Table 3.

Communication differences between biologists and computer scientists (based on formal and informal discussions)

Biologist	Computer scientist
Uses tools and equipment	Designs and makes tools
Focuses on some aspect of biology; uses trial and error methodically;  uses scientific method	Focuses on (is motivated by) tool user (sometimes muse-like);  thinks trial and error is not the best model for designing or  debugging (although is surprisingly resilient when trying trial  and error)
Usually has little experience with large data sets	Regardless of experience is sometimes overconfident about ability  to scale up to any size
Is likely to think in small subsets of larger problems; thinks of effect  of X on Y	Has a “macho” attitude toward huge problems; thinks of the effect  of all possible Xs on all possible Ys
Has a large “jargony” vocabulary full of Greek and Latin etymology	Has a large “jargony” vocabulary of acronyms and fanciful  etymologies
May write up a table of communication differences between  biologists and computer scienctists	Probably would not write up a table of communication  differences between biologists and computer scientists