# The Purpose of Computing Is Insight Not Numbers by Richard Hamming > "The purpose of computing is insight, not numbers." > **— Richard Hamming**, *1962, Numerical Methods for Scientists and Engineers, preface* ## Sources and Context - **Direct or authoritative source:** [Numerical Methods for Scientists and Engineers, preface](https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Hamming/quotations/) — the linked page contains the quoted wording and supports the recorded attribution and occasion. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Collection:** [[collections/Whole Earth|Whole Earth]] - **Article:** [[articles/The End Is Near — AI Doom, Anti-Science Panic, and the Primates Who Sell Technological Exile|The End Is Near — AI Doom, Anti-Science Panic, and the Primates Who Sell Technological Exile]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Greatest Transformation in Human History|The Greatest Transformation in Human History]] - **Article:** [[articles/Digital Darwinism and the Invisible World of Machine Evolution|Digital Darwinism and the Invisible World of Machine Evolution]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Richard Hamming|Richard Hamming]] ## Share on Social Media ``` "The purpose of computing is insight, not numbers." — Richard Hamming, 1962, Numerical Methods for Scientists and Engineers, preface https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-richard-hamming-purpose-computing-insight-numbers ```