Great, David!
This thread - and some private messages with Juanmaria - let me ask myself how many of us have a scientific background, because it seems clear that several of us have "something to do " with computers in a professional way (Anu is the first!).
And, it seems rather "strange", because often - as Juanmaria reminded me - people feel that classical and scientific studies are in some sense very different things.
Can I suggest the book
R.Pirsig
Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance ?
Ciao
Emanuela