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Unfortunately this was written after I saw the email from Mike, the
topic is now dead (as the preverbal parrot).

Herbert

-----Original Message-----
From: Herbert Sauro
Sent: Friday, July 29, 2005 9:24 AM
To: SBML Discussion List
Subject: RE: [sbml-discuss] Re: RE: Little b


Lisp is a bit of a jump for straight wet biologists. I've taught
computer programming to newbies for a few years now and it's difficult
to teach languages other than fairly straight forward one like basic,
python etc. Perl is quite a struggle for example.

H

-----Original Message-----
From: Marco Antoniotti [mailto:marcoxa@cs.nyu.edu]
Sent: Friday, July 29, 2005 8:28 AM
To: SBML Discussion List
Subject: Re: [sbml-discuss] Re: RE: Little b

Well, given that they learn to program in R (and Perl and Python and
Ruby and Tcl and SLDJ), they can also learn Lisp.

Cheers
--
Marco




On Jul 29, 2005, at 11:33 AM, Tomas Radivoyevitch wrote:

> Backing up what Herbert just said, biologists and MDs who took my
> stats class did indeed learn how to program in R.
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Herbert Sauro"
> <Herbert_Sauro@kgi.edu>
> To: "'SBML Discussion List'" <sbml-discuss@caltech.edu>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2005 4:23 PM
> Subject: RE: [sbml-discuss] Re: RE: Little b
>
>
>>
>>> The "unnatural" structure of computer languages comes from the need
>>> for
>> precise
>>> unambiguous expression. If models are to become part of mainstream
>>> of
>> biology,
>>> perhaps it will be important for biologists to express themselves in
>> precise formal ?
>>> language... that is - after they learn LISP :) Aneil
>>
>> I don't believe this for a minute, I personally believe it is
>> possible to develop a language that is biology friendly but at the
>> same time precise.
>> Jarnac is pretty simple, I know a lot of biologists who are happy to
>> use it (and do things with it I never envisaged). Python is another
>> example of a language that is simple to learn and use, I teach it to
>> completely newbie biolgists whose only contact with a computer has
>> been email and the internet.
>>
>> I do believe there is a need for some kind of extensible non-xml text

>> based langauge for systems biology, what it is I am not sure, but
>> I'll be interested to see b when it is released.
>>
>> Herbert Sauro
>
>
>
--
Marco Antoniotti
http://bioinformatics.nyu.edu
NYU Courant Bioinformatics Group tel. +1 - 212 - 998 3488
715 Broadway 10th FL fax. +1 - 212 - 998 3484
New York, NY, 10003, U.S.A.