Charles Babbage also had quite a sharp
wit, and was fond of poking fun at the
idiosyncrasies of the day. Some
quotes:
Errors using inadequate data are much less than those using no data at all.
On two occasions I have been asked (by members of Parliament), 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question.
And the final cream of the quote crop, the "every minute dies a man" debacle. It is frustrating to see such an obviously brilliant man have so little recognition in his time.