Tony Morris

@inkytonik Certainly, saying that programming is not maths makes one a denier of both programming and mathematics. It's just ludicrous.

@dibblego Agreed. Certainly, though, one can do quite a bit of useful programming without necessarily thinking in mathematical terms

@inkytonik Without knowingly thinking in mathematical terms, but doing so anyway. This is ultimately why denial is so insidious in practice.

@dibblego I think “without knowingly” is the crux, since there are many egs of good programs where maths has not explicitly entered into it

@inkytonik I once picked my bum without knowing it. I still picked my bum though.

@dibblego is the analogy is valid? you were trying to achieve something when you unknowingly “picked your bum”, and presumably achieved it

@inkytonik The analogy is to walk, while simultaneously deny the existence of physical laws that describe how you are walking.

@dibblego right, denial of this kind is loony, but walking without explicitly thinking in terms of physics is fine