Python is good if you don't need to very heavy array code. I know you can use Python libraries that give you access to good arrays but I think of Python as a scripting language. It's good for a quick prototype as well, but for heavy computation, I would move on to a compiled language.
Fortran 90 or Fortran 2003/08 is what will be the most like what the mathematical syntax you'll use. Despite what people may tell you, it is possible to write code that is understandable and reusable in Fortran, it just takes a great deal of understanding when you design the code. Most people have only seen Fortran code that was either hacked together or is so heavily optimized that it has been obfuscated.
C++ is good as well but you'll spend more time figuring out how to express your mathematics and to use the arrays than you might might find productive. In my group, we do computer science parts of our codes in C++, but numeric calculations and heavy-duty array manipulation is done in Fortran.
The thing about taking advantage of the multiple core machine is much deeper than simply choosing a language. There are MPI and OpenMP libraries that are very good for Fortran and C++. However, producing efficient code that is parallelizable requires changing and complicating the algorithm for a well understood and functioning serial code. Writing effective parallel code will take you much more time than picking up a programming language.
I don't know what your discipline is, but I think it'll depend on what journals you typically read.
I'm a chemist, so a lot of what I read is from the American Chemical Society. Most of the articles are formatted for a big (bigger than letter size) with two column format. It's a big of a squeeze down to letter paper, but you can still read it.
I've got a Kindle DX and I find the ACS journals are just too small when fitted to the Kindle DX's viewable area. It's suppose to be able to show a letter-sized document in full but that's only if it has "standard" margins. Most journal articles don't have those standard margins. I personally am hoping for someone to market a 13.1 in diagonal e-reader which should be able to show a letter-size pdf in the full. Delta's eMagzine fits the bill but no commercial companies have brought it to the market.
If the article is one-column or manuscript-style, it should be easy to read on most e-readers but I would stay on the large size because of things like diagrams and small indices in equations.
At my school, there were a few girls novices that did the typical computer users stuff (email, chat, etc), but only four or five guys were serious computer users and none of them were 'geeks.'
I've always said that I broke the classification of being a geek because I played football, I lifted weights, I ran track, I took calculus, and I could do a little programming.
But then I think about the other major computer user, my best friend in fact, wasn't a typical geek either. Sure, he didn't do any sports but he partied like a wildman.
The girl closest to being a geek at my school was in my calc class(amazingly it was 3 girls, 4 guys) and she breezed through. The girl is a computer novice and can't get through a word processor by herself. And she was a star athlete.
I don't know if I've answer the questioned but all of this seemed OT.
The whole situition reminds me of a book Beggars in Spain. The idea was that we had figured out how to turn off the gene that causes us to sleep. Now, that's great but the vast majority of people still need to sleep and the nonsleepers are the minority. Does this seem to hit anyone with any ideas of what the "superintelligent" children would have to deal with? I mean it's all great. We can make a superintelligent mouse and maybe that means we can make a superintelligent anything. However, no one is going to give this away so that means the intelligent will be outnumbered by the "dumb" normal masses. This will lead to a new kind of perjudice. But that's just my opintion.
Napster really isn't any diffent than radio play and Metalica would be offended if it didn't get any of that. It's a dead cause to beat into their heads though because some lawyer told them that they lost money on a few thousand singles (The broadband yahoos must d/l entire albums, I don't think Metalica even sells singles). I know that Napster can work in reverse. I start listening to ICP via MP3 and now own several of their albums.
A realistic approach to the white wolf idea. We follow the first changing and following happenings of a young werewolf. Then, (s)he and the pack take on a huge manifestion of the Wyrm. I think the visual presentation of the story would bring in alot of people. If some of last year's movie made money and filled seats, this horror-adventure would.
How about Claudia (character's name)Interview with the Vampire.She performed very well in a very mature role. That leads me to think that we shouldn't use generalized sterotypes because of a typical result.
Slashdot Mirror
It depends on what you willing to deal with.
Python is good if you don't need to very heavy array code. I know you can use Python libraries that give you access to good arrays but I think of Python as a scripting language. It's good for a quick prototype as well, but for heavy computation, I would move on to a compiled language.
