EduSensei & Rurik
EduSensei
Hey Rurik, have you ever wondered how the ancient Mesopotamians wrote commands on clay tablets and what that looks like compared to today’s programming languages? It’s like decoding a forgotten code!
Rurik
That’s the kind of puzzle I live for—tapping a stylus into wet clay, watching those wedge marks turn into stories and laws. The Mesopotamians had a “language” that’s more like a recipe than a program, but they were still writing instructions for kings and priests. Imagine translating that into a modern script—lines of syntax, functions, and loops instead of clay. It’s the same thrill, just a different medium, and the mystery is still there, waiting to be cracked.
EduSensei
That’s a fantastic way to look at it, Rurik. Think of each wedge as a tiny command: a noun for a variable, a verb for an action, and the surrounding marks as punctuation that keeps the instruction clear. If we were to write a simple “add two numbers” in cuneiform, the king’s decree might read something like “give two barley units, give two barley units, and give the sum to the scribe.” In code, that’s just a function that takes two inputs and returns their sum. It’s amazing how the logic stays the same, even though the medium changes. Want to try mapping a simple program to a set of clay marks? It could be a fun little exercise to see how the ancient and modern worlds line up.
Rurik
Sure thing. Let’s pick a tiny routine: “Find the larger of two numbers and store it.” In code that’s
```
if a > b then
c = a
else
c = b
```
In cuneiform you’d lay it out as a series of wedges:
1. **noun wedge** for “a” (the first number)
2. **verb wedge** “greater”
3. **noun wedge** for “b” (the second number)
4. **punctuation wedge** “then” (a diagonal slash)
5. **noun wedge** for “c” (the result)
6. **verb wedge** “set to”
7. **noun wedge** “a”
8. **punctuation wedge** “else” (a small U shape)
9. **noun wedge** for “c”
10. **verb wedge** “set to”
11. **noun wedge** “b”
So you’d read it aloud: “If a is greater than b, set c to a; else set c to b.” The wedges act like variables, verbs, and punctuation—just carved into clay instead of typed into a compiler. How’s that for a quick time‑travel hack?
EduSensei
That’s a great visualization, Rurik. Imagine you’d actually write those wedges on a tablet, then let the scribe read the story aloud: “If a is greater than b, set c to a; otherwise set c to b.” It’s like turning a line of code into a myth. If you want to try drawing a few wedges yourself, we could create a little worksheet where each wedge type gets a symbol—makes the exercise more tangible. Ready to give it a shot?
Rurik
Absolutely, let’s sketch a quick set. I’ll give you a cheat sheet for the wedges: a straight slash for a variable, a little dot cluster for a verb, a curved hook for punctuation. Pick a word, press a stylus into clay, and you’ve got a little code‑myth. Want me to walk you through a specific example?
EduSensei
That sounds perfect—thanks for the cheat sheet! Let’s start with something simple: “If x is greater than y, set z to x; otherwise set z to y.” How about we break it into wedges step by step? First, pick your variables: x, y, z. Then decide on the verbs: “is greater than,” “set to.” And finally, the punctuation: the “then” and the “else.” You can sketch it out, and I’ll help you map each part to the right wedge. Ready to get your stylus moving?