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Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python?

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From Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk>
Subject Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python?
Date Mon, 01 Jun 2015 11:34:08 +0100
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On 01/06/2015 08:58, Laura Creighton wrote:
> If you are giving a talk about Decimal -- and trying to stamp out the
> inappropriate use of floats you have to first inform people that
> what they learned as 'decimals' as children was not floating point,
> despite the fact that we write them the same way.
>
> If I ever get the time machine, I am going back in time and demand that
> floating point numbers be expressed as 12345:678 instead of 12345.678
> because it would save so much trouble.  Never has the adage 'It's not
> what you don't know, that bites you.  It's what you know that ain't so.'
> been more apt.
>
> I have done much better in speaking about this topic to a bunch of
> incredulous people if you next explain that scientists really don't
> care about accuracy in their calculations.  (This will surprise them).
> Most scentific calculations have some real world measurement in them,
> and for most real world measurements, if you are getting even 5 digits
> of precision, you are doing really, really, well.  This means that
> scientists are going to be throwing away all the extra digits they get
> out a a floating point representation, so they don't have to care how
> accurate they are.  As long as their results are good in the first 5,
> it won't matter.  (Depending on time constraints, a review of
> significant figures -- what they are and what they mean is good here.)
>
> It is really hard to get the concept of Decimal across to people who
> already have that concept in their mind, but think it is called Float.
> You have to first teach them that they don't know anything about Float
> and get them to reboot their brains before you can install this new
> knowledge.  Otherwise their brains will just overwrite your new knowledge
> with 'ah, just use a Float' as soon as you stop speaking.  Same day,
> even.
>
> Laura
>

In the wonderful world of numbers I believe that things are looking up. 
  I don't recall a new issue on the bug tracker for several months along 
the lines of "Python can't do arithmetic properly".

-- 
My fellow Pythonistas, ask not what our language can do for you, ask
what you can do for our language.

Mark Lawrence

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Thread

What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Mike Driscoll <kyosohma@gmail.com> - 2015-05-29 09:01 -0700
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Joel Goldstick <joel.goldstick@gmail.com> - 2015-05-29 12:08 -0400
    Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Mike Driscoll <kyosohma@gmail.com> - 2015-05-29 09:55 -0700
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-05-30 02:09 +1000
    Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Mike Driscoll <kyosohma@gmail.com> - 2015-05-29 09:57 -0700
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-05-30 03:08 +1000
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? random832@fastmail.us - 2015-05-31 23:18 -0400
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-06-01 13:43 +1000
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Laura Creighton <lac@openend.se> - 2015-06-01 09:58 +0200
        Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2015-06-01 12:36 +0300
          Zero [was Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python?] Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2015-06-01 22:07 +1000
            Re: Zero [was Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python?] Laura Creighton <lac@openend.se> - 2015-06-01 14:52 +0200
            Re: Zero [was Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python?] Dave Farrance <DaveFarrance@OMiTTHiSyahooANDTHiS.co.uk> - 2015-06-01 13:56 +0100
              Re: Zero [was Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python?] Skip Montanaro <skip.montanaro@gmail.com> - 2015-06-01 08:14 -0500
                Re: Zero [was Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python?] Dave Farrance <df@see.replyto.invalid> - 2015-06-01 15:39 +0100
              Re: Zero [was Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python?] Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2015-06-01 18:35 +0100
              Re: Zero [was Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python?] Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2015-06-01 17:32 -0400
            Re: Zero [was Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python?] Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2015-06-01 16:18 +0300
              Re: Zero [was Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python?] random832@fastmail.us - 2015-06-01 09:32 -0400
        Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Dave Farrance <DaveFarrance@OMiTTHiSyahooANDTHiS.co.uk> - 2015-06-01 11:44 +0100
          Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2015-06-01 13:54 +0300
        Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2015-06-01 22:33 -0700
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-06-01 19:45 +1000
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Laura Creighton <lac@openend.se> - 2015-06-01 12:28 +0200
        Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2015-06-01 14:22 +0100
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2015-06-01 11:34 +0100
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-06-01 20:36 +1000
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Laura Creighton <lac@openend.se> - 2015-06-01 13:00 +0200
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Laura Creighton <lac@openend.se> - 2015-06-01 13:24 +0200
        Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2015-06-01 14:57 +0300
          Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-06-01 13:27 +0100
          Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? MRAB <python@mrabarnett.plus.com> - 2015-06-01 13:27 +0100
          Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Laura Creighton <lac@openend.se> - 2015-06-01 17:07 +0200
            Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? alister <alister.nospam.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2015-06-01 15:26 +0000
              Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Laura Creighton <lac@openend.se> - 2015-06-01 17:51 +0200
              Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? MRAB <python@mrabarnett.plus.com> - 2015-06-01 18:06 +0100
                Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2015-06-01 20:14 +0300
            Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-06-01 16:42 +0100
              Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2015-06-01 17:02 +0000
                Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2015-06-01 18:45 +0100
                Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2015-06-01 18:23 +0000
        Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-06-01 13:24 +0100
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-06-01 23:52 +1000
        Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-06-01 16:17 +0100
          Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-06-02 02:10 +1000
            Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2015-06-01 21:46 -0700
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Skip Montanaro <skip.montanaro@gmail.com> - 2015-05-29 11:39 -0500
    Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Mike Driscoll <kyosohma@gmail.com> - 2015-05-29 09:58 -0700
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-05-30 02:50 +1000
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Todd <toddrjen@gmail.com> - 2015-05-29 19:02 +0200
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? sohcahtoa82@gmail.com - 2015-05-29 10:03 -0700
    Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> - 2015-05-29 10:17 -0700
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? sohcahtoa82@gmail.com - 2015-05-29 14:06 -0700
        Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Jason Swails <jason.swails@gmail.com> - 2015-05-29 17:28 -0400
        Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> - 2015-05-29 14:39 -0700
        Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> - 2015-05-29 14:44 -0700
    Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2015-05-29 20:24 +0300
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Todd <toddrjen@gmail.com> - 2015-05-29 19:03 +0200
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2015-05-30 03:55 +1000
    Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Mike Driscoll <kyosohma@gmail.com> - 2015-05-29 13:38 -0700
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Sturla Molden <sturla.molden@gmail.com> - 2015-05-30 12:15 +0000
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? jonathon <jonathon.blake@gmail.com> - 2015-05-30 19:32 +0000
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-05-31 08:24 +1000
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? "C.D. Reimer" <chris@cdreimer.com> - 2015-05-30 18:28 -0700
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2015-05-30 20:30 -0700
    Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-05-31 14:25 +1000
      Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2015-05-30 21:46 -0700
        Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-05-31 14:58 +1000
          Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2015-05-30 22:18 -0700
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Gene Heskett <gheskett@wdtv.com> - 2015-06-01 09:49 -0400
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Denis McMahon <denismfmcmahon@gmail.com> - 2015-06-01 15:30 +0000
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2015-06-01 20:33 -0400
  Re: What is considered an "advanced" topic in Python? Gene Heskett <gheskett@wdtv.com> - 2015-06-01 23:30 -0400

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