German computer scientist and engineer (1910 - 1995)
Konrad Zuse (June 22, 1910 – December 18, 1995) was a German engineer and computer pioneer, noted for implementing the world's first programmable Turing-complete computer, the Z3, in 1941.
Only too often the inventor is the idealist who, like Mephisto, tries to improve the world, only to be crushed by harsh realities. If he wants to carry through his ideas, he is forced to do business with the wielders of power, whose sense of reality is sharper and more developed.
Translation: The belief in a certain idea gives to the researcher the support for his work. Without this belief he would be lost in a sea of doubts and insufficiently verified proofs.
Der Glaube an eine bestimmte Idee gibt dem Forscher den Rückhalt für seine Arbeit. Ohne diesen Glauben wäre er verloren in einem Meer von Zweifeln und halbgültigen Beweisen.
Translation: The danger of computers becoming like humans is not as great as the danger of humans becoming like computers.