[dreamcompiler]

> It won't really help you solve hard problems.

I have to take issue with this. There are only two languages I consider when faced with a very hard problem: Common Lisp and Haskell. One can solve easy problems in any language. But when I have to solve a new problem from scratch that nobody's ever solved before, I don't reach for Java or Python. I reach for the languages that augment my brain rather than limiting it.

[kqr]

I agree. I have several times solved hard problems in something like Lisp or Haskell, only to have to port the solution to a more common language for integration later. While I would expect the port to take less time than figuring out the solution in the first place, it generally takes longer because the target language is riddled with gotchas and inefficiencies that make the actual programming more difficult.