Making Nested Parens with My Homeboy, Donald Knuth | Hacker News Reader

Making Nested Parens with My Homeboy, Donald Knuth

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As someone wrote under the flickr image, "Perhaps the best comp sci picture of all time."

For some hard to explain reason, the photo is just awesome.

I wonder how many people who wear Knuth t-shirts have actually read any of his books.

And out of those that have read his books, how many would be wearing a t-shirt of him. And out of those, how many would ask him to take a picture like that!

On one hand... digg.

On the other... Knuth.

Talk about being torn.

I have to go with Knuth here, if you know who the old guy in the picture is, you're OK with me.

Yeah, I upvoted it, but I honestly think it was the most difficult decision I've had to make this week.

You could have not voted.

That, my friend, is also a decision.

True. But I doubt people vote on everything posted here so it seems to me that the non voting is the default behavior (to me at least).

It seems the decision is to first decide whether to vote or not, and then if you decided to vote to choose whether to vote up or down. This probably happens instantaneously so they feel like one decision.

It's a slippery slope, my friend.

That is a classic cs picture!

On a somewhat related tangent - There was a recent series of interviews of Knuth in the CACM. They were an interesting and entertaining read. Actually ever since the ACM redid the CACM it's been relatively interesting and relevant.

The CACM interview was actually a transcription of a small selection of the autobiographical videos Knuth recorded for the "People's Archive" at http://www.peoplesarchive.com/browse/movies/6895/

If you liked the selections, you should really hear the rest-- some fascinating material.

Also: I completely agree about the revamped CACM-- it's quickly become my favorite tree-based magazine.

If the Knuth image on his tshirt is also making parens with his hands, then you have an infinite recursion and will eventually run out of mammary.

mmm... mammary.

Don't worry, the end of his jacket is coattail-recursive; it'll just be an infinite loop.

Nice, though I prefer the Objective-C (and J) bracket gang sign:

http://log.scifihifi.com/post/37683353/me-throwing-the-objec... (that's not me)

In my search for better pictures, I came across this... http://www.joeydevilla.com/2008/05/29/geek-gang-signs/

Hacker Culture: Taking itself only seriously enough to look ridiculous.

Best. Picture. Ever.

I just got my "certificate of deposit" from the Bank of San Seriffe today, and was going to post it, but it feels like it would be an anti-climax in comparison.

the other side of knuth. so knuthsome.

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