[Haskell-cafe] Re: Wikipedia on first-class object

[ajb at spamcop.net]

G'day all.

Tim Chevalier wrote:

>> The only thing that computers can do that humans can't is to work
>> without getting bored.

Quoting Bulat Ziganshin <bulat.ziganshin at gmail.com>:

> ok, please compute 2^2^30 before continuing discussion. it seems that
> you just use "i'm too bored" and "i can't" as synonyms.

No, I don't think he did.

But I also disagree with the original statement.  A computer can get
"bored" if it has to, but you do have to take a broad definition of
"bored".

It usually only comes up in the context of real-time systems or
problems for which only worst-case exponential algorithms are known.
If the system is in danger of getting overloaded, or the worst-case is
in danger of being triggered, systems can be programmed to start
approximating, skimming or even dropping unimportant work.

Cheers,
Andrew Bromage