Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!mordor!sri-spam!sri-unix!quintus!ok
From: ok@quintus.UUCP (Richard A. O'Keefe)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: What is CS? (Was re First languages)
Message-ID: <857@cresswell.quintus.UUCP>
Date: 7 Apr 88 07:52:20 GMT
References: <3684@medusa.cs.purdue.edu> <568@abcom.ATT.COM> <1666@ur-tut.UUCP>
Organization: Quintus Computer Systems, Mountain View, CA
Lines: 23

In article <1666@ur-tut.UUCP>, msir_ltd@ur-tut (Mark Sirota) writes:
> It occurs to me that teaching programming to those in the "creative" arts
> - writing, drama, music, and the like - might be detrimental.  Programming
> requires a certain type of thought, very right-brained, very logical,
> whereas people in these disciplines are on the other side of the brain.

(a) This left-brain/right-brain thing is "Pop Sci".
    Certain faculties _are_ localised (notably speech), but not in the
    same hemisphere for all people, and where "logical thinking" lives
    is anybody's guess.  (It is not the case that all logical thinking
    is verbal.)
(b) The kind of thinking required for programming is BOTH logical AND
    creative, just like writing, drama, music, &c.  (Don't confuse the
    art of writing beautiful programs with hacking or bit-diddling.)
    For what it's worth, a beautiful program and music that I enjoy
    arouse the same kind of pleasure in me.  A well conceived data
    structure integrates a subroutine package the way a subject
    integrates a fugue.  A really competent programmer has a passion
    for beauty as well as function in his programs.

Programming is one of the creative arts, using logic as one of its tools,
just as drama is one of the creative arts, using speech as one of its
tools.  I would go so far as to say that many programmers would benefit
from courses in writing and music appreciation.