RE: RE: RE: RE: Genetic Programming or breeding Perls

[myocom]

Did Shakespeare actually write novels, though? That's the real question here, if you ask me.

And is a Shakespearean novel different from a novel written by Shakespeare? Arguably, "Shakespearean" would mean "written at the time of Shakespeare" or "written in the style of Shakespeare", either of which would mean that Shakespeare's own novels (if, in fact, he wrote any, which I suspect he didn't) would, by definition, be Shakespearean.

Whew!

[Petruchio]

myocom: "Did Shakespeare actually write novels, though?"

Heck, some people aren't even convinced he wrote plays.

There's no evidence to suggest that Shakespeare ever wrote a novel. This does not mean it's impossible that he did, but I would say it means that, beyond a reasonable doubt, he didn't. Which is why, "I think I can pretty safely say that no number of monkeys, under any circumstances, will ever reproduce a single Shakespeare novel... "

myocom: "And is a Shakespearean novel different from a novel written by Shakespeare?"

Oooh, good one! But again, I return to my original statement... a "Shakespeare novel" would pretty certainly be a novel written by Shakespeare.

Okay, okay... it could be a novel written about Shakespeare. But if you play it that way, I'm going to have to get serious about definitions too. We'll need neccesary and sufficient conditions for novelhood, for monkeyhood, for typewriterhood... I can squrim with the best of 'em... you're not taking me without a fight! ;-)

Oh... I suppose we should actually associate this with Perl somehow... um, use strict!