Sunday, February 20, 2011

Slow going

I haven't posted too much here recently for a few reasons.

1.  I'm boning up on OpenGL, particularly GLSL
2.  I'm re-learning linear algebra (in order to do matrix multiplication)
3.  I'm getting back to basics with clojure and reading the rest of The Joy of Clojure and Clojure in Action
4.  I'm getting serious about working out again

I will post soon a blog about debugging shared libraries however.

So I haven't had time to work on the sojourner project directly.  I really wish I had a job where I could program in clojure (or lisp) full time.  I also need to get more serious about math again.  I hated how all my math skills rusted away from non-use.

I did have a strange revelation though about math while re-reading Steve Hagan's excellent "Buddhism is not What You Think".  One of the central tenets of Buddhism is impermanence.  Nothing is permanent and everything changes from moment to moment.  This is in direct contrast to functional programming and mathematics in general.  Or at least so I at first thought.

A number is unchanging.  5 has been, is and always shall be 5.  But what exactly is 5?  Is it an abstraction?  A concept?  Buddhism makes it clear that reality is not a concept.  Even mathematicians debate about the "reality" of much of math.  To put it another way, is there truly a pure right angle that exists in nature?  When you say that you have 3 quarters, is 3 a thing, or simply a pointer to reality?

Deep down, I wish I had been a philosopher.  And one day, I will put all this aside and become a mystic.  But for now, I am still beholden to the world.  I do think i have entered the stream, but I am still reluctant to cross to the other side.