> Baking is a science, relying on precise chemical reactions that must happen within pretty tightly defined windows. Making a curry is not a science, in that yo

> Baking is a science, relying on precise chemical reactions that must happen within pretty tightly defined windows. Making a curry is not a science, in that you can get a good curry by just making it up on the spot, tasting as you go, and fixing it if it needs fixing. Playing a fugue vs playing jazz: For one, you need a carefully-constructed score and you really do have to follow it for all the voices to come out right, and for the other all you need is a fakebook and a good ear. This is part of the stages of mastery, as well: You go from being a rigid rule-follower to someone with an intuition as you gain experience, but for some things, even the masters are quite rigid. http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/intro/preservice/stgmstry.html http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/intro/preservice/stg... > The third stage is competence, the point at which an individual is capable becomes qualified in their desired area. [snip] Towards the latter part of this stage, the individual begins to acquire the ability to problem solve. That is, the individual begins to say "I tried this, but the results are not what I wanted. What do I do now?" This is very different from the procedure-following approach that might be expected from someone in the advanced beginner stage.