Seymour Cray

[jingofever]

Legendary super computer designer. I was just reading a bit about him and found this:<br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>There are many legends about Seymour Cray. John Rollwagen, a colleague for many years, tells the story of a French scientist who visited Cray's home in Chippewa Falls. Asked what were the secrets of his success, Cray said "Well, we have elves here, and they help me". Cray subsequently showed his visitor a tunnel he had built under his house, explaining that when he reached an impasse in his computer design, he would retire to the tunnel to dig. "While I'm digging in the tunnel, the elves will often come to me with solutions to my problem", he said.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>I wonder if the story is true and if true whether Seymour was just kidding or not.<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~toby/writing/PCW/cray.htm">www.cs.man.ac.uk/~toby/wr...W/cray.htm</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--> <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=jingofever>jingofever</A> at: 7/16/06 10:28 pm<br></i>

[bvonahsen]

Another legend, not a legend but quite true. Every winter he would build a sailboat. One he designed himself, took him all winter long too. Then he'd have a party with other employees and burn it.<br><br>Brilliant man. <p></p><i></i>

[greencrow0]

Sounds like a bit of a nutbar....<!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :\ --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/ohwell.gif ALT=":\"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br><br>Were the sailboats not seaworthy?<br><br>GC <p></p><i></i>

[bvonahsen]

<!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/1989-94/pre88/b31571.htm">Businessweek</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>The most famous Cray legend concerns ceremonial bonfires. Each spring, it goes, Cray laboriously constructs a wooden sailboat from scratch. After a summer of sailing on Lake Wissota, he invites friends over for a lakeside party during which he torches the boat. The ritual is supposed to symbolize his need for constant renewal. Rollwagen has been largely responsible for spreading this tale but when pressed, he sheepishly admits that ''I made up the party.'' Daughter Carolyn Cray Bain says her father once did burn a boat that he'd built, but only because ''that was the easiest way to get rid of it.''</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--><hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br>He is quite the legend here. <p></p><i></i>