Yet We Should Keep Trying

The author of this poem [the book of Job] is a profound philosopher with a superb command of language and an exquisite sense of natural beauty.  But the astonishing thing about the book of Job is that everyone who reads it comes to a somewhat different conclusion.   Job makes us vividly aware of the paradoxes in one of life’s ultimate questions —  why do we suffer pain?  —  but he doesn’t solve the problem.  He merely demonstrates that there are no easy answers.
This is similar to one of the principal discoveries of computer science, namely that some problems are inherently so complex that they can’t possibly be solved in a finite number of steps.  We must learn to face the fact that an intellectual approach will not lead to an understanding of the cosmos;  we can’t transcend our limitations.  Yet we should keep trying.  We should question authority and be aware that the traditional wisdom of religious orthodoxy might be mistaken.  This book says that after an honest search, like job’s, we’ll learn to trust God’s fairness  —  even though some good men suffer, even though some wicked men prosper, even though religion itself remains a mystery.
—    Donald E. Knuth
From his book:  “3:16 Bible Texts Illuminated“
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On This Day In:
2021	Follow Up
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2020	Boxing: Precision Target
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2019	Yet We Should Keep Trying
2018	Let Us Dare
2017	Two Good To Be Real
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2016	Learning Subtle Differences
2015	Dog Eat Dog World?
2014	And Sometimes Blogs About It
2013	Outside-In
2012	They Are All Perfect
2011	Delegation – The “How-To’s”
2009	Diet Update and Other Bits & Bobs…

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A Surprisingly Good Way

My idea for a Bible class was based on a fourth way to select Bible verses for study, making use of a mathematical principle that provides an effective way to gain knowledge about complicated things:  A large body of information can be comprehended reasonably well by studying more or less random portions of the data.  The technical term for this approach is stratified sampling.  It something like the Gallup poll, in which a lot  can be learned from studying comparatively little.  Stratified sampling is a surprisingly good way to magnify our perceptual abilities.
—     Donald E. Knuth
From the Forward to his book:  “3:16 Bible Texts Illuminated“
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On This Day In:
2021	A Loss Of Happiness
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2020	Wear A Damn Mask!
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2019	A Surprisingly Good Way
	It’s Official X-mas (Tree) At Home
2018	Weight / Health Update
	What’s Happening With You?
2017	The Great Leveler
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2016	Election + 1 Month
2015	Dance And Sing
2014	A Measuring Stick For Progress
2013	Courtly Love Or Victory Over Habit
2012	Have We Met?
2011	Efficiently Useless

