Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!weretis.net!feeder1.news.weretis.net!feeder.erje.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed5.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.008 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.98; '*S*': 0.00; 'subject:Python': 0.05; 'see.': 0.07; 'memory': 0.09; 'talks,': 0.09; 'terry': 0.09; 'jan': 0.11; 'language,': 0.11; 'properly': 0.14; 'carpenter': 0.16; 'egg': 0.16; 'fine.': 0.16; 'procedure?': 0.16; 'received:80.91': 0.16; 'received:80.91.229': 0.16; 'received:gmane.org': 0.16; 'received:list': 0.16; 'received:verizon.net': 0.16; 'reedy': 0.16; 'subject: \n ': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.19; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.22; 'separate': 0.23; 'header:User-Agent:1': 0.26; 'rest': 0.27; 'basic': 0.28; 'subject: [': 0.28; 'header:X-Complaints-To:1': 0.29; 'knows': 0.31; 'aside': 0.31; 'knowledge': 0.32; 'words,': 0.32; 'really': 0.33; 'next': 0.34; 'am,': 0.34; 'exist': 0.34; 'to:addr:python- list': 0.35; 'open': 0.35; 'does': 0.36; 'doing': 0.36; 'received:org': 0.36; 'subject:: ': 0.37; 'anything': 0.38; 'under': 0.38; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'header:Received:5': 0.40; 'skills': 0.40; 'said': 0.40; 'received:net': 0.60; 'world': 0.61; 'procedure': 0.62; 'first': 0.62; 'natural': 0.64; 'watching': 0.65; 'grab': 0.69; 'movie.': 0.84; 'nathan': 0.84; 'watches': 0.84; 'surgery': 0.91 X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/ To: python-list@python.org From: Terry Reedy Subject: Re: Number of languages known [was Re: Python is readable] - somewhat OT Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:20:08 -0400 References: <4f7512db$0$29981$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <78a6d2f8-23de-496a-afb7-943b60e57c88@mq9g2000pbb.googlegroups.com> <94c6033a-26e7-4b49-911c-b63ca01d13ea@wj4g2000pbc.googlegroups.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Gmane-NNTP-Posting-Host: pool-74-109-121-73.phlapa.fios.verizon.net User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:8.0) Gecko/20111105 Thunderbird/8.0 In-Reply-To: X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.12 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 24 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1333484442 news.xs4all.nl 6948 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:48452 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:22631 On 4/3/2012 8:39 AM, Nathan Rice wrote: > Ultimately, the answers to your questions exist in the world for you > to see. How does a surgeon describe a surgical procedure? How does a > chef describe a recipe? How does a carpenter describe the process of > building cabinets? Aside from specific words, they all use natural > language, and it works just fine. Not really. Surgeon's learn by *watching* a surgeon who knows the operation and next (hopefully) doing a particular surgery under supervision of such a surgeon, who watches and talks, and may even grab the instruments and re-show. They then really learn by doing the procedure on multiple people. They often kill a few on the way to mastery. I first learned basic carpentry and other skills by watching my father. I don't remember that he ever said anything about how to hold the tools. I similarly learned basic cooking by watching my mom. My knowledge of how to crack open an egg properly and separate the yolk from the rest is a wordless memory movie. -- Terry Jan Reedy