Defeatist traitor whines about Iraq

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by MRT144
function of an exponent

a)?

b) if you wrote the program and it's simple wrist exercise to carry out the operations yourself, then I agree with you. If you haven't actually gotten to that point, then I don't. I'm simply saying that making a blanket claim that all work should be automated is silly, especially for those who are using the work to learn.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
Well, the multiplication and addition is one thing. I assume you've learned that well enough.

Well my linear algebra teacher (wow, that was a while ago) certainly didn't the millionth time she made me essentially do Gaussian elimination by hand

[Dinner]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse


Wrong. I see far too many physics undergrads nowadays with that attitude.

For practical purposes, automation is fine. For pedagogical purposes, learning and practicing the methodology is key.

My physics teacher felt the same and even tried to ban programmable calculators but the Dean over ruled him and ordered him to allow them since some students only had one calculator and thus would be at a disadvantage compared to other students. The end result is everyone programmed all the equations into their calculators though the curve still evened things out and the stupid/lazy kids still got the worst grades.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
And if they wrote that functionality into Mathematica themselves then I bet you wouldn't mind if they used it

Depends how nitty gritty they had to get...

[Kuciwalker]

Down to the level of parsing the string, of course.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker


Well my linear algebra teacher (wow, that was a while ago) certainly didn't the millionth time she made me essentially do Gaussian elimination by hand

Ha ha.

[Kuciwalker]

Also, you don't know how oppressive it is to do the ****ing simplex algorithm by hand dozens of times over the course of a semester

[MRT144]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse


a)?

b) if you wrote the program and it's simple wrist exercise to carry out the operations yourself, then I agree with you. If you haven't actually gotten to that point, then I don't. I'm simply saying that making a blanket claim that all work should be automated is silly, especially for those who are using the work to learn.

a) I meant making a model for an exponential function by plugging in 2 points on a line.

b)it really is a simple wrist exercise in this case. not all cases though.

[Kuciwalker]

I approve of this threadjack.

[MRT144]

when you do things by hand the PENCIL HURTS YOU!

[Drake Tungsten]

it hardly makes sense to build a military to do something thats so hard and expensive that the American people will never approve doing it right - in which case the "lets build super weapons to fight China and forget this nationbuilding crap, and if we ever do have attack someone in the ME cause of WMDs, lets just bomb and leave" faction in the Pentagon is right, no?

They probably are right. Would Iraq have turned out any worse if the US had just left as soon as they got Saddam?

[Dinner]

Likely not. The best and cheapest option was just not to indulge Bush with his revenge fantasies.

[Drake Tungsten]

Everything in Iraq was sweet until the US decided to stick around and the insurgency got going. America had just knocked over the Taliban and Saddam with no problems; they looked invincible. They could have swaggered out of Iraq knowing that they had taken care of a longtime enemy and no longer had to maintain the no-fly zones and economic sanctions. The country would have torn itself apart after they left, of course, but that's going to happen anyway, 3000+ casualties and a trillion dollars later...

[MRT144]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Everything in Iraq was sweet until the US decided to stick around and the insurgency got going. America had just knocked over the Taliban and Saddam with no problems; they looked invincible. They could have swaggered out of Iraq knowing that they had taken care of a longtime enemy and no longer had to maintain the no-fly zones and economic sanctions. The country would have torn itself apart after they left, of course, but that's going to happen anyway, 3000+ casualties and a trillion dollars later...

about time someone said it who wasnt me!

[Kuciwalker]

The French are, of course, experts at realpolitik.