It wasn't explicit, you had to read into this statement (that studying Cicero was studying Latin):
> In fact, though Cicero could never compete with computer games when it comes to ''making learning fun,'' conquering the conjugations of his lost tongue probably makes a lot more sense when it comes to learning to learn than sifting through GOTO statements in Basic, unrelated to our living language.
Adding on, picking on this particular phrase "when it comes to learning to learn": I took Latin and Old English in college, two indispensable (/s) courses for my life (they were actually fun for me, but of greatly limited utility). The main thing I did learn in both (especially as languages and the classics were not my field of study) was how to study. Those were the courses where I finally picked up using flashcards properly, making good notes, etc. just out of necessity (versus my math and CS courses which were, generally, "easy" for me without much effort, I took to them more naturally).
> In fact, though Cicero could never compete with computer games when it comes to ''making learning fun,'' conquering the conjugations of his lost tongue probably makes a lot more sense when it comes to learning to learn than sifting through GOTO statements in Basic, unrelated to our living language.
Cicero wrote in Latin, and is generally considered one of the most influential writers to do so. He also was strongly trained in the Greek/Hellenistic traditions and copied many ideas from there into Latin. I think that the author is exhorting the reader to learn Latin rather than Basic, and more generally to learn the classics rather than modern mathematics. For what it's worth, I think we need to study both; we need more Pirsigs, Hofstadters, and Carrolls, who have studied both classical philosophy and also modern computer science.
> I think that the author is exhorting the reader to learn Latin rather than Basic, and more generally to learn the classics rather than modern mathematics. For what it's worth, I think we need to study both;
Agreed.
Thanks for pointing to Cicero as one of the Classics. I know this but completely glossed over the connection, too busy thinking about the then-nascent software industry.
> In fact, though Cicero could never compete with computer games when it comes to ''making learning fun,'' conquering the conjugations of his lost tongue probably makes a lot more sense when it comes to learning to learn than sifting through GOTO statements in Basic, unrelated to our living language.
Adding on, picking on this particular phrase "when it comes to learning to learn": I took Latin and Old English in college, two indispensable (/s) courses for my life (they were actually fun for me, but of greatly limited utility). The main thing I did learn in both (especially as languages and the classics were not my field of study) was how to study. Those were the courses where I finally picked up using flashcards properly, making good notes, etc. just out of necessity (versus my math and CS courses which were, generally, "easy" for me without much effort, I took to them more naturally).