tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post113803294655709664..comments2024-03-28T18:17:00.135-05:00Comments on Computational Complexity: Are you a Luddite?Lance Fortnowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06752030912874378610noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-1138365461148568332006-01-27T06:37:00.000-06:002006-01-27T06:37:00.000-06:00Addendum to the last post:e) Change your advisor t...Addendum to the last post:<BR/><BR/>e) Change your advisor to Bill Gasarch so you only have to program Turing machines that never crash.<BR/>(TURING MACHINES! They are not worth anything even on ebay.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-1138212467679656812006-01-25T12:07:00.000-06:002006-01-25T12:07:00.000-06:00When asked to program a problem on a computer youa...When asked to program a problem on a computer you<BR/><BR/>a) Use assembly language because you understand the ins and outs of the computer and can program efficiently.<BR/><BR/>b) Use C because you can do it "quick and dirty."<BR/><BR/>c) Use Java to avoid all those pointer problems.<BR/><BR/>d) Use Basic because that is what you learned when you were young.<BR/><BR/>e) Change your advisor to Bill Gasarch so you only have to program Turing machines that never crash.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-1138128032997892652006-01-24T12:40:00.000-06:002006-01-24T12:40:00.000-06:00Face it--if you're reading a weblog on computation...Face it--if you're reading a weblog on computational complexity, you are, ipso facto, not a Luddite. However, you do get points for spelling "roommate" correctly, but you lose them when you don't put the customary real world space in the middle of "goto." Now, if you use some exotic interface that doesn't automatically check spelling, what are you? This is getting recursive.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-1138125893455505052006-01-24T12:04:00.000-06:002006-01-24T12:04:00.000-06:00For item 6 you forgot: e) ask my friend Bill Gasar...<I>For item 6 you forgot: e) ask my friend Bill Gasarch <B>(or someone similar)</B></I><BR/><BR/>As if.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-1138066337758983122006-01-23T19:32:00.000-06:002006-01-23T19:32:00.000-06:00g) chalkThere are plenty of advantages to chalk ov...<I>g) chalk</I><BR/><BR/>There are plenty of advantages to chalk over something like powerpoint. Chalk forces you not to go faster than you could write down. I think it makes being dynamic easier.<BR/><BR/><I>d) Apply to schools you heard were good</I><BR/><BR/>I would think the best schools to go to would be those with a good reputation intersect those that do research you want to be a part of.<BR/><BR/><I>d) Rederive the result by yourself</I><BR/><BR/>There's a lot of results I would feel bad if I couldn't derive myself. Of course there's a lot I wouldn't too;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-1138063132899381062006-01-23T18:38:00.000-06:002006-01-23T18:38:00.000-06:00"When our display technologies allow us to show 3 ...<I>"When our display technologies allow us to show 3 or 4 slides of context along with our current Powerpoint slide I'd bet that many more of us would be happy to switch from using blackboards."</I><BR/><BR/>upgrade to keynote 2 or higher, you can see your next and current slide. you'll find this is soooo helpful you'll forget you wanted more than 2. seriously, you can do transitions and make awesome segways. and it shows you time on current slide and for whole presentation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-1138051553785495892006-01-23T15:25:00.000-06:002006-01-23T15:25:00.000-06:00Often what prevents its adoption isn't the technol...Often what prevents its adoption isn't the technology but rather its limitations. When our display technologies allow us to show 3 or 4 slides of context along with our current Powerpoint slide I'd bet that many more of us would be happy to switch from using blackboards.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-1138050391822077372006-01-23T15:06:00.000-06:002006-01-23T15:06:00.000-06:00I think you're asking these questions in a very li...I think you're asking these questions in a very limited context. I think more insight can be gained by also asking about our use of technology outside the research arena. <BR/><BR/>In particular, I hate cell phones. I had one once but will never have one again. I like my laptop, but I've never actually used it on my lap. I find I can only really work on it if I put it on a desk. Blackberries, Ipods, etc. I'll probably never use them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-1138048807893366272006-01-23T14:40:00.000-06:002006-01-23T14:40:00.000-06:00I would say that today's equivalent of Luddism is ...I would say that today's equivalent of Luddism is protectionism and xenophobia. The difference is, instead of people having misplaced fears that machines will destroy jobs they believe "outsourcing" destroys jobs.<BR/><BR/>Most mathematics courses I've taken and most theoretical CS courses used the black board almost exclusively. Only if some special topic was covered would there be overheads or animations. I also tend to pay less attention during PowerPoint-only presentations (particularly if I know the slides are posted online).Macneil Shonlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16382866616548432101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-1138048317734359622006-01-23T14:31:00.000-06:002006-01-23T14:31:00.000-06:00I like the way you signed off: Bill G.Made me thin...I like the way you signed off: Bill G.<BR/>Made me think of the chieftain of the evil empire :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-1138043880662977762006-01-23T13:18:00.000-06:002006-01-23T13:18:00.000-06:00Funny post. Nevertheless, I consider myself a v...Funny post.<BR/> Nevertheless, I consider myself a very technology-oriented person, but still, scientifically, I always prefer lectures with a chalk on the board. <BR/> PowerPoint lectures (or transparency slides), have almost no advantage. Most people can't absorb the information a single slide contains in the limited time the slide is being screened. Writing thing on the board is much more adequate to mathematics, where one needs to develop gradually in his intuition the mathematical/geometrical/quantitative/logical concepts one at a time (Intuition � in the, somewhat, Kantian sense).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-1138043169684438032006-01-23T13:06:00.000-06:002006-01-23T13:06:00.000-06:00Nice post, Bill!Nice post, Bill!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-1138037381677024102006-01-23T11:29:00.000-06:002006-01-23T11:29:00.000-06:00this is hilariousthis is hilariousAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com