This report has originally been presented to the Rector of ETH Zurich in March, 2008, as a white paper to discuss issues related to teaching basic competences required for the professional use of computers in the natural sciences at ETH Zurich. It describes how the challenges this raises have uncovered the need for novel approaches to realistically teach the use of computers. The report recounts how, with the support of funds from the Rector, it has been possible to address these problems and at the same time create novel and motivating teaching materials that are also useful in other educational environments. This report has been motivated by four concerns, raised by the teaching issues it discusses: awareness, continuity, synergy, and outreach.