Was Einstein winking when he said this?
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I saw Einstein's famous quote about the need for simplicity on slashdot today: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." -- Albert Einstein ...but then realized that the quote itself as not as simple as possible, because the potentially simple sentence is complex - the ending clause is redundant, for if something is already as simple as possible, it's impossible to simplify it further. Was he of the wild hair pulling our leg?
No - he was making a point about not using an impossible explanation for something simply because it is "simpler"... like magic or supernatural occurrence.
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I saw Einstein's famous quote about the need for simplicity on slashdot today: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." -- Albert Einstein ...but then realized that the quote itself as not as simple as possible, because the potentially simple sentence is complex - the ending clause is redundant, for if something is already as simple as possible, it's impossible to simplify it further. Was he of the wild hair pulling our leg?
He's just applying Occam's Razor with a clause: don't oversimplify things by making up steps.
GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver When I was six, there were no ones and zeroes - only zeroes. And not all of them worked. -- Ravi Bhavnani
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I saw Einstein's famous quote about the need for simplicity on slashdot today: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." -- Albert Einstein ...but then realized that the quote itself as not as simple as possible, because the potentially simple sentence is complex - the ending clause is redundant, for if something is already as simple as possible, it's impossible to simplify it further. Was he of the wild hair pulling our leg?
B. Clay Shannon wrote:
...but then realized that the quote itself as not as simple as possible, because the potentially simple sentence is complex
An example, please; "simple" does not mean the fewest possible characters as possible, that would be obfuscation in C++ style. That's why "not simpeler" is included.
Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)
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I saw Einstein's famous quote about the need for simplicity on slashdot today: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." -- Albert Einstein ...but then realized that the quote itself as not as simple as possible, because the potentially simple sentence is complex - the ending clause is redundant, for if something is already as simple as possible, it's impossible to simplify it further. Was he of the wild hair pulling our leg?
B. Clay Shannon wrote:
if something is already as simple as possible, it's impossible to simplify it further.
Which doesn't stop people from trying - I think his point is made.
Peter Wasser "The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell
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B. Clay Shannon wrote:
...but then realized that the quote itself as not as simple as possible, because the potentially simple sentence is complex
An example, please; "simple" does not mean the fewest possible characters as possible, that would be obfuscation in C++ style. That's why "not simpeler" is included.
Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)
Please... Obfuscation newbie-style is far more advanced. In high school a (female, good-loking) classmate asked me for help for the laboratory classwork. Leaving apart the fact that there were over 40 variables and the task was trivial - they were named... A, B, C, D, E ... AA, AB, AC... Of course without comments or anything. More obfuscated than THAT? Her brain.
GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver When I was six, there were no ones and zeroes - only zeroes. And not all of them worked. -- Ravi Bhavnani
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"Don't believe everything you read on the internet." - Albert Einstein
That was Newton.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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I saw Einstein's famous quote about the need for simplicity on slashdot today: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." -- Albert Einstein ...but then realized that the quote itself as not as simple as possible, because the potentially simple sentence is complex - the ending clause is redundant, for if something is already as simple as possible, it's impossible to simplify it further. Was he of the wild hair pulling our leg?
I think you're simply failing to appreciate that the word 'simple' is simply being used with two distinct, simple meanings; in the first case 'easy to understand or mentally manipulate', in the second 'idiotic', neither of which, incidentally necessarily conforms exactly to your imposed meaning of 'not complex'. In doing so you have highlighted the simple problem with all positivist interpretations of language, simple rigidity!
I am not a number. I am a ... no, wait!
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That was Newton.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
I thought it was Newton-John.
GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver When I was six, there were no ones and zeroes - only zeroes. And not all of them worked. -- Ravi Bhavnani
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I saw Einstein's famous quote about the need for simplicity on slashdot today: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." -- Albert Einstein ...but then realized that the quote itself as not as simple as possible, because the potentially simple sentence is complex - the ending clause is redundant, for if something is already as simple as possible, it's impossible to simplify it further. Was he of the wild hair pulling our leg?
