Software As Biology

on YouTube ↗52m

" summary

Argues that software benefits more from biological metaphors than architectural ones and gives concrete claims and examples: photosynthesis terraforms Earth as an example of an emergent invention that actually works, selection and speciation underpinning release and fork strategies (Google Maps as a bad speciation example), sexual reproduction versus cloning to preserve variation, programmed cell death implemented as Erlang processes that die and restart, recommends investing in heterogeneity, favoring tiny changes over large rewrites.

AI-written summary · about

" chapters (37)

1. 0:00Start
2. 0:08Software As Biology
3. 2:38The Problem With Software These Days...
4. 3:25Disclaimer: I'm not a real life scientist
5. 3:57Popular Science: The Human Brain
6. 4:47Fantasy vs Reality
7. 5:35Genius, Visionary, Creator
8. 6:471% Inspiration, 99% Perspiration
9. 7:34Paul Valéry
10. 8:22Genius: Natural Selection?
11. 9:12Genius: Photosynthesis?
12. 9:33Two Stages of Photosynthesis
13. 10:21Light Stage (Z Scheme)
14. 11:02Dark Stage (Calvin Cycle)
15. 11:32Earth Before Photosynthesis
16. 11:47Earth After Photosynthesis
17. 12:23Cyanobacteria Vision Statement
18. 13:56Intelligent Design?
19. 14:16Richard O'Keefe
20. 14:29David Allen
21. 14:55Me on "Drunken Stumble"
22. 16:33From Agile Manifesto
23. 18:35Evolution vs Revolution (Punctuated Equilibrium)
24. 19:11Allopatric Speciation
25. 21:09Software Release Strategy
26. 23:39Cloning vs Sex
27. 24:52Cost of Sex
28. 25:48Meiosis/Gene Shuffling
29. 26:26Sex Combines Mutations
30. 27:13Sex: Invest In Diversity and Change
31. 28:26Apoptosis.
32. 29:50Programmed Cell Death: Erlang
33. 31:17PCD: System Orientation
34. 34:56Other Examples?
35. 37:34Lessons?
36. 41:19Some Good Books
37. 41:41Are There Any Questions?

" related talks

• 45mThe Soul of SoftwareAvdi Grimm · LoneStarRuby Conf 2015
• 43mSoftware Architecture, Design Thinking & Knowledge FlowKris Jenkins, Diana Montalion · GOTO Copenhagen 2024
• 06mSoftware is PeopleJosh Wood · Open Source Summit North America 2018
• 53mThe programmer's imaginationDaniele Procida · DjangoCon Europe 2023
• 39mLearning from Permaculture: Sustainable Software DevelopmentJohn Athayde · Blue Ridge Ruby 2026
• 07mSAG Expert Interview #02: How Cognitive Biases Impact Software ArchitectureGernot Starke · Software Architecture Gathering 2024
• 20mInvestigation & Creation of SoftwareJessica Kerr · GOTO Chicago 2020
• 01h 28mWhat Do You Mean?Kevlin Henney · ACCU 2019