The Art of Code - Dylan Beattie
NDC Conferences・50 minutes read
The speaker reminisces about their introduction to coding via Logo programming on an Amstrad computer, highlighting the joy of software success. At the NDC London conference, experts discussed topics like artificial intelligence ethics and scalable services, while the speaker emphasized the importance of art in understanding the world.
Insights
- The speaker's introduction to coding through the Logo programming language on an Amstrad computer in 1985 sparked their interest in technology and the joy they find in making software work.
- The evolution of technology, from Conway's Game of Life to the Mandelbrot set, showcases the intricate complexity that emerges from simple rules, highlighting the hidden gems discovered with advanced computer technology and mathematical principles.
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Recent questions
What is the significance of the Mandelbrot set?
The Mandelbrot set showcases infinite complexity.
How has computer technology impacted visual effects in films?
Computer technology revolutionized visual effects in films.
What is the core concept behind Conway's Game of Life?
Conway's Game of Life is based on four rules.
How has machine learning impacted image recognition?
Machine learning algorithms accurately identify objects in images.
What is the unique feature of Rockstar programming language?
Rockstar programming language allows for writing songs.
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Summary
00:00
"Exploring Technology, Art, and Complexity"
- The speaker reminisces about their first computer, an Amstrad 6128, and how it introduced them to the Logo programming language in 1985.
- Logo programming allowed the speaker to draw pictures on the computer screen, sparking their interest in coding and technology.
- The speaker highlights the thrill they experience when their software development or system designs succeed, emphasizing the joy of making things work.
- At the NDC London conference, various experts discussed topics like scalable services, information security, and artificial intelligence ethics.
- The speaker diverges from practical topics to discuss the importance of art in reflecting and understanding the world around us.
- Science, technology, and engineering have enabled humans to explore hidden worlds, from microscopic details to distant galaxies.
- Martin Gardner's column introduced Conway's Game of Life in 1970, a simple game with complex behavior based on four rules.
- Computers allowed for the visualization and exploration of Conway's Game of Life, revealing intricate patterns like gliders and spaceships.
- The discovery of the glider gun and glider consumer in the Game of Life led to the creation of logic gates and binary logic.
- Complex numbers and systems driven by simple rules, like the Mandelbrot set, showcase the intricate behavior that emerges from seemingly basic principles.
15:32
"Exploring Complexity: Mandelbrot Set to Generative Art"
- The Mandelbrot set is created from a simple mathematical rule, showcasing infinite complexity.
- Magnifying the Mandelbrot set reveals its self-similar nature, with details increasing exponentially.
- The Mandelbrot set is considered a hidden gem in mathematics, discovered with the aid of advanced technology.
- Advancements in computer technology have revolutionized visual effects in films, from Tron to Jurassic Park.
- Computer technology now allows for the creation of lifelike characters, blurring the lines between reality and fiction.
- Machine learning algorithms, like convolutional neural networks, can accurately identify objects in images.
- Deep dreaming, a technique developed by Google, uses neural networks to create surreal and artistic images.
- Artists like Robert Felker use machine learning and software tools to create generative art with depth and complexity.
- Code is now being recognized as an art form, with examples like the International Obfuscated C Code Contest showcasing creativity in programming.
- Programming languages offer unique loopholes for creating self-replicating code, challenging traditional notions of coding and art.
31:03
"CSS, HTML, and Polyglot Programming Overview"
- CSS source code displayed in a browser
- Rules added before and after HTML tags
- Need to escape backslashes in CSS to avoid parser issues
- Tags like head, body, title, anchor, paragraph added to generate content
- Linking web addresses using HTML and CSS
- Adding margin and changing height for aesthetics in web page
- Program "Polyglot" written in multiple languages
- Program prints its own source code in various languages
- Program written in multiple languages simultaneously
- Introduction to esoteric programming languages like Shakespeare, whitespace, chef, and Piet
- Sonic Pi, a live coding music synthesizer, demonstrated with loops and live loops for music creation
47:39
Rockstar: A Playful, Unique Programming Language
- Rockstar was created as a joke in a bar, inspired by 1980s hard rock lyrical conventions.
- The language allows for writing songs, with syntax like "say hello world" or "scream" being valid.
- Rockstar is dynamically typed, eliminating the need for semicolons and allowing variable names with spaces.
- Numeric literals are defined uniquely, using word lengths modulo 10 to represent digits.
- Functions in Rockstar have a unique syntax, like "midnite takes your heart and your soul."
- The language gained unexpected popularity, with various compilers and transpilers being developed.
- An online Rockstar interpreter was created in JavaScript for accessibility, allowing anyone to write Rockstar code.
