Re: Storing data and code in a Db with LISP-like interface

Frank Hamersley wrote:
> Bob Badour wrote:
> > Marshall Spight wrote:
> >> Neo wrote:
> >>
> >>>>>> The tomato is *not* a vegetable!
> >>>>>
> >>>>> :) why isn't it?
> >>>>
> >>>> It has seeds. The seeds make it a fruit. Actually I think it also
> >>>> qualifies as a berry, which is especially weird.
> >>>
> >>> So could one classify the following as fruits since they all have
> >>> seeds: zuchinni, yellow squash, butternut squash, pumpkins, chilis,
> >>> peppers, bell peppers, egg plant, bitter melon, okra, chayote, green
> >>> beans ... and how do I convince the average person, especially for
> >>> bittermelon. Who is right, the average person or you :)
> >>
> >>
> >> Neither; I advocate asking an expert for questions like these.
> >> The botanist is right.
> >
> > In the end, taxonomy is rather arbitrary. Hierarchy just doesn't work
> > for things as complex as biological systems.

>

Often because they work well on paper, and we are still traditionally tied to these constraints.

Family trees for instance. Hardly hierarchical but construed as such due to the conventions of paper. For instance the Queen and Prince Phillip have common ancestors, although this is (conveniently) unobtainable information from the official royal 'hierarchy'. Received on Fri Apr 28 2006 - 02:30:44 CEST