Programmers know how to get a computer to perform deductions, because the mathematics involved is well understood. But if you want a computer to perform the conjectural — but usually correct — commonsense reasoning upon which human survival depends, you must invent a whole new kind of mathematical logic. | |
— Dennis Shasha and Cathy Lazere | |
From their book: “Out Of Their Minds: The Lives and Discoveries of 15 Great Computer Scientists“ | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | Yea, Spring! |
Smile On Your Brother | |
2020 | Spoken And Shared |
2019 | Real Tools |
Three Cruelties | |
2018 | United States |
2017 | Out Of Luck |
2016 | Wavelengths Of The Earth |
2015 | God Said What To You? |
2014 | Not Saying |
2013 | Ears And Tongue |
2012 | The Story Of Joe (Middle-Class Republican) |
2011 | Happy Birthday, Diana |
Depending On Kindness | |
Posts Tagged ‘Cathy Lazere’
A Whole New Kind
Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, Science and Learning, tagged Cathy Lazere, Commonsense, Deductions, Dennis Shasha, Human Survival, Mathematical Logic, Out Of Their Minds, Philosophy, Programming, Quotes on March 26, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Conference Games Sunday
Posted in Faith Family and Friends, Reading, Running, Sports, tagged American Football, Cathy Lazere, Dennis Shasha, Family and Friends, Out Of Their Minds, Reading, Recommended Reading, Slow jogging, Sports on January 23, 2011| Leave a Comment »
I went to my sister (Carm) to watch the NFL conference finals with her and her husband (Art). They treated me to pizza and chips and dip. They have a wonderful new flat panel TV. I don’t know how we ever got along with regular TV’s. Green Bay defeated the Chicago Bears and Pittsburg defeated the New York Jets. I didn’t really care too much who won, but the teams I thought would make for the best (most interesting) Super Bowl both won, so I guess that’s a good thing. Now if only the SB45 pans out… | |
I finished reading “Out Of Their Minds“, by Dennis Shasha and Cathy Lazere, (1998©). It is an excellent book and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to get a better understanding of the history of computing / computer science. The book is sub-titled: “The Lives and Discoveries of 15 Great Computer Scientists“, which basically means it is both biographical (about people) and explanatory (about ideas and discoveries). The book is so good it makes we want to take up programming again! I will be (and have been) using some of the quotes from this book on this blog. Some of the ideas and experiences of the book really resonated with me. | |
I missed my walk / jog yesterday for no particular reason. My “excuse” was I was out of the house most of the day and wanted to spend the evening with Hil (we watched a movie), but that’s pretty much just what it is – an excuse. Tonight, I got home and went for a late evening jog. It was another beautiful, clear, cool night but I just wasn’t into it. I did my laps around the schoolyard (70 minutes, about 4 miles), but it felt like moving in treacle. Sometimes these things are just gut-checks and you have to work through them. The good news is I got through it and with no pain, no palps, no irregular pulse. | |
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Better Late Than Never?
Posted in Quotes, Science and Learning, Work, tagged Cathy Lazere, Dennis Shasha, Out Of Their Minds, Quotes, the risks of software development on January 17, 2011| Leave a Comment »
…Roughly 40 percent of all software projects are canceled. About 70 percent of the rest are late. | |
–- Dennis Shasha and Cathy Lazere | |
Quoted from: “Out Of Their Minds“ | |
[This means only 18 out of every 100 software projects are on time. Note, the authors do NOT offer a number for how many of those “on time projects” are on or under budget. This underscores the risk of software development. — kmab] | |
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Useful Confrontation
Posted in Philosophy, Poetry, Quotes, Reading, Science and Learning, tagged Cathy Lazere, Dennis Shasha, In Broken Images, Out Of Their Minds, Philosophy, Poetry, Quotes, Robert Graves on January 17, 2011| Leave a Comment »
One of the primary virtues of commonsense reasoning is its resiliency. It adapts well when confronted with new facts about a situation. | |
-– Dennis Shasha and Cathy Lazere | |
Quoted from: “Out Of Their Minds“ | |
[The problem is too few people have developed commonsense and many of those who have don’t believe their eyes when confronted with new facts. (See In Broken Images) — kmab] | |
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Fast And Flexible
Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, Reading, Work, tagged Cathy Lazere, Dennis Shasha, Out Of Their Minds, Philosophy, Quotes, Reading on January 17, 2011| Leave a Comment »
As of the mid-1990s, programming costs are roughly fifty times hardware costs in most corporate software development settings. So you set yourself two new goals: reduce the time required to produce the first version of a program and make the program easier to improve when customer request changes. | |
-– Dennis Shasha and Cathy Lazere | |
Quoted from: “Out Of Their Minds“ | |
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Techniques
Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, Reading, tagged Cathy Lazere, Dennis Shasha, Out Of Their Minds, Philosophy, Quotes, Reading on January 17, 2011| Leave a Comment »
In the culture of computer science, an idea that works in one situation is called a hack, an idea that works twice is called a trick, and an idea that works often and pervasively is called a technique. | |
— Dennis Shasha and Cathy Lazere | |
Quoted from: “Out Of Their Minds“ | |
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Happy MLK, Jr Day!!!
Posted in Faith Family and Friends, General Comments, Pictures, Reading, Running, Walking, tagged Books, Cathy Lazere, Dennis Shasha, I have a dream, Martin Luther King Jr, Out Of Their Minds, Picture of Hil's Mum, Pictures, QRC Code, Reading, Recommended Reading, Slow jogging on January 17, 2011| 8 Comments »
Hil’s mum (as a little girl) and her mum at the beach.
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