Should Undergraduates Be Taught Fortran?

Mike Croucher writes "Despite the fact that it is over 40 years old, Fortran is still taught at many Universities to students of Physics, Chemistry, Engineering and more as their first ever formal introduction to programming. According to this article that shouldn't be happening anymore, since there are much better alternatives, such as Python, that would serve a physical science undergraduate much better. There may come a time in some researchers' lives where they need Fortran, but this time isn't in 'programming for chemists 101.' What do people in the Slashdot community think?"

Comments

It's okay to teach them FORTRAN

[sharkette66]

But only if they have to do it on punch cards, like I did. Give each student a can of WD40 to keep the machines working smoothly, too.

Re:It's okay to teach them FORTRAN

[hairyfeet]

Nah, make them learn VB6, if for no other reason for enjoying the screams of horror from 'real" programmers when they come across some VB6 app. Take that, real programmers! For extra evil teach them GOTO. I've found watching the facial ticks and foam build up around the mouth from real programmers when they encounter a GOTO to be quite entertaining!

Oh come on.

[geminidomino]

--No one-- should be taught FORTRAN. Ever...

*sobs in fetal position*

Re:Oh come on.

[scubamage]

Yep, real men use ADA.

...And drink very heavily.

Re:Oh come on.

[Kotoku]

You can't have any pudding if you don't eat your meat!

Re:Oh come on.

[quakehead3]

"Yes, but with a good functional language like Haskell, you're 9/10 of the way there, not 2/3."
But then students would be too lazy to do their homework.

Re:Oh come on.

[XDirtypunkX]

Actually, the most hardcore lecturer/professor at my University in Australia both promoted the use of Ada and drinking heavily. I guess he taught me how to be a man.

Re:How would you learn?

[oldspewey]

All the good tutorials are on punch cards, so unless you have a reader handy you're SOL.

Re:Python is hard too

[sakdoctor]

No,
                      not really.

Re:In a word...

[Anonymous Coward]

No.

You make a persuasive argument, but on the other hand, yes.

Re:Fortran is weak sauce buddy

[conspirator57]

Yes, everything should be written in a fresh, clean language.

I nominate VBScript.

Y2012 problem: Mayan calendar runs out

[David Gerard]

The Mayan Long Count Calendar turns over in 2012. Mayan date 12.19.19.17.19 will occur on December 20, 2012, followed by the start of the fourteenth cycle, 13.0.0.0.0, on December 21st.

The event was first flagged by megalith scientist Terence McKenna. The end of the thirteenth cycle would break many megalith calculations — which conventionally use only the last four numbers to save on standing stones — with fears of spiritual collapse, disruption of ley lines, Ben Goldacre driving the chiropractors back into the sea and the return of the great god Quetzalcoatl and the consequent destruction of all life on earth.

Megalith programmers from 4000 years ago are being dredged up from peat bogs and pressed into service to get the henges updated to handle the turnover in the date. "It could be worse," said one. "I could still be programming COBOL."

Re:Y2012 problem: Mayan calendar runs out

[juggledean]

Get a grip, it's only been about 400 years since the last turnover.

Re:Y2012 problem: Mayan calendar runs out

[sycodon]

The only reason it stops at 2012 is that they ran out of space on the stone and the quarry workers were on strike.

Re:How would you learn?

[idontgno]

Real men can read Hollerith like Braille.

At 20 cards per second.

Re:luxury

[alexj33]

...And we liked it.

Re:While there may be "newer" languages

[Fred_A]

I really expected that to be a link to TdWTF...

Re:Are You Serious?

[blueturffan]

An operating system is staggeringly complex to write yet a single man can write one.

That's because a married man has to spend so much time trying to figure out how to keep his staggeringly complex wife happy.