November 30, 2016

Computed reality

Reality

There’s a beautiful pleasure in getting computers to do things. To bend their obedient unthinking nature to take the heavy lifting on complex models, to boot the hello-world code into action, to stamp the same ol’ output to the same ol’ input, every time, without fail, again, and again. You don’t even think about it, it just works, right?

And the danger … you don’t even think about it.

The model says the profits go up, the two parts fit, the stars will align. Do they? The GPS says we’re here. Are we? Computed answers are lovely and everything, but actuality is what actually counts. Look out the window.

So build the model. Test it. Check the algorithms. Run the code.

Then the vital bit … compare it to reality and adjust as necessary.

Computers don’t think, they compute. The thinking part’s down to you.

Skippy strategy: Set your perspective with reality.

Category:
Focus