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Sampling 3:16

“3:16 Bible Texts Illuminated”  —  book review
Today’s review is for “3:16 Bible Texts Illuminated” (1991©) written by Donald E. Knuth.  Back in 2011, I read another book by Knuth, titled:  “Things A Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About“.  (Review here.)  That book, was a discussion about the author’s faith and his prior book, which is being reviewed in this post.  When I retired (in 2017), I was presented with an Amazon gift voucher, which I promised to “waste” on books, music or technology.  In this case, part of it was used to buy this book (along with a number of other Knuth books).
To save everyone the time of reading my earlier review, basically, Knuth wanted to know if one can learn anything unique or unusual about the Bible by doing a stratified (but random) sampling / review of a particular Bible verse.  In theory, if you have a sufficiently large sample to draw from, you can gain “some” knowledge about any topic by analyzing a random sample of the topic’s data.
Because Knuth was not sure this type of investigation would work for literature, Knuth chose a verse he knew would have at least one interesting data point:  “Chapter 3 Verse 16”.  The chapter and verse he was confident about was John Chapter 3: Verse 16 – “Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only child, so that all people with faith in him can escape destruction, and live forever.“
The first problem Knuth encounters is that not all of the books of the Bible have 13 verses in their chapter 3.  To get around this, he simply carried the sample forward the same number (count) of verses and take up wherever that left him.  There were, however, a number of books which were simply to short to use even this method.  In those instances, he simply chooses to drop the book.  Knuth ends up with a sampling size of 59 verses.
The second issue was Knuth found scholars did not always (rarely, in fact) agree on what exactly was meant by the writings in the various Bible sources.  Not only were the scholars interpretations differing, so were the texts across the various Bible versions.  There was (is) even disagreement on if some source material is valid and / or should be included in the Bible.
In order to determine why this was happening, Knuth determined to read the Bibles in their original Hebrew / Aramaic and Greek / Latin.  He could then present his own translations as he felt they should be interpreted.  In addition, he felt he needed to translate the verses immediately before and after the target verse to ensure he was accurately relating context as well as the literal meaning.
The method of describing each of the 59 verses itself is interesting.  Each verse is covered in four pages.  Page one provides overall historic, geographic and character background information.  The second page is devoted to a calligraphic representation of the verse.  The final two pages are a word by word breakdown of the verse.  In order to do this in a manner which makes sense, Knuth sometimes adds an analysis of the preceding or following verse(s).  Just a word on the calligraphy.  Knuth approached a friend who happened to be a world renowned typeface designer to assist with the book cover illustration.  The friend (Hermann Zapf), in turn commissioned calligraphers from over 20 countries to provide the “illustration” pages.  This calligraphy, in turn, became part of a formal exhibit which I believe is currently “owned” by the San Francisco Library.  I don’t know if it (the entire exhibit) is ever shown publicly.  I know it was back in 2011, but I was not able to go view it back then.  My loss, I am sure.
So, is this book interesting?  Is it entertaining?  Is it enlightening?  Yes.  Yes, and Yes!  I am a life-long Roman Catholic, but I have never read the Bible through cover to cover.  I tried to a few years back, but had limited knowledge of the names and places and found it rather boring.  I attempted to co-read Isaac Asimov’s “Guide To The Bible“, but even this was of limited value.  I now think I just gave up too soon.  Mea culpa.
Almost every chapter of this book explained something I didn’t know or fully appreciate about the book being covered in that chapter.  Some were simple “interesting”.  Some were “that never occurred to me”.  And, some (a few) were “Wow! I’ve got to go back and read that!”  Anytime I read a book which prompts me to read more or more in-depth, I am grateful to the author.  (I’m still not sure if I’m weird that way…)  In any case, I’m now more determined than ever to read more of Knuth’s books.
In this case:  final recommendation – very highly recommended!!  Even if you are not a Biblical scholar or particularly religious, this book will provide insight into one of the greatest books in all of literature.  At less than 270 pages, this is a fast read and the calligraphy is truly beautiful.  Two final notes: 1)  in the afterward, Knuth wonders if his selection of “3:16” was not “influenced” and therefor not entirely random.  His conclusion was, with further analysis, it may have been, but was not intentional.  He adds, however, that he enjoyed the process so much he intends to use the methodology for further future study of other verses.  And, 2)  I’ve seen in various places this book was copyright in 1990.  My version says 1991 and that’s the year I’m using above.
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On This Day In:
2021	Happy 37th Anniversary, Hil!!
2020	Happy 36th Anniversary, Hil!!
2019	Sampling 3:16
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2018	Happy 34th Anniversary, Hil!!
2017	Happy 33rd Anniversary, Hil!!
2016	Happy 32nd Anniversary, Hil!!
2015	Happy Anniversary Hil!!
2014	30th Wedding Anniversary
2013	Number 29 (And Counting)
2012	Hammer ‘N Roses
	Happy Anniversary
2011	I Can Hear It Now

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A Good Definition

My recommendation is to aim for a good balance between breadth and depth.  The definition of a good, liberal education is to know something about everything and everything about something.
—    Donald E. Knuth
From the book:  “The Essential Knuth“
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On This Day In:
2022	And Even Fewer Regrets
2021	Today Counts
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2020	Maybe #IncompetentDonald Really Is A Great Manager
2019	Your Only Choice
2018	A Good Definition
2017	Getting It Done
2016	Getting To Know Me
2015	Why I Pay Taxes
2014	Inequality Of Sacrifice
2013	I Never Saw A Moor
2012	Fill In The Blank
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2011	Conference Games Sunday

