From d57c150d96218ff3c7ac2d81d9dfeafc01a30bff Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Lucian Mogosanu Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2013 12:20:18 +0300 Subject: [PATCH] write about --- about.markdown | 38 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--- 1 file changed, 35 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-) diff --git a/about.markdown b/about.markdown index 3c7b0ad..a4a61ea 100644 --- a/about.markdown +++ b/about.markdown @@ -1,8 +1,40 @@ --- title: About author: Lucian Mogoșanu -date: July 21, 2013 +date: July 24, 2013 --- -This is currently a placeholder for the about page, which will be filled with -content soon. Really soon. +[Definition][1]: **tar pit** + +1. A hollow in which natural tar accumulates by seepage +2. A complicated or difficult situation or problem (e.g. "the tar pit of +municipal poverty") + +So, why The Tar Pit? Let's explain this in a quasi-formal language. + +Let $P$ be a set, representing all the problems in our universe. Let $K$, a +subset of $P$, be the set of all known problems. Of the problems $p \in K$, a +small part are currently subject to research and of those some will be solved +sooner or later. + +However, this is only one of the steps involved in the scientific approach. The +Tar Pit aims in a different, sometimes opposite, direction: creating and +exposing problems, that is, finding problems in $P$ that aren't (yet) in $K$ +and discussing problems in $K$ that are worth solving but are grossly +neglected. As [Jacob Bronowski][2] would put it, "That is the essence of +science: ask an impertinent question, and you are on the way to a pertinent +answer". As [Alan Perlis][3] would put it, albeit in a slightly different +context, "Beware of the Turing tar-pit in which everything is possible but +nothing of interest is easy". A word of warning, though: a significant part of +the things written here are half-baked. + +Additionally, this is Lucian Mogoșanu's personal blog and thus will contain +all sorts of other things that I find interesting. You can find more about me +on my [about page][4]. To find ways to get in touch with me, see the +[contact][5] page. + +[1]: https://www.google.com/search?q=define:%20tar%20pit +[2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ascent_of_Man +[3]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_tarpit +[4]: http://lucian.mogosanu.ro/about +[5]: /contact.html -- 1.7.10.4