Lost Topics #2: Modern Spellbooks

[Triple Zero]

Modern Spellbooks

http://davidseah.com/blog/comments/modern-spellbooks/

David Seah writes about how hand-written notebooks about computer programming languages are in fact a lot like spellbooks filled with incantations.

(The difference being that if you follow the incantation step by step, you will get a 100% success rate, which might make these things even better than actual spellbooks )

[Requia ☣]

I've never seen handwritten code that didn't make call to non existent functions that the writer was too lazy to write out.  So I dunno about the success rate.

[Triple Zero]

I've never seen handwritten code that didn't make call to non existent functions that the writer was too lazy to write out.  So I dunno about the success rate.

read the article. his code is in BASIC and Assembly. no non-existent functions (hardly any named functions either, btw).

About handwritten code, I remember this one time 8-9 years ago I was stoned and I wrote down the 80x86 Assembly code for an 8x8 texmapper/distorter (graphics effect that warps a texture), I already knew the algorithm, I wrote down the asm code once, without mistakes. Next day I typed the code verbatim into the machine, it compiled without error and it worked without bugs, straight from paper.
This never (ok, hardly ever) happens when I write my code directly into the computer. I'm not going to attribute the success to being stoned, except for that it was probably the reason why I was sitting on the floor at a friend's place with a fine-liner and a sketchbook instead of a computer.

[Kai]

This is interesting.

Wonder what a biospellbook would be like.

[Kai]

I wasn't joking btw. I want to make a book for my masters thesis and beyond surrounding all the information and tidbits I discover on Cheumatopsyche, as well as summaries of field observations and collections.

Darwin had his notebooks, I want to make one for myself.

So, any ideas on what type, format, etc?

[Triple Zero]

i wish i could set a thread to be bumped in a week or so, when i have some time to properly brainstorm on this.

[Kai]

Well, I purchased a Moleskine large and squared notebook with a soft cover, because I wanted something that would stand up for years but would be also comfortable to use and portable.

I'm still not sure of the format though.

[Triple Zero]

maybe you can get inspired by the article and try to think of what these things mean in the context of bio/entomology:

-  "incantation" (way of doing something, recipe)
-  "spell"
- "charm" (how to catch a bug?)
- "transmutation" (change one thing into another, maybe caterpiller-puppet-butterfly transition, something), "sorcery" (enhanced bugs, genetic experiments on banana flies?)
- "enchanting"
- "the philsophers stone" (notes on that one magical thing you're researching but will never quite solve completely)

... or of course you could just write field reports and such into it

another thing i really like about the "spellbook" in the article is that it's a copy of the original but still transcribed manually.

[Kai]

maybe you can get inspired by the article and try to think of what these things mean in the context of bio/entomology:

-  "incantation" (way of doing something, recipe)
-  "spell"
- "charm" (how to catch a bug?)
- "transmutation" (change one thing into another, maybe caterpiller-puppet-butterfly transition, something), "sorcery" (enhanced bugs, genetic experiments on banana flies?)
- "enchanting"
- "the philsophers stone" (notes on that one magical thing you're researching but will never quite solve completely)

... or of course you could just write field reports and such into it

another thing i really like about the "spellbook" in the article is that it's a copy of the original but still transcribed manually.

Well, if you see the transcribed copy, there are two headings. One is a theme heading, like "Crack", and the other is a title. There are no dates anywhere. Notes are very simple, well written, essentially summaries of observations and actions. Also, hypotheses about observations. I /do/ like the hand transcription. I think the whole "spell book" titles were just things he thought up for the article, but the transcribed journal is a very interesting format. I don't know how I would transform it to work for my needs. It seems that whatever I do, there is going to be quite a bit of drawings in this, transcribed from actual specimens and other sources, notes on phylogeny, diagnosis, family genus and species descriptions, summaries of field observations, and useful tidbits for working in the lab and such. It needs to be condensed knowlege that I can come back as a reference source.

So, just some thoughts.

[Triple Zero]

yeah it needs to have drawings of course. you don't really need them in computer science, but in a biology spellbook, you probably can't do without them.

[Kai]

I started making entries. It looks pretty sweet actually. I keep finding obscure references to East Palearctic diagnostic characters for larval Cheumatopsyche, but very little here in the Nearctic. There has been some Chaetotaxy associations done, but nobody has actually written down any diagnoses.

Okay, THIS is interesting. I retrieved a paper by Statzner yesterday with keys to the Cheumatopsyche of the Ivory Coast (so Afrotropical). The keys use all sorts of characters that I haddn't considered yet, including stridulating grooves and all sorts of chaetotaxal characters. The paper gets copied and put in my files, but the information I glean from it as far as diagnosis and description is concerned goes in the little black notebook.

[Richter]

I carry around a moleskin sketchbook constantly.  Not that I draw for shit, but it's where I put down ideas, quotes, doodles, or records of anyhting that strikes me.  I've had several such over the years.  If I ever have the time or inclination, I figure I can compile.

[Kai]

I carry around a moleskin sketchbook constantly.  Not that I draw for shit, but it's where I put down ideas, quotes, doodles, or records of anyhting that strikes me.  I've had several such over the years.  If I ever have the time or inclination, I figure I can compile.

I've got one specifically for this. If I just want to have something to write notes on, I would get a $1 flimsy covered one. These damn things are expensive! However, for this task I need something that will last.

[Janvier]

I carry around a moleskin sketchbook constantly.  Not that I draw for shit, but it's where I put down ideas, quotes, doodles, or records of anyhting that strikes me.  I've had several such over the years.  If I ever have the time or inclination, I figure I can compile.

I've got one specifically for this. If I just want to have something to write notes on, I would get a $1 flimsy covered one. These damn things are expensive! However, for this task I need something that will last.

How does the chaetotaxy that help you figure out what the bug does? What information could you possibly stand to gain from looking at an insect's bristles?
^{Hey [000],
The gloves are off. Stakes are the title of most infuriating Dutchie. Make me rage, if you dare!}

[Janvier]

That's what I thought. Well, don't worry guys. I'm making a spellbook of my own that the smart ones can use. I'll finish it, then make 4 handwritten copies, then I'll transcribe it and post it here. BTW, I just HIMEOBS'd the Dutch police. They're not that scary, so I guess I can safely push for "legalization" here.

You don't need to follow me all the way through. Just make sure you read enough, and you'll understand the spellbook just fine.