It's perfectly normal; he's using different inflections of the word. I.e. If a task is complex, then find the simplest way to handle the complexity -- but don't make the task less complex. E.g. building a car is a complex task, which has been made simpler and simpler over the years by people applying thought to processes and automation, and by improvements in technology -- but it would be pretty damned stupid to make the task simpler by removing all wheels from the design.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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I saw Einstein's famous quote about the need for simplicity on slashdot today: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." -- Albert Einstein ...but then realized that the quote itself as not as simple as possible, because the potentially simple sentence is complex - the ending clause is redundant, for if something is already as simple as possible, it's impossible to simplify it further. Was he of the wild hair pulling our leg?
Einstein was the first one without saying to first having believed to make known what some barely understood favets of the cosmic system possessed to the point to anuerism, taking knowledge from demons crashed in the forties in new mexico as an end times means to deceive as knowledge is already simple, but relativity is the idea there is no set right and wrong, just like the serpent said in the garden
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Einstein was the first one without saying to first having believed to make known what some barely understood favets of the cosmic system possessed to the point to anuerism, taking knowledge from demons crashed in the forties in new mexico as an end times means to deceive as knowledge is already simple, but relativity is the idea there is no set right and wrong, just like the serpent said in the garden
Aaaarrghhh!!!! Not again! MEDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I saw Einstein's famous quote about the need for simplicity on slashdot today: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." -- Albert Einstein ...but then realized that the quote itself as not as simple as possible, because the potentially simple sentence is complex - the ending clause is redundant, for if something is already as simple as possible, it's impossible to simplify it further. Was he of the wild hair pulling our leg?
No, he was not. He was merely saying that oversimplyfication is as bad as unneeded complexity.
The language is JavaScript. that of Mordor, which I will not utter here
This is Javascript. If you put big wheels and a racing stripe on a golf cart, it's still a fucking golf cart.
"I don't know, extraterrestrial?" "You mean like from space?" "No, from Canada." If software development were a circus, we would all be the clowns. -
Einstein was the first one without saying to first having believed to make known what some barely understood favets of the cosmic system possessed to the point to anuerism, taking knowledge from demons crashed in the forties in new mexico as an end times means to deceive as knowledge is already simple, but relativity is the idea there is no set right and wrong, just like the serpent said in the garden
marie915 wrote:
but relativity is the idea there is no set right and wrong, just like the serpent said in the garden
How does one get that from 'sssssssssss'?
"the debugger doesn't tell me anything because this code compiles just fine" - random QA comment "Facebook is where you tell lies to your friends. Twitter is where you tell the truth to strangers." - chriselst "I don't drink any more... then again, I don't drink any less." - Mike Mullikins uncle
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Einstein was the first one without saying to first having believed to make known what some barely understood favets of the cosmic system possessed to the point to anuerism, taking knowledge from demons crashed in the forties in new mexico as an end times means to deceive as knowledge is already simple, but relativity is the idea there is no set right and wrong, just like the serpent said in the garden
WTF are you smoking?
#SupportHeForShe Government can give you nothing but what it takes from somebody else. A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you've got, including your freedom.-Ezra Taft Benson You must accept 1 of 2 basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe or we are not alone. Either way, the implications are staggering!-Wernher von Braun
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marie915 wrote:
but relativity is the idea there is no set right and wrong, just like the serpent said in the garden
How does one get that from 'sssssssssss'?