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No Universal Thinking

There’s no universal way to think about things, so I can’t claim that someone else is thinking about something wrongly if they don’t think about it the way I do.
—    Donald E. Knuth
From the book:  “The Essential Knuth“
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On This Day In:
2021	I Hope To See You Later
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2020	More Than Satisfying Hunger
	End Of Year Thoughts Of Those Gone Before Us
2019	Still Hoping To Soar
2018	Why America Stinks More Than It Did 50 Years Ago
2017	No Universal Thinking
2016	Supervise The Results
2015	Just Magic!
2014	It Lies Ahead…
2013	At Least One Difference
2012	Are We, Are We?
	On Not Playing The Game
	Scale
2011	Nutcracker And Nooks
	Seeing Differences

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Talking Knuth

“The Essential Knuth”  (2013©)  —  book review
This book is an interview of Professor Donald E. Knuth by Edgar G. Daylight (and edited by Kurt De Grave).  The book is part of the “Conversations” series and covers topics like Knuth’s childhood / family, college life, and then more typical topics – ALGOL, structured programming, other software pioneers and finally the history of computer science history.  Basically, it’s a chance to record the thoughts of a pioneer in his field (computer science) about his life and views about his accomplishments and opinions of other greats in this field.
Is it earth-shattering?  No.  Is it interesting?  Yes.  Knuth appears to be a man who rather humbly acknowledges his own “greatness” in his field, but puts it down to both ability and the good fortune of being born at a time when his field of interest was new.  If you are interested in the thoughts of a giant in his field (and I am in this field), you should like this.
The book is very short: less than 90 pages and has practically no technical information.  It is, therefore, entirely accessible to the general public.  If reading isn’t your “thing”, I have subsequently found most of the book is also available on YouTube in short interviews.  Final recommendation:  moderate to strong.  The book is so short and contains so little technical info, you will lose almost nothing for investing the couple of hours it will take to read this book.  And, it is interesting (even if in only a limited way).
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On This Day In:
2021	A Tenacious Cycle
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2020	Kinda Like Posting To A Blog About My Day
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2019	I Think I’m Repeating Myself
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2018	No Reason To Turn
2017	Talking Knuth
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2016	Hoping For The Best Come January
2015	Adaptive Security
2014	Wants
2013	Side Effects
2012	Just Trying To Earn A Living
2011	Productive Worry

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I Don’t Scale Up

The main difference between his life and my own was that he was always involved to the hilt with local things, doing things for the people that he knew.  I had more of a calling to global things; I’m mostly thinking about what I can do for people who live far away, people that I’ll never meet.  So I don’t have much time to be a volunteer like my father.  In a way I’ve been selfish, because the things that I do tend to be recognized widely, while he worked tirelessly in a small community.  He was the kind of a person who provides the “lubrication” that’s necessary to make the world work.  Furthermore, the things I do don’t scale up;  there isn’t a need for ten of me in the world.
—  Donald Ervin Knuth
(Describing the difference between himself and his father)
From: “The Essential Knuth“
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On This Day In:
2016	Itchin’
2015	In The Not So Distant Future
2014	Sources
2013	Three Essentials
2012	Just Looking
2011	Religious Lessons
2010	View From Under The Bus… (A mid-term report card on the Obama Administration. Long, but still worth reading for historical perspective.)

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Turning Coal Into Diamonds

My experiences suggest that the optimum way to run a research think tank would be to take people’s nice offices away from them and to make them live in garrets, and even to insist that they do non-research things.  That’s a strange way to run a research center, but it might well be true that the imposition of such constraints would bring out maximum creativity.
—    Donald E. Knuth
From his book:  “Things A Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About“
[I think this suggestion would stimulate what I call “Background Processing“.  That is, force you to do the thinking you’re supposed to be doing in the back of your mind while the current moment forces you to think about other things.  In other words, it’s not the pressure (as suggested by Knuth), its the distractions which make this work.    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2022	A Wonderful Tension
2021	Little And Large Choices
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	Alternate Reality
2020	When?
2019	Two Guides
2018	A Call For You
2017	Because I Read
2016	On What Matters…
2015	Social Security
2014	Bewitching
2013	Visiting Joy
2012	Dedication To Today
2011	Project Second Chance – Adult Literacy
	Turning Coal Into Diamonds

