[Edu-sig] Microsoft's KPL

[Laura Creighton]

In a message of Sat, 08 Oct 2005 22:32:01 EDT, Arthur writes:
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Arthur [mailto:ajsiegel at optonline.net]
>> 
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: Laura Creighton [mailto:lac at strakt.com]
>> > Sent: Saturday, October 08, 2005 9:52 PM
>> > To: Radenski, Atanas
>> > Cc: Arthur; Laura Creighton; Chuck Allison; edu-sig at python.org;
>
>
>> So the feminists have rearranged the system to better reward a subservi
>ent
>> attitude.
>
>Perhaps someone as unaffiliated as myself can suggest that perhaps math a
>nd
>science seem too hard, in that sense.  Not intellectually - but the
>performance criteria are not the one's women prefer.
>
>The standards by which one is judged to have or have not absorbed the
>material are too objective.  
>
>There is no one to please.
>
>
>Art

This is extremely well known by women.  It is a mystery to me why 
this simple truth is not well known by men.

Actually, the problem is not 'there is no one to please' but
rather 'you have to please yourself'.  External objective validation
of math is all well and good, but the first inkling you must have
in order to develop a mathematical intuition is the 'this feels
good -- like the correct way to proceed' feeling.

Then, if you get rewarded when you get the correct answer, thus
validating your 'mathematical workmanship' all is well.  But only
some people develop a mathematical intuition, given mathematical
problems to solve.   The rest seem to learn how to solve them
by rote learning, memorization of techniques, and things that
do not involve the mathematical intuition at all.

I think that only people who thrive on playing with their
mathematical intuition will love computer science and all
higher math.  But most women do not work on developing one.

Laura