the depressing truth is that guaranteeing correct software is incredibly difficult and expensive There is a world of difference between the correctness of in

the depressing truth is that guaranteeing correct software is incredibly difficult and expensive There is a world of difference between the correctness of industrial programs that follow 'cargo cult best practices' and the correctness of scientific programs. This is achieved without incurring incredible expenses. That we can't go all the way by (practical) definition doesn't mean we shouldn't try to get further. One of the main problems is convincing, especially young, scientists that their code sucks. Young programmers, you can coach. You review their code, teach them what works and what doesn't and they get better. Scientists that happen to write progams, they don't learn to become better programmers: they've got other things to worry about. There's nobody to help them and since they're usually highly intelligent and overestimate their capabilities in things they don't want to spend time on (which is a way of justifying for yourself not to spend time on it), they need all the more guidance to become good.