.

Sketchpad: A Man-Machine Graphical Communication System 1963

The computer is not a magic box. It's a tool, and like any tool, it can be used well or poorly.

Interview 1960

The future of computing is in making it more natural and intuitive for people to interact with machines.

Speech 1980

Virtual reality is not just about seeing things, it's about feeling things, about being there.

Interview 1990

The biggest challenge in computer science is not building faster computers, but building computers that are easier to use.

Speech 1970

I'm interested in making computers disappear, in making them so natural that you don't even notice they're there.

Interview 2000

The computer should be an extension of the human mind, not a replacement for it.

Speech 1960

The best way to predict the future is to invent it.

Attributed 1960

If you want to build a better mousetrap, you have to understand the mouse.

Speech 1970

The most exciting thing about computer graphics is that it allows us to visualize things that we could never see before.

Interview 1965

The computer is a canvas, and we are the artists.

Speech 1980

Don't be afraid to try new things. That's how progress is made.

Advice to students 1970

The greatest joy in research is discovering something new, something that no one has ever seen before.

Interview 1990

The computer is a tool for thought, a way to extend our intellectual capabilities.

Sketchpad: A Man-Machine Graphical Communication System 1963

We are just at the beginning of understanding what computers can do.

Speech 2000

The most important thing is to have fun. If you're not having fun, you're doing something wrong.

Advice to students 1980

The computer is a bicycle for the mind.

Attributed 1980