Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Transitions of Power

Smart Numbers
In the old days, I tell my students, numbers were stupid, they couldn't do anything, didn't know anything. Operators descended from heaven, like space ships, and caused numbers to be added and multiplied.

But in Python, everything is a snake, a live object, including numbers like 1 and 2, and they have knowledge of addition and multiplication "in their bones" (__ribs__). When you go 1 * 2, that's not a space ship, bristling with static methods from on high, from the alien "knows operations" land, that's invoking an innate ability of the integer type.

It's a change in gestalt, especially if you start with the old one.

[ more context on edu-sig ]
Tara and I are both working today (school is work), she for no income. Mom phoned. Alexia spent the day with us yesterday, is interviewing for a new position.

The inauguration is bein' a blast, watching the two first couples, now the veep couples, shaking hands. Why is Cheney in a wheel chair today? (volume muted).

Helicopter. Well done.