Path: csiph.com!x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net!usenet.pasdenom.info!aioe.org!feeder.news-service.com!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed6.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 0.070 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.86; '*S*': 0.00; 'subject:: [': 0.03; 'sun,': 0.09; 'am,': 0.14; 'say,': 0.14; 'wrote:': 0.14; 'simulate': 0.16; 'subject:versus': 0.16; 'mathematics': 0.16; 'subject:] ': 0.16; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.22; 'message- id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.28; 'beyond': 0.28; 'model': 0.31; '17,': 0.31; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.32; 'pure': 0.33; 'that,': 0.35; 'subject:software': 0.35; 'machine': 0.37; 'received:209.85': 0.37; 'exactly': 0.37; 'apr': 0.38; 'steven': 0.38; 'received:google.com': 0.38; 'but': 0.38; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'received:209': 0.39; 'header:Received:5': 0.40; 'might': 0.40; 'simple': 0.60; '2011': 0.62; 'subject:Free': 0.72; 'nuclear': 0.84; 'received:209.85.210.174': 0.84; 'received:mail- iy0-f174.google.com': 0.84; 'thin': 0.91 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date :message-id:subject:from:to:content-type; bh=KEeTPWY7ln2p8sZzfTOdD7l8+WKWHLTZ3gs9lIBnnP8=; b=pmACY51SeMlanxmua55uHk0nBcv19jVLn8dTokYMIRbNMLcYxvXCDoxTNxseawy2XD UlwiIkr9LrTz9kmSDjwoT/IcPdIwNIr3SVx/Q/L2YN90azDMro/8B1g9hWDiUaX2uOJD EOHsQOJ1tSzK0tTnscC67SwRtgu5/i/w+fPEE= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :content-type; b=kZZAGrogVSpQWOiEcQi+xFDCg5xf3aJ64Rzxep4YmZWQcbvTkZm3oIpWE3SSduQ0+V lLbvLaK0i0Z/KsgzLC6lWFwzSCQTZvl9oYoOg5fU6GvsatCKgwvB+pK5OYidWfidFlLr qObFodSM4fyvWVomMmCFizVN7q/z3iGADctVk= MIME-Version: 1.0 In-Reply-To: <4daa27f6$0$29986$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> References: <4d9c5ca5$0$29991$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <87tyebf3r3.fsf_-_@benfinney.id.au> <_Abnp.8356$zn.729@newsfe19.iad> <4d9d6587$0$29992$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <__top.14604$zn.8052@newsfe19.iad> <4daa27f6$0$29986$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2011 10:31:36 +1000 Subject: Re: [OT] Free software versus software idea patents From: Chris Angelico To: python-list@python.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 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: 11 NNTP-Posting-Host: 82.94.164.166 X-Trace: 1303000300 news.xs4all.nl 41117 [::ffff:82.94.164.166]:58009 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net comp.lang.python:3362 On Sun, Apr 17, 2011 at 9:36 AM, Steven D'Aprano wrote: > (If the machine is particularly > simple -- you might be able to exactly simulate a lever in pure > mathematics, but simulating, say, a nuclear bomb or a dialysis machine in > mathematics is more of a challenge...) I can easily model a massless, frictionless, inelastic, infinitismally thin lever. Beyond that, it gets complicated. ChrisA