"the debugger doesn't tell me anything because this code compiles just fine" - random QA comment "Facebook is where you tell lies to your friends. Twitter is where you tell the truth to strangers." - chriselst "I don't drink any more... then again, I don't drink any less." - Mike Mullikins uncle
jeron1 wrote:
'sssssssssss'
It's all in the variable frequency and intonation of 's'
#SupportHeForShe Government can give you nothing but what it takes from somebody else. A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you've got, including your freedom.-Ezra Taft Benson You must accept 1 of 2 basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe or we are not alone. Either way, the implications are staggering!-Wernher von Braun
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jeron1 wrote:
'sssssssssss'
It's all in the variable frequency and intonation of 's'
#SupportHeForShe Government can give you nothing but what it takes from somebody else. A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you've got, including your freedom.-Ezra Taft Benson You must accept 1 of 2 basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe or we are not alone. Either way, the implications are staggering!-Wernher von Braun
Ahh that very well may explain why I failed Serpent in school! :laugh:
"the debugger doesn't tell me anything because this code compiles just fine" - random QA comment "Facebook is where you tell lies to your friends. Twitter is where you tell the truth to strangers." - chriselst "I don't drink any more... then again, I don't drink any less." - Mike Mullikins uncle
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Einstein was the first one without saying to first having believed to make known what some barely understood favets of the cosmic system possessed to the point to anuerism, taking knowledge from demons crashed in the forties in new mexico as an end times means to deceive as knowledge is already simple, but relativity is the idea there is no set right and wrong, just like the serpent said in the garden
I live in the Netherlands, but even the stuff that's legal here doesn't result in people talking the guff you're spouting.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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I live in the Netherlands, but even the stuff that's legal here doesn't result in people talking the guff you're spouting.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
You know the crap at the end of spam, this guy is the author!
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity RAH
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I saw Einstein's famous quote about the need for simplicity on slashdot today: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." -- Albert Einstein ...but then realized that the quote itself as not as simple as possible, because the potentially simple sentence is complex - the ending clause is redundant, for if something is already as simple as possible, it's impossible to simplify it further. Was he of the wild hair pulling our leg?
B. Clay Shannon wrote:
the ending clause is redundant,
Because some people try to make things too simple. Management, for example, when in their simple mind, something should be doable in a day, when it actually takes weeks or months. But what he's really getting at is the balance between complexity and simplicity. It's the balance we all face as programmers and some of us are totally ignorant of. VB / Javascript / Ruby / Python / et al. programmer: cut and paste the code Everyone else: Oh, I'm about to duplicate this code, let me make a function. VB / Javascript / Ruby / Python / et al. programmer: Wow, look at my cool function, it's 10000 lines long! Everyone else: Ew, this is getting gross, let me break this apart so it's readable and self-documenting. And so forth. Marc
Imperative to Functional Programming Succinctly Contributors Wanted for Higher Order Programming Project! Learning to code with python is like learning to swim with those little arm floaties. It gives you undeserved confidence and will eventually drown you. - DangerBunny
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Please... Obfuscation newbie-style is far more advanced. In high school a (female, good-loking) classmate asked me for help for the laboratory classwork. Leaving apart the fact that there were over 40 variables and the task was trivial - they were named... A, B, C, D, E ... AA, AB, AC... Of course without comments or anything. More obfuscated than THAT? Her brain.
GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver When I was six, there were no ones and zeroes - only zeroes. And not all of them worked. -- Ravi Bhavnani
When I was as Comp.Sci student, one of the professors was really pushing 'descriptive variable names' to the extreme. I happened to look over the shoulder of the brightest guy in our class while he was working on a programming homework: His integer variables were named I00, I01, I02, ..., reals were R00, R01, ... and so on. I was shocked: "Do you really think Prof. C will accept that?" "Oh, no", he replied, "Before I hand it in to Prof C., I will do a textual substitute, replacing all I01s with 'NumberOfOilCans', all R04s with 'WeightOfEachCanWhenEpty' and so on. But I couldn't possibly work with that kind of names - think of all that extra typing, how long that would take!" His mental capacity was so that he didn't need any 'descriptive names' - he could easily map from R04 to the concept of WeightOfEachCanWhenEmpty without any visual reminder. Descriptive names are for people with less mental capacity :-) The only negative thing about his style is that after making his substitutions, the code lines would be 100, maybe 120, maybe 130 characters long. (When substituting, he used really long descriptive names). End-of-line comments would of course end up mis-aligned - but this was in the Fortran days when EOL-comments were non-standard.