[ExI] Meaningless Symbols.

[Gordon Swobe]

--- On Sat, 1/16/10, Stefano Vaj <stefano.vaj at gmail.com> wrote:

>> If you watch a small child solve a math problem on his
>> fingers then you will watch a fellow human use a simple
>> calculator to facilitate and extend his mathematical
>> understanding. The understanding of the numbers takes place
>> in his mind, not in his fingers.
> 
> Yes. And association of symbols such as x=3, y=5, then
> x+y=7 takes place in the CPU, not in the Cd-Rom drive. 

I think x+y=8, but anyway...

> So?

So....  you understand a computation took place in your CPU, not unlike the child who added 3 fingers to 5 and got 8.

Do you think your CPU understood it? If you do then I wonder if you also think the child's fingers understood it.

-gts