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airhacks.fm podcast with adam bien

From OCCAM and CSP to Java

Mar 9, 2025
In this episode, Kevlin Henney, an independent consultant and programming expert, shares his journey from playing with a Sinclair ZX81 to exploring advanced programming paradigms. He discusses his early days creating simulations and his academic dive into parallel computing. Henney reflects on his fascination with object-oriented programming through the lens of Java's evolution, highlighting its platform independence and unique features like inner classes. His insights also cover the influence of Communicating Sequential Processes on modern programming and the importance of bridging different coding paradigms.
01:09:08

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Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The speaker reminisces about early programming experiences on the Sinclair ZX81, showcasing the evolution of computing technology over time.
  • A contrast is drawn between the evolution of programming languages and the impact of self-directed learning versus formal education on programming skills.

Deep dives

Early Computing Experiences

The discussion begins with personal reflections on early computer experiences, specifically the Sinclair ZX81, which had a mere 1K of memory and was primarily used for programming in BASIC. This nostalgia highlights the evolution of computing technology, with comparisons to the more popular ZX Spectrum, which offered color graphics and more memory. The speaker engaged in programming rather than gaming, exploring computational tasks and graphics with a small group of peers. These formative experiences in programming laid the groundwork for a lifelong interest in computer science.

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