Ok, I just started with the lessons and I began the Rec 1. When he got to the demonstration portion I copied the script he has for finding the cube roots.
#
# Find the cube root of a perfect cube
#
x = int(raw_input("Enter an integer: "))
ans = 0
while ans*ans*ans

Question

Ok, I just started with the lessons and I began the Rec 1. When he got to the demonstration portion I copied the script he has for finding the cube roots. 
#
# Find the cube root of a perfect cube
#
x = int(raw_input("Enter an integer: "))
ans = 0
while ans*ans*ans < abs(x):
        ans = ans + 1
        #print 'current guess =', ans

if ans*ans*ans* != abs(x):
        print x, 'is not a perfect cube'
else:
    if x < 0:
        ans = -ans
    print 'Cube root of ' +str(x) + ' is ' + str(ans)

Syntax error at " != " why?

anonymous · Answer

Evidently I'm not capable of reading and copying simple information so I figured out where my error was.

anonymous · Answer

I read somewhere once, that it helps if, when you are copying code... once you've got it copied, read it backwards to compare and look for mistakes like this.

anonymous · Answer

Thank you. I'll have to try that next time instead of looking for soft objects to throw my computer at.

anonymous · Answer

Looks like you have a stray * on the line:

    if ans*ans*ans* != abs(x):

The third * throws an error because there’s nothing to multiply against.