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To the brain, reading computer code is not the same as reading language

news.mit.edu

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Re: To the brain, reading computer code is not the same as reading language

#11

Post by canjobear »

turndown wrote: post #10
banjomet wrote: post #8

It was interesting to read. There aren't many google results for 'multiple demand network' that I could easily parse, but I did happen to find this paper on it in primates[0] (also happens to be from MIT) when I was trying to find an image that showed what parts of it are activated. I found this slide from a lecture very interesting[1]. [0]: http://web.mit.edu/9.s915/www/classes/duncan.pdf [1]: https://i.imgur.com/xd…

You are right, that slide is very interesting indeed. I wonder what it is about the different languages that triggers the brain to use different regions?

It's probably noise.

Re: To the brain, reading computer code is not the same as reading language

#13

Post by phnofive »

wintorez wrote: post #5

Of course it doesn't! But I'm interested to know if that's also the case when reading cooking recipes or instruction manuals?

Or a blueprint, or sheet music, or telegraph transcription, or stenography, or anything where language is a non-prosaic abstraction.

Re: To the brain, reading computer code is not the same as reading language

#15

Post by wanderingstan »

grawprog wrote: post #6

I wonder if editing a piece of written work would activate some of those same problem solving areas as reading computer code does. It that case you're more concerned about structure, grammar, correct wording and such. I find personally i'm in a different frame of mind that reminds me, at least, more of a coding frame of mind than a reading frame of mind. A lot of the time editing, I'm not really paying attention to t…

I had the same thought—reading computer code seems more analogous to editing, especially editing something like a technical manual where you're concerned with how others will interpret the instructions.

Reading through the research methods of this study, it says the participants read a single line of English text or Python/Scratch code at a time. (Example English sentence of "NOBODY COULD HAVE PREDICTED THE EARTHQUAKE IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY"). So this study was looking only at the very granular level of "reading".

Re: To the brain, reading computer code is not the same as reading language

#16

Post by wanderingstan »

metricmessd wrote: post #3

I wonder what kind of computer code was shown. I find there are times when reading boiler plate code/code that has more to do with API calls or the likes one does not need any kind of logic/problem solving but just shallow understanding

It's in the original paper. They were shown "snippets" of Python or Scratch, and then asked about what it would do.

Re: To the brain, reading computer code is not the same as reading language

#18

Post by hnick »

grawprog wrote: post #6

I wonder if editing a piece of written work would activate some of those same problem solving areas as reading computer code does. It that case you're more concerned about structure, grammar, correct wording and such. I find personally i'm in a different frame of mind that reminds me, at least, more of a coding frame of mind than a reading frame of mind. A lot of the time editing, I'm not really paying attention to t…

That sounds reasonable, I've helped edit a few things and need to decide on each pass whether I'm reading for content or structure. Totally different mindset.

I've also found when I'm deep in a problem solving mode like coding I tend to be far less empathetic. So it seems to mess with my people skills too until I come up for air.

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