Who are you calling Scruffy-looking?
July 16, 2007
I generally wait far too long in between hair cuts. Right now I'm at least a month over due. My bangs come down past my nose if i pull them forward and i can almost cover my ears. On top of that, Thomas was fussy this morning and I didn't get much sleep. As usual when I wake up exhausted, I stayed in the shower too long and didn't have time to shave. So, I'm definitely sitting on the scruffy side of the fence this morning.
In other news, I've been completely sold on the idea of unit-testing in software development. The idea is that you write tests for each self-contained module in your program <i>before</i> you write the module. Then, once you feel like all the tests are in place, you write code until you pass all the tests. There are a number of benefits to this approach. My favorite is that it gives me the confidence to radically rewrite code. As long as it continues to pass the tests, then all is fine with the world. Normally, I'm afraid to touch blocks of code, especially if I didn't write it, since I know I'll have to spent a lot of time making sure it still works the way it was supposed to. Another great thing is that it gives you a goal to shoot for. You always know when you are done, because all the tests work.
You might think that writing a bunch of tests is boring, but it is actually a challenge to find ways to test certain things. For example, you want all your tests to run fast, but that means code that depends on timers will have to be abstracted away from the "real time." Similarly, graphical code can be tricky to write tests for. Writing unit tests also means that I solidify my interface in advance and it makes me think more about how I intend to use the code in practice.
I've recently been reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lord-World-Robert-Hugh-Benson/dp/140691052X/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-0949129-9608644?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184615581&sr=8-1">Lord of the World</a>, by Robert Benson. It is a science fiction novel written in 1906 about the end of the world. The author was a priest, so it features the triumph of Catholicism over the threat of modernism under dire circumstances. It is sort of like a Catholic version of the "Left Behind" series. I find it interesting from a certain perspective, but I'm not too happy about the dichotomy between science and humanity on the one hand, and Christianity on the other. It seems that Benson couldn't conceive of a world where science and faith co-operate or where Catholic Theology could make use of modern and post-modern ideas. I think it says a lot about the mindset of people before the horrors of WWI, WWII, the Holocaust, the Cold War, Vietnam, Stalin, and so on. The 20th century was a traumatic one for humans. We're still trying to deal with the results.
Dave Y.: 2007-07-16 19:25:09
So how do you feel about the recent backlash (in the U.S.) of Creationism in contrast to Evolution? People have gone so far as to make a Creationism dinosaur museum (entirely funded by donations) and consider teaching Creationism alongside/in lieu of Evolution.
100 years later, the dichotomy seems as strong as ever (to me).
Unit testing sounds awesome. :) Wish I was a tenth of the coder your were.
Matt: 2007-07-16 23:12:41
The whole Creationism thing is ridiculous. I laughed really hard at the dinosaur museum with the humans alongside. I don't think it has much to say about the way religion has coped with modernity. Creationists of that kind are a small minority even among religious people. There are always groups of people that flee rationality. Luckily for us, they get voted out of office once people wake up and realize what they are up to.
At the same time Benson was writing his book, Fr. Teilhard de Chardin was studying theology and paleontology in Egypt and Paris. He later went on to write about how evolution serves God's purposes, and how evolution can even play a role in salvation. You might want to check him out on wikipedia. He's controversial so you might like him.
Kim: 2007-07-18 19:49:17
Less remote are people like Michelle. She's a chemistry prof at Bryn Mawr and her theology blog is at http://quantumtheology.blogspot.com/
I've enjoyed reading her reflections.
Nancy Richiuso Dwyer: 2007-08-05 22:54:35
Dear Matt and Kim
I have been trying to find out how to reach you. I am coming to South Bend next week! Please email me at ndwyer@jamadots.com or ndwyer@fallingrockcafe.com and send me your address and phone number!
Nancy Richiuso Dwyer