The September Open Thread, Part 2 has got nearly 800 posts, so let's have a little breathing room.
This thread is for the discussion of Less Wrong topics that have not appeared in recent posts. If a discussion gets unwieldy, celebrate by turning it into a top-level post.
I am aware of the tradition. Yes, Eliezer's piece does not include any semblance of technical rigour.
There is a reason the formal presentations include accompanying explanations. The mathematics for this kind of thing would be nigh incoherent and quite possibly longer than a verbal description. Expository text is utterly critical.
Incidentally, I have almost no doubt that "might be easier to understand" is not your real reason for demanding "you know, variables and things". Some of your real reasons may actually be better in this instance.