Obama Dismisses Bubble Sort in Technical Quiz by Google CEO Schmidt

Barack Obama - Computer Science Question — weedipikia

weedipikia

Senator Barack Obama parried a mock engineering interview question from Google CEO Eric Schmidt by pinpointing bubble sort as the wrong algorithm to sort one million integers.

AI-assisted summary of Barack Obama - Computer Science Question — original source. Check the original for full context.

Source published:

Key ideas

  • At Google headquarters, CEO Eric Schmidt playfully subjected Senator Barack Obama to a classic Google engineering interview problem. (0:04)
  • Asked the most efficient way to sort a million 32-bit integers, Obama drew loud applause by quipping that bubble sort would be the wrong approach. (0:24)
  • Schmidt joked that someone must have fed Obama the answer, leading Obama to playfully claim his campaign had spies inside Google. (0:38)
  • The discussion transitioned from computer science banter into foreign policy, highlighting Obama's opposition to the Iraq War. (1:04)

Detailed notes

## Background Published on YouTube by weedipikia on January 26, 2008, this clip highlights an appearance by Senator Barack Obama at Google headquarters. The page description notes that the segment features Google CEO Eric Schmidt asking the presidential candidate a classic computer science interview question.

## TL;DR During a forum at Google, CEO Eric Schmidt likens the presidential campaign to Google's demanding hiring process and poses a technical interview question about the most efficient way to sort a million 32-bit integers. Rather than dodging the prompt, Obama draws immediate laughter and applause from the audience by quipping that bubble sort would be the wrong way to go. Schmidt playfully accuses someone of leaking the answer while Obama jokes about having inside spies, after which the conversation transitions to serious campaign topics including the Iraq War.

## Atmosphere & style The exchange carries a warm, playful energy that feels like an inside joke shared between a charismatic campaigner and a room full of software engineers. Obama's deadpan delivery and unexpected technical familiarity spark a wave of genuine delight across the audience, creating a relaxed, collegial dynamic between the candidate and Schmidt. The brief burst of tech humor injects levity into the event before Schmidt smoothly pivots the tone back to serious national foreign policy.

## Bulletin - [00:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4RRi_ntQc8&t=4s) At Google headquarters, CEO Eric Schmidt playfully subjected Senator Barack Obama to a classic Google engineering interview problem. - [00:24](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4RRi_ntQc8&t=24s) Asked the most efficient way to sort a million 32-bit integers, Obama drew loud applause by quipping that bubble sort would be the wrong approach. - [00:38](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4RRi_ntQc8&t=38s) Schmidt joked that someone must have fed Obama the answer, leading Obama to playfully claim his campaign had spies inside Google. - [01:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4RRi_ntQc8&t=64s) The discussion transitioned from computer science banter into foreign policy, highlighting Obama's opposition to the Iraq War.

## Key takeaways - [00:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4RRi_ntQc8&t=4s) Eric Schmidt likened running for President of the United States to navigating Google's notoriously rigorous job interview process. - [00:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4RRi_ntQc8&t=15s) The software engineering question presented to Obama was submitted directly by Google employee Larry Schwimmer. - [00:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4RRi_ntQc8&t=18s) The problem posed was determining the most efficient method for sorting one million 32-bit integers. - [00:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4RRi_ntQc8&t=20s) When Schmidt began offering an exit from the question, Obama waved him off to deliver an answer. - [00:24](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4RRi_ntQc8&t=24s) Obama deadpanned that bubble sort would be the wrong way to go, referencing a famously inefficient sorting algorithm. - [00:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4RRi_ntQc8&t=32s) The Google audience responded with immediate laughter and sustained applause to Obama's computer science reference. - [00:38](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4RRi_ntQc8&t=38s) Schmidt humorously asked the audience who had leaked the talking point to Obama. - [00:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4RRi_ntQc8&t=42s) Obama continued the joke by claiming his campaign had internal spies stationed inside Google. - [01:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4RRi_ntQc8&t=64s) Schmidt shifted the discussion toward serious political discourse following the viral tech moment. - [01:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4RRi_ntQc8&t=70s) The session pivoted to foreign policy, focusing on Obama's steadfast opposition to the Iraq War during his campaign.

## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4RRi_ntQc8&t=4s) The Google Interview Question and the Bubble Sort Quip

During his visit to Google headquarters, Senator Barack Obama sits down with Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who frames the presidential campaign through the lens of Google's notoriously rigorous hiring process. Schmidt notes that running for president is essentially undergoing a massive job interview, but adds that landing a job at Google is famously difficult as well, as the company puts its candidates through demanding technical evaluations. Pulling a question submitted by Googler Larry Schwimmer, Schmidt turns to Obama and asks, “What is the most efficient way to sort a million 32-bit integers?”

As the audience laughs and Schmidt starts to offer an out, Obama waves him off and delivers an immediate, deadpan technical punchline: “No, no, no, I think—I think the bubble sort would be the wrong way to go.” The room erupts into cheers and applause at the candidate casually demonstrating awareness of sorting algorithms. A visibly amused Schmidt turns toward the crowd and jokes, “Come on, who told him this?” while Obama leans into the moment, playfully boasting that he has his own sources on the inside by remarking, “We've got our spies in there.”

- Eric Schmidt compares the rigor of running for the United States presidency to interviewing for an engineering role at Google. - The technical question—sorting one million 32-bit integers—was submitted by Google employee Larry Schwimmer. - Obama specifically rejects bubble sort, an elementary $O(n^2)$ algorithm notoriously inefficient for sorting large datasets.

[01:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4RRi_ntQc8&t=64s) Pivoting to Foreign Policy and the Iraq War

Following the banter and the audience's enthusiastic reaction to the computer science reference, Schmidt steers the conversation back to standard interview territory, remarking that they should transition to an obviously more serious line of questioning. Schmidt shifts directly into foreign policy and Obama's platform, highlighting the candidate's consistent anti-war stance on the national stage by noting, “You're notable in this campaign for your steadfast opposition to the Iraq War.”

## Mentioned Barack Obama, Eric Schmidt, Google, Larry Schwimmer, Iraq War

## Video description Barack Obama gets asked a computer science question by Google CEO Eric Schmidt.

Full interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4yVlPqeZwo&t=23m

[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4RRi_ntQc8)

中文简报

奥巴马在谷歌CEO施密特的技术测试中否定冒泡排序 参议员贝拉克·奥巴马化解了谷歌CEO埃里克·施密特的模拟工程师面试题，指出冒泡排序绝非对100万个整数排序的正确算法。 在谷歌举行的一场论坛上，首席执行官埃里克·施密特将总统竞选比作谷歌严格的招聘流程，并提出一道技术面试题：对100万个32位整数排序的最有效方法是什么。奥巴马并没有回避这个问题，而是打趣称冒泡排序绝不可取，随即引来全场笑声与掌声。施密特开玩笑地指责有人泄露了答案，奥巴马则风趣地称自己在谷歌内部有卧底，随后对话转入包括伊拉克战争在内的严肃竞选议题。 在谷歌总部，首席执行官埃里克·施密特开玩笑地向参议员贝拉克·奥巴马抛出了一道经典的谷歌工程师面试题。 (0:04) 当被问及对100万个32位整数排序的最有效方法时，奥巴马打趣称冒泡排序绝不可取，赢得了热烈掌声。 (0:24) 施密特开玩笑说肯定是有人给奥巴马透露了答案，奥巴马则风趣地称自己的竞选团队在谷歌安插了卧底。 (0:38) 讨论从计算机科学层面的玩笑转向了外交政策，重点探讨了奥巴马对伊拉克战争的反对立场。 (1:04)

Original transcript

[0:04] um now now [0:07] Senator you're here at Google and I like [0:09] to think of the presidency as a as a job [0:13] interview now it's hard to get a job [0:16] right as President right and I you're [0:18] going through the rigers now it's also [0:19] hard to get a job at Google right we um [0:22] we have questions and we ask our [0:25] candidates questions and uh this one is [0:27] from Larry schwimer okay [0:31] what you guys think I'm kidding it's [0:33] right [0:34] here what is the most efficient way to [0:36] sort a million 32bit [0:41] integers well uh I'm maybe I'm sorry [0:45] maybe no no no I think I I I think uh I [0:49] think the uh the bubble sort would be [0:50] the wrong way to [0:52] go [0:53] uh come on who told him this [0:57] okay I didn't see [1:00] science we've got our spies in there [1:04] well why not let's okay let's ask let's [1:06] ask a a different interview [1:10] question [1:12] um and more obviously more serious um [1:15] you're you're you're you're you're not [1:18] notable in this campaign for your [1:21] steadfast opposition to the Iraq War [1:23] right uh