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There Is No God, But God

There’s a word “bibliolatry,” which means “worship of the Bible.”  Sometimes the Bible can be your God, if you consider it to be too sacred, not realizing the human context in which it came from.
…  At a personal level, I consider that my main goal in life is to do what God wants me to do, so I try to understand what God wants me to do.  And I believe that by understanding the Bible I get very good clues about this;  in other words, that’s what the connection with God is for me.  But I don’t treat the Bible as a magical thing, as something for which I might just close my eyes, fall down on my knees, and say “I’m going to repeat these blessed words over and over.”
—    Donald E. Knuth
From his book:  “Things A Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About“
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On This Day In:
2022	Where One Goes
2021	A Direct Relationship
	Another Night Train South
2020	One Person’s Roses…
2019	In The Long-Run
2018	#NeverAgain
	Doss II
	Doesn’t / Does
2017	Talent Hates To Move
2016	Looking To November
2015	It Isn’t The End
	Prospero’s Precepts
2014	Friends
2013	Learning Bitter
2012	Remembrance, Minstrels & Going Off To War
	May I Have More Happiness, Please?
2011	There Is No God, But God
2010	Another Running Book…

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Teaching = Translating

Like any writer, a translator has to have a target audience clearly in mind.
—    Donald E. Knuth
From his book:  “Things A Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About“
[I would argue the same is true for teachers – as well as writers and translators – because these are all similar functions – communicating ideas to a target audience.  In fact, I would make the case that teaching is translating.    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2022	One Link In The Chain
2021	Life Measures
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2020	Like #45 And Many Of His Supporters
(Leap Year 29th)	With Some Epic Scenery Along The Way
2019	Creative Prayer Time
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2018	#DumbDonald: Start With Hearing What You Don’t Want Said
2017	The Press Is NOT The Enemy
2016	It Ain’t Easy
(Leap Year 29th)	Or Try To, Anyway…
(Leap Year 29th)	Circles Within Circles
2015	A Series Of Funerals
2014	And Your Point Is?
2013	Infinitely Care
2012	In My Room
(Leap Year 29th)	Stingray – TV Series Review  (This is my most popular post since starting my blog – hands down!  It still draws hits almost every week.  The hits seem to come mostly from Central Europe.  I guess the show must be in syndication there.  //  2020 update:  While this is still my all-time, most popular post, it is no longer being viewed every week – or even every month.  I guess the show is no longer in syndication.)
(Leap Year 29th)	A Single Thread
2011	Lyrical Mixture
	Teaching = Translating

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Lucky Choice

I didn’t choose to be a computer scientist because my main mission in life was to advance computation.  I chose computer science simply because I was good at it.  For some reason, my peculiar way of thinking correlated well with computers.
…Experience shows that about one person in 50 has a computer scientist’s way of looking at things.
—    Donald E. Knuth
From his book:  “Things A Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About“
[I’m not sure I’m all that good at it, but I’ve managed to make a living out of working with computers.  And in any case, as we used to say in the Army:  “It is better to be lucky than good.”    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2022	A Reminder Of Pride And Responsibility
2021	And Last Minute Blog Posts
	This Boy Just Ain’t Right
2020	Pat, Pat, Pant, Pant
2019	You (Too) Are Related
	A Blind Squirrel Finds An Idiot
2018	My Hope
2017	We All Lose
2016	Wants
2015	Let Us Join
2014	Feeling Kept?
	Chillin’
2013	The Lucky Few
2012	A Post-Valentine’s Day Message
2011	Risk, Lyrics, Starting Over, And My Trip To The ER
	Lucky Choice

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Own Your Bible

Thus I have a strong recommendation to anyone who wants to get into the Bible:  Don’t simply read what other people have said about the meaning of a verse;  put the verse into your own words, by using the resources that are available.  You can do this even though you have just an ordinary, nontheological education.
—    Donald E. Knuth
From his book:  “Things A Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About“
[And the same holds true for learning about any non-trivial subject.    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2022	Happy Valentine’s Day – 2022!!
2021	Happy Valentine’s Day – 2021!!
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2020	Happy Valentine’s Day – 2020!!
2019	Happy Valentine’s Day – 2019!!
2018	Happy Valentine’s Day – 2018!!
2017	Happy Valentine’s Day – 2017!!
2016	Happy Valentine’s Day – 2016!!
2015	To My Special Lady
2014	Awakening
2013	Drowsy In Comfort
2012	Happy Valentine’s Day
2011	Own Your Bible

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Multi-Source Learning

We found out that we learned a lot when we tried to put a small part of the Bible into our own words;  we agreed that this exercise was an ideal way to get into the real meaning of the original.  After this experience we were, in fact, glad that the Bible was not written in English; we even felt a bit sorry for Greek-speaking people, who don’t have the opportunity to translate the Bible into their own language.  We were able to do this sort of thing with the Bible in spite of the fact that we were untrained in Greek, because the experts have made their scholarship available in convenient reference works.
—    Donald E. Knuth
From his book:  “Things A Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About“
[For me, the important point is the value of alternative sources in learning.  Knuth is reading the Bible in his native tongue, then looking at and translating the original language, then looking at what other Bible scholars have said are their interpretations.  The rich tapestry of interwoven viewpoints is what is creating the learning and personal growth experience.  This is consistent with my own method of learning.  I purchase books by different authors to get a more varied presentation of the material.    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2022	Big And Bad (In A Good Way)
2021	Suggestions…
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2020	Until November… Then Vote
2019	Start With Health And Friends
	Iterum Vale Tres*
2018	Tweets From The Disrupter-In-Chief
2017	Do We Still Listen To Her Silent Lips?
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2016	Why Do You Write/Blog?
2015	Can Your Repeat The Question, Please?
2014	On Faith
2013	My Name Is Charles Stein
2012	Faiths And Sorcery
	Made And Kept Free
2011	Multi-Source Learning

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To Learn, Teach

The decision that I made to do my own translations, even though I knew neither Hebrew nor Greek, was one of the best decisions in my life.  For I learned that the absolute best way to find out what you don’t understand is to try to express something in your own words.  If I had been operating only in input mode, look at other translations but not actually trying to output the thoughts they expressed, I would never have come to grips with the many shades of meaning that lurk just below the surface.  In fact, I would never have realized that such shades of meaning even exist, if I had just been inputting.  The exercise of producing output, trying to make a good translation by yourself, is a tremendous help to your education.
—    Donald E. Knuth
From his book:  “Things A Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About“
[Emphasis – italics, bolding and underlining are mine.
The absolute proof of knowledge about something is being able to explain it in your own words.    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2022	In My Defense…
2021	Mike Could Have Saved Us A Bundle On Border Walls
	Is It Too Late?
2020	And Then There Was Yellow
	At This Moment
2019	Sin Less Every Day
2018	Probably Only A Little Easier
2017	Stars Above
2016	Where Do You Stand?
	Health Update
2015	Leaving On A Mid-Night Train
2014	Questioned Faith
2013	At Home In Fire
2012	A Tale Of Two Books
	More Meaning
2011	Back At The Millstone
	To Learn, Teach

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Speaking Of Fear

Let me tell you that the amount of terror that lives in a speaker’s stomach when giving a lecture is proportional to the square of the amount he doesn’t know about his audience.
—    Donald E. Knuth
From his book:  “Things A Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About“
[Interesting the lack of knowledge about the audience causes the terror, not the lack of knowledge about the subject matter.    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2022	Why Do Republicans Still Follow A Con-Artist / Loser?
2021	Guns Or Butter
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2020	Haunting Illusions
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2019	Maybe A Slight Advantage
	We Should Never Give Up On Our Dreams
2018	As I Recall
2017	Truly Generous
2016	Choose Your Destiny
2015	Fast And Firm
2014	Neither Head Nor Heart
2013	Lonely, Foolish, Love Songs
	Batting 1.000
	Coward, n.
2012	At Least A Little More Difficult
2011	Speaking Of Fear

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