6 ms·
Perhaps Prof. Lamport is giving too much credit our understanding of automobiles this time around: "There are no homeopathic automobile repair shops, that try
by zanker_swe1 8y ago
Perhaps Prof. Lamport is giving too much credit our understanding of automobiles this time around:
"There are no homeopathic automobile repair
shops, that try to repair your car by putting infinitesimal dilutions of rust
in the gas tank. There are no automotive faith healers, who lay their hands
on the hood and pray. People reserve such superstitions for things that they
don’t understand very well, such as the human body."
I don't think that is true. I routinely see automobiles that are 'blessed' on the streets of San Jose (quite likely the owners of these vehicles are developing software that this paper talks about).
- TeMPOraL 8y agoTrue. This can be seen everywhere, from food to football. I believe it can be boiled down to two things: uncertainty, which makes some people desire reassurance from supernatural, and non-obvious failure modes, which makes selling this reassurance pretty much risk-free.
- zanker_swe1 8y agoYes, most of us not do not seem to be able to resist the desire for the reassurance as you put it. My reading of the paper is that it is more about the lack of mathematical (perhaps rational or logical may be the right word) approach to program development than proving programs or lack of proofs.
- tzahola 8y agoI prayed for the starter motor to be able turn the crank with whatever charge was left after my brother borrowed my car and drained the battery by leaving the headlights on.
- whatshisface 8y agoWoo is in market competition with evidence-based solutions. Mechanics fix your car essentially every time, in exchange for money. Doctors fix you sometimes, in exchange for a lot more money. So obviously the woo is going to thrive a lot more in the second market.
- c22 8y agoAutomotive stores have no shortage of strange fluids you can pour into every part of your car that may have no or detrimental results.