You're both partially right. There are things you can do efficiently now with modern simulation that would be unthinkable in the heyday of the slide rule. Hel

You're both partially right. There are things you can do efficiently now with modern simulation that would be unthinkable in the heyday of the slide rule. Hell, in the 1980s. On the other hand, I've seen a lot of time wasted on "analyzing" the wrong things, especially via simulation, merely because the work of setting it up is very approachable. I've watched young engineers struggle hard due to an over-reliance on these approaches, so it isn't just crotchety-old-guy problems. Its' also that, though :)