Published in Towards Data Science·PinnedBye-bye Python. Hello Julia!As Python’s lifetime grinds to a halt, a hot new competitor is emerging — Don’t get me wrong. Python’s popularity is still backed by a rock-solid community of computer scientists, data scientists and AI specialists. But if you’ve ever been at a dinner table with these people, you also know how much they rant about the weaknesses of Python. From being slow to requiring…Towards Data Science8 min read
Published in Geek Culture·Mar 4Want to start a large project? Keep away from PythonOn a large scale it isn’t as awesome as you think — There is a certain point in a developer’s career where you go from contributing to projects to inventing your own schtick. For some it’s earlier, for some later, and some never get there at all. Most developers with a long career do experience this point, though. …Programming10 min read
Published in Geek Culture·Feb 28Hello world, brace yourself for Putin’s cyberattacks nowSeveral Ukrainian ministries have been hacked — American companies and European banks might be next — My thoughts are with all my Ukrainian brothers, sisters and non-binary siblings in these troubling days. To any brave reader who is reading this from this newly made war zone, I hope that you’re as safe and healthy as your situation permits right now. I would have loved to be…Programming6 min read
Published in Geek Culture·Feb 23Don’t follow best programming practices. Do this insteadBest practices are for idiots. Learn pragmatism instead — Here on Medium, many articles are what I would call success porn. I made 10 million dollars last week and so can you with these 17 simple steps. Sure, bro. I don’t believe you but I’ll click your headline anyway because my monkey-brain is going haywire at the thought of…Programming8 min read
Published in Geek Culture·Feb 18These best programming practices won’t hold in the futureCookie-cutter solutions don’t work for complex problems — Have you ever baked cookies and wondered why the recipe is exactly that way and no other? If you changed this ingredient up or that temperature, would it make the cookies even better? I certainly have had these thoughts. …Programming7 min read
Published in Geek Culture·Feb 16Want to be unproductive? Follow best programming practicesIt’s official: they slow you down, a lot — Who hasn’t stolen a cookie from the jar when Mom wasn’t looking? Or stayed out with friends long after bedtime? Or — God forbid — taken the shortcut through the park where shady people lurk, instead of going the long way over the main road? Or, yes oh yes, which…Best Practices7 min read
Published in Geek Culture·Feb 13Why Python still is a mess, part 2It’s evolving faster than you — for real — There is a fine line between genius and madness. In Python’s case, that line is getting more and more blurred as time whizzes by. Don’t get me wrong, Python isn’t getting unsophisticated or downright chaotic. But Python developers are getting more by the day. There are way too many cooks…Python7 min read
Published in Geek Culture·Feb 11Why Python still is a messYes, it’s beginner-friendly… until confusion hits — By industry leaders and academic researchers alike, Python is touted as one of the absolute best languages for novice programmers. And they’re not wrong — but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t confuse the sh*t out of programming newbies anyway. Take dynamic typing as an example. It seems amazing at…Python7 min read
Published in Geek Culture·Jan 17Do Robots Have a Race?Despite their mechanical nature, people seem to impose racial identities on robots. That’s a problem. — Do a Google image search for “robot” and you’ll find predominantly white or metallic apparati. It’s no different in movies, whether you’re checking out Blade Runner, Star Wars, The Terminator, or good old Metropolis. Almost all robots from movies are white or metallic in their appearance. Maybe a white robot…Robotics7 min read
Published in Geek Culture·Jan 14Why Do Quantum Objects Keep Getting Weirder?They can be particles and waves, all at the same time. And researchers now finally know how much of each. — Back in the 1920s, quantum mechanics, which is the theory that underpins everything from how atoms behave to how quantum computers work, was well on the way to gaining mainstream acceptance. But one conundrum remained: Sometimes, quantum objects like electrons, atoms, and molecules behave like particles, and others they behave…Quantum Physics8 min read
