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Invented-or-discovered.html (4628B)

---
title: Was $X invented, or discovered?
date: 2021-01-06
---
<p>
Let's do a little exercise. Check the term which you think best describes the
nature of advances in each domain.
<em>Note: this page is interactive. JavaScript is not required.</em>
<style>
.idea {
  position: relative;
  text-align: center;
  border: 1px solid #333;
  background: #eee;
  margin-bottom: 1.5rem;
  display: grid;
  grid-template-rows: auto auto auto;
  grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr;
}
.idea h3 {
  grid-column-start: 1;
  grid-column-end: 3;
  margin: 0.25rem;
}
.idea small {
  grid-row-start: 2;
  grid-row-end: 3;
  grid-column-start: 1;
  grid-column-end: 3;
}
.idea label {
  grid-row-start: 3;
  grid-row-end: 3;
  padding: 0.25rem 0;
  background: white;
  border-top: 1px solid #333;
}
.idea label:last-child {
  border-left: 1px solid #333;
}
button {
  padding: 0.25rem;
  font-size: 1.2rem;
  display: block;
  margin: 1rem auto;
}
form p {
  text-align: center;
}
</style>
<form method="POST" action="/discoveries/submit">
  <div class="idea">
    <h3>Mathematics is...</h3>
    <label><input type="radio" name="math" value="0" /> Discovered</label>
    <label><input type="radio" name="math" value="1" /> Invented</label>
  </div>
  <div class="idea">
    <h3>Algorithms are...</h3>
    <label><input type="radio" name="algos" value="0" /> Discovered</label>
    <label><input type="radio" name="algos" value="1" /> Invented</label>
  </div>
  <div class="idea">
    <h3>Programming paradigms<sup><a href="#ft-1" id="ref-1">1</a></sup> are...</h3>
    <label><input type="radio" name="paradigms" value="0" /> Discovered</label>
    <label><input type="radio" name="paradigms" value="1" /> Invented</label>
  </div>
  <div class="idea">
    <h3>High-level software is...</h3>
    <label><input type="radio" name="software" value="0" /> Discovered</label>
    <label><input type="radio" name="software" value="1" /> Invented</label>
  </div>
  <p>
  Back to the fundamentals now:
  <div class="idea">
    <h3>Physics is...</h3>
    <label><input type="radio" name="physics" value="0" /> Discovered</label>
    <label><input type="radio" name="physics" value="1" /> Invented</label>
    <span class="result"></span>
  </div>
  <div class="idea">
    <h3>Chemistry is...</h3>
    <label><input type="radio" name="chemistry" value="0" /> Discovered</label>
    <label><input type="radio" name="chemistry" value="1" /> Invented</label>
  </div>
  <div class="idea">
    <h3>Biology is...</h3>
    <label><input type="radio" name="biology" value="0" /> Discovered</label>
    <label><input type="radio" name="biology" value="1" /> Invented</label>
  </div>
  <div class="idea">
    <h3>Pharmaceuticals are...</h3>
    <label><input type="radio" name="pharma" value="0" /> Discovered</label>
    <label><input type="radio" name="pharma" value="1" /> Invented</label>
  </div>
  <div class="idea">
    <h3>Medical treatments are...</h3>
    <label><input type="radio" name="medicine" value="0" /> Discovered</label>
    <label><input type="radio" name="medicine" value="1" /> Invented</label>
  </div>
  <p>
  How about this?
  <div class="idea">
    <h3>Psychology is...</h3>
    <label><input type="radio" name="psychology" value="0" /> Discovered</label>
    <label><input type="radio" name="psychology" value="1" /> Invented</label>
  </div>
  <div class="idea">
    <h3>Sociology is...</h3>
    <label><input type="radio" name="sociology" value="0" /> Discovered</label>
    <label><input type="radio" name="sociology" value="1" /> Invented</label>
  </div>
  <div class="idea">
    <h3>Language is...</h3>
    <label><input type="radio" name="language" value="0" /> Discovered</label>
    <label><input type="radio" name="language" value="1" /> Invented</label>
  </div>
  <div class="idea">
    <h3>Culture is...</h3>
    <label><input type="radio" name="culture" value="0" /> Discovered</label>
    <label><input type="radio" name="culture" value="1" /> Invented</label>
  </div>
  <div class="idea">
    <h3>Art is...</h3>
    <label><input type="radio" name="art" value="0" /> Discovered</label>
    <label><input type="radio" name="art" value="1" /> Invented</label>
  </div>
  <button type="submit">Submit answers</button>
  <p>or <a href="/discoveries/results">view results</a>
</form>
<section class="footnotes">
  <hr />
  <ol>
    <li id="ft-1">
      Functional, imperative, object-oriented, etc. Remember that these
      paradigms arise from fundamental computer science concepts like Turing
      machines and Lambda Calculus.
      <a href="#ref-1">↩︎</a>
    </li>
  </ol>
</section>