It appears that the great computer scientist Donald Knuth was a pioneer in the discipline that would in a later century come to be known as Idiosophy. Alas, such was the benighted state of natural philosophy in that era that his seminal paper could only be published in the April issue of a learned journal.
tom hillman
I managed to hold it together until “Ist das nicht ein Schnitzelbank?”
Joe
The thing that scares me is, at just about the time that Knuth must have been writing this paper, I was proving that “Tutti Frutti” could be constructed algorithmically to an unlimited number of verses. (Thesis? What thesis?)
Tara Dockery
As a computer programmer myself, I am quite familiar with many of Knuth’s writings, but this one was new to me, despite the fact that I was at university at the time.
His reference to K.C. and the Sunshine Band certainly parallels my own thoughts on that august group’s musical complexity.
tom hillman
hey, Tara, do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight, ya know
Joe
After years of Geoffrey Chaucer’s filks of that song, I didn’t recognize the original lyrics at first. Hurrah!