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To the brain, reading computer code is not the same as reading language (2020)

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Re: To the brain, reading computer code is not the same as reading language (2020)

#41

Post by laurowyn »

blueflow wrote: post #17

You can tell because code has no narrator voice in your head when you read it.

I have a narrator voice when reading code. It's the same narrator voice as when reading technical reports and white papers. I do sometimes struggle to process code that doesn't read well, likely because the cadence of the narrator voice gets disturbed and doesn't flow well.

I've found that my descriptions and explanations of how things work generally follow the same cadence as this narrator voice, which tends to help me explain things succinctly and transfer knowledge quickly.

I do agree it's distinctly different from the narrator voice for fiction books. I would assume that's due to the presence/lack of emotive language between the two types of writing.

Perhaps this is a similar phenomenon to the inner monologue that some people have but others don't? Or the ability to imagine various levels of detail of objects without physically seeing them? The mind is a strange beast.

Re: To the brain, reading computer code is not the same as reading language (2020)

#45

Post by hashemian »

If you are interested in this topic, I suggest watching the conversation between Edward Gibson and Lex Fridman. In the middle of the conversation [1] Edward talks about how there is a "human language comprehension network" within human brain, which gets activated only when we read or speak in any human languages, but nothing else. For example for those speaking multiple languages, reading or writing in any of those languages activates the network. But reading gibberish or computer code, neither activate the network.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3Jd9GI6XqE&t=4906s

Re: To the brain, reading computer code is not the same as reading language (2020)

#46

Post by laurowyn »

tstrimple wrote: post #29
blueflow wrote: post #17

You can tell because code has no narrator voice in your head when you read it.

That must be nice. My internal dialog never shuts the fuck up.

I would say `narrator voice` in this context is distinctly different from internal dialogue. Obviously the internal voice can narrate to yourself, but that voice tends to be slightly different in my experience.

Narrator voice is a specific voice, cadence, pattern etc. that your internal voice takes on when reading a narrative, rather than the narration of your experience. For me, I have a different voice when reading/writing technical documentation compared to reading/writing fictional works, which both are different from my day to day internal dialogue.

Re: To the brain, reading computer code is not the same as reading language (2020)

#47

Post by iceburgcrm »

danybittel wrote: post #3

"Language" in the context of PL is a misnomer. People even scientist seem to fall into that trap (remember the literate programming movement). PL's are better described as "Specifications". More similar to file format specifications, later converted to executables or interpreted. > the researchers showed them snippets of code and asked them to predict what action the code would produce. That is only (a small) part of…

I find removing the organizing and communication layers greater increases your velocity. For each idea we need to communicate to others or ourselves (in a linear language) involves a translating process. Removing the need for that layer leaves you in the coding zone. Once you have to leave for translating it becomes an expensive process for your brain to recreate the verbal / non verbal environments (or takes too much energy to hold both plus the translation path).

I have a theory that burnout is more common when you keep shifting mental states. Developers who have a phone that keeps ringing throughout the day (or slack messages or urgent emails) are burned out at the end of the day more often than those allowed to be in one state.

Re: To the brain, reading computer code is not the same as reading language (2020)

#48

Post by mccrory »

codesnik wrote: post #32
blueflow wrote: post #17

You can tell because code has no narrator voice in your head when you read it.

well, people are different. I feel like I have narrator voice for the code, not exactly the same way books do, but still something similar. Also when I'm trying to read code I feel distracted and annoyed by any background noise where I can recognize words, like speech or music in a familiar language. And I can't talk while coding, it messes up what I'm typing. Also I really prefer english-like languages, like ruby, t…

That could be signs of something else too.

Re: To the brain, reading computer code is not the same as reading language (2020)

#49

Post by cgriswald »

inciampati wrote: post #26
ants_everywhere wrote: post #21

I run a YouTube channel that's mostly devoted to reading code: https://www.youtube.com/@ants_are_everywhere I (try to) read code from popular open source projects. It's a bit like sight reading in music because the idea is that I go in blind and try to make sense of it. This rings true to me: > The researchers saw little to no response to code in the language regions of the brain. Instead, they found that the coding…

To me reading code is reading math. It feels exactly the same. Same pattern about holding lots of things in mind at once.

Likewise. Both code and math are almost physical objects in my mind. I hold these objects and relationships between them in my mind.

I find it interesting that for language I find reading easier than writing but for code or math it is the opposite. When reading code or math it almost feels the same as when I’m learning a foreign language and trying to read it. I have to “translate” it into the my internal “objects”.

Re: To the brain, reading computer code is not the same as reading language (2020)

#50

Post by vinceguidry »

tstrimple wrote: post #29
blueflow wrote: post #17

You can tell because code has no narrator voice in your head when you read it.

That must be nice. My internal dialog never shuts the fuck up.

These folks have a proven track record in shutting that thing up if it's worth $500 to you.

https://45daystoawakening.com/landing-page1594666682471

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