Scientists should learn to program • Hacker News Board

Re: Scientists should learn to program

#21

Post by amichail » Mon, Nov 26, 2007, 5:08 AM UTC

geebee wrote: post #20

amichail wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are at least two very difficult things about natural languages: messy illogical syntax and enormous vocabulary. For a simple language such as python, you can learn most of the syntax very quickly. Vocabulary (e.g., libraries) takes a bit longer but still requires much less memorization. And you can always create things from scratch.

But you still haven't addressed the main objection here: that you're comparing two different undertakings. You've compared writing a small app in a high level language with learning a natural language. You could have just as easily said it isn't as hard as proving fermat's last theorem, or writing a novel, or composing a symphony. Thsse things also have a few elements in common with writing a short script in a high l…

If a student already knows English, then it's better to learn to write small programs in a high-level language than it is to learn another natural language.

Re: Scientists should learn to program

#22

Post by corentin » Mon, Nov 26, 2007, 7:44 AM UTC

pixcavator wrote: post #10

corentin wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When you learn a natural language, you can speak with a native speaker even if you make a lot of mistakes; he'll still understand you (and maybe try to help you improve). Computer languages "feedback" (error messages, etc.) is poor. It's interesting: you can find hundreds of blog posts about syntax, garbage collections, string libraries or whatever but nobody seems to care about error/warning messages. It's a thing t…

>When you learn a natural language, you can speak with a native speaker even if you make a lot of mistakes; he'll still understand you... This is simply not true, especially the last part. This comes from experience, on both ends.

I not am in agree to you.

Re: Scientists should learn to program

#23

Post by jgamman » Mon, Nov 26, 2007, 9:51 AM UTC

i'm a scientist and i think that they/we should learn to program. the problem is diminishing returns and relevence. e.g. i can spend 100 hours learning how to say hello world and figure out if something is a prime number OR spend some time in the lab and maybe write a paper/presentation. i've kept an eye on programming for a while now but always find myself bored with if/elif but not able to figure out how to make the leap to the stuff that i want to do - and then not having the time to dive in fully. catch 22 i guess. would be happy to comment further if anyone's interested.

Re: Scientists should learn to program

#24

Post by pixcavator » Mon, Nov 26, 2007, 1:06 PM UTC

corentin wrote: post #22

pixcavator wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>When you learn a natural language, you can speak with a native speaker even if you make a lot of mistakes; he'll still understand you... This is simply not true, especially the last part. This comes from experience, on both ends.

I not am in agree to you.

>I not am in agree to you.

This is "translated" from English!