[AmishDude]

You mean to say that you instruct your students to crank out an algorithm (which exists as software on many platforms, including java right on the web) and you don't even verify that it always works?

What I ask are fundamental questions regarding your technique. Again, running the algorithm is not conceptually difficult. There's nothing to understand, it's all shallow.

[Right Wing Professor]

You mean to say that you instruct your students to crank out an algorithm (which exists as software on many platforms, including java right on the web) and you don't even verify that it always works?

Of course we do. You can verify it in most cases by inspection. Maximum parsimony is very similar to the traveling salesman problem. Understanding it isn't difficult. On a highly conserved protein, verifying it isn't difficult.

What I ask are fundamental questions regarding your technique. Again, running the algorithm is not conceptually difficult. There's nothing to understand, it's all shallow.

Indeed. It's transparent. A beautiful demonstration of molecular evolution, suitable for a freshman class.