Lex Fridman Podcast #126 – James Gosling: Java, JVM, Emacs, and the Early Days of Computing
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Sep 24, 2020 James Gosling, the founder of the Java programming language, shares his insights on the evolution of programming and early computing. He discusses the beauty of mathematics and its connection to coding, reflecting on the aesthetics of programming. Gosling delves into the origins of Emacs and its significance in text editing. He recounts the birth of Java and the challenges faced in its development, including compatibility issues. The conversation also touches on visionary leaders like Elon Musk and the impact of the Java Virtual Machine on technology.
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Java's Impact on Lex Fridman
- Lex Fridman learned object-oriented programming and software engineering with Java.
- He also studied concurrent programming with Java, finding the concept of parallel computing fascinating.
Curious Numbers
- James Gosling read "The Dictionary of Curious and Interesting Numbers" as a teenager and nearly memorized it.
- This led him to try making receipts add up to interesting numbers.
The Significance of Square Root of Two
- The square root of two, according to James Gosling, is significant for disproving the Pythagorean belief in the perfection of rational numbers.
- This highlighted that their definition of perfection was flawed.
