The title is “Is the Seeking of Lost Skills/Arts a Hacking Analog?” and the discussion is fascinating. The article suggests that the temperament that furthers programming is the same that has an interest in so-called lost arts, which are really just doing things the old way and really getting your hands dirty. I’ve found myself more than once desiring to delve into lithography and pre-computing printery. I’m also fascinated by gardening and the control available there. I find them all quite analogous to programming. Unfortunately, I don’t have time for printing or gardening (plus, I’m not a big fan of gardening in 115 heat here in Phoenix).
One underdone art/science that I’m diving into more is cooking. I’m a big fan of Alton Brown’s Good Eats cooking show and I love his book. I’ve just picked up a couple of meta-cooking books from the library recommended by Alton Brown and am currently reading On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee.