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Asking for the source code of the OPERA analysis is similar in scope to asking for the source code to gmail. Unless you made a very specific request and explain
by mattheww 15y ago
Asking for the source code of the OPERA analysis is similar in scope to asking for the source code to gmail. Unless you made a very specific request and explained how you would be qualified to review it, I doubt they are taking you very seriously.
Furthermore, I doubt anyone at OPERA is in a position to even fulfill your request. The minimum number of separate systems with exclusive sets of code is three, and probably more than ten.
However, physicists do make extensive use of unit tests, so that may be some consolation.
- tripzilch 15y ago> However, physicists do make extensive use of unit tests, so that may be some consolation. Ehm, well some do. And those that do, endlessly complain about most of them that don't. Fact of the matter is, most physicists aren't trained in proper software engineering methods. Quite a few, but not nearly a majority are very interested in computers and computing so they may pick up a thing or two or actually bite their teeth in doing things the right way, and then there's most of them who love Physics for being Physics and Science for Science and see the computer as just another tool next to their pencil and paper, and just "get things done" and screwed be the next PHD that has to pick up on their research. At least, that's what I hear from a friend doing a PHD involving analysing huge datasets coming from apparatus measuring high energy cosmic particles. Of course the LHC is a much more prestigious project, so you might expect somewhat higher quality, but you can't change the culture. Physicists are generally not Software Engineers.