What is a von Neumann algebra? What is a factor (i) of type I, (ii) of type II, (iii) of type III? What is a projection geometry? And finally, what is a continuous geometry?The questions recall some of the most brilliant mathematical work of the past 30 years, work which was done by John von Neumann, partly in collaboration with F. J. Murray, and which grew out of von Neumann1 s analysis of linear operators in Hilbert space.