Fortran 90 or Fortran 2003/08 is what will be the most like what the mathematical syntax you'll use. Despite what people may tell you, it is possible to write code that is understandable and reusable in Fortran, it just takes a great deal of understanding when you design the code. Most people have only seen Fortran code that was either hacked together or is so heavily optimized that it has been obfuscated.
C++ is good as well but you'll spend more time figuring out how to express your mathematics and to use the arrays than you might might find productive. In my group, we do computer science parts of our codes in C++, but numeric calculations and heavy-duty array manipulation is done in Fortran.
The thing about taking advantage of the multiple core machine is much deeper than simply choosing a language. There are MPI and OpenMP libraries that are very good for Fortran and C++. However, producing efficient code that is parallelizable requires changing and complicating the algorithm for a well understood and functioning serial code. Writing effective parallel code will take you much more time than picking up a programming language.
I don't know what your discipline is, but I think it'll depend on what journals you typically read.
I'm a chemist, so a lot of what I read is from the American Chemical Society. Most of the articles are formatted for a big (bigger than letter size) with two column format. It's a big of a squeeze down to letter paper, but you can still read it.
I've got a Kindle DX and I find the ACS journals are just too small when fitted to the Kindle DX's viewable area. It's suppose to be able to show a letter-sized document in full but that's only if it has "standard" margins. Most journal articles don't have those standard margins. I personally am hoping for someone to market a 13.1 in diagonal e-reader which should be able to show a letter-size pdf in the full. Delta's eMagzine fits the bill but no commercial companies have brought it to the market.
If the article is one-column or manuscript-style, it should be easy to read on most e-readers but I would stay on the large size because of things like diagrams and small indices in equations.
I don't know of any readers that do postscript.
You know that's not the plan.
Obligatory XKCD
http://xkcd.com/538/
Tom MacKenzie: Say, Jubal...how do you feel about astrology?
Jubal Harshaw: Never touch the stuff. Prefer brandy.
Stranger in a Strange Land, RAH
classifications.
At my school, there were a few girls novices that did the typical computer users stuff (email, chat, etc), but only four or five guys were serious computer users and none of them were 'geeks.'
I've always said that I broke the classification of being a geek because I played football, I lifted weights, I ran track, I took calculus, and I could do a little programming.
But then I think about the other major computer user, my best friend in fact, wasn't a typical geek either. Sure, he didn't do any sports but he partied like a wildman.
The girl closest to being a geek at my school was in my calc class(amazingly it was 3 girls, 4 guys)
and she breezed through. The girl is a computer novice and can't get through a word processor by herself. And she was a star athlete.
I don't know if I've answer the questioned but all of this seemed OT.
The whole situition reminds me of a book Beggars in Spain. The idea was that we had figured out how to turn off the gene that causes us to sleep. Now, that's great but the vast majority of people still need to sleep and the nonsleepers are the minority. Does this seem to hit anyone with any ideas of what the "superintelligent" children would have to deal with? I mean it's all great. We can make a superintelligent mouse and maybe that means we can make a superintelligent anything. However, no one is going to give this away so that means the intelligent will be outnumbered by the "dumb" normal masses. This will lead to a new kind of perjudice. But that's just my opintion.
Involve rubber pants? *smack* No,what I always ponder, how to take over the world!!!
Napster really isn't any diffent than radio play and Metalica would be offended if it didn't get any of that. It's a dead cause to beat into their heads though because some lawyer told them that they lost money on a few thousand singles (The broadband yahoos must d/l entire albums, I don't think Metalica even sells singles). I know that Napster can work in reverse. I start listening to ICP via MP3 and now own several of their albums.
A realistic approach to the white wolf idea. We follow the first changing and following happenings of a young werewolf. Then, (s)he and the pack take on a huge manifestion of the Wyrm. I think the visual presentation of the story would bring in alot of people. If some of last year's movie made money and filled seats, this horror-adventure would.
How about Claudia (character's name)Interview with the Vampire.She performed very well in a very mature role. That leads me to think that we shouldn't use generalized sterotypes because of a typical result.