Talks
Speakers
Events
Topics
Search
Sign in
Search
Home
Talks
Speakers
Events
Topics
Leaderboard
Use
Analytics
Sign in
search talks for
⏎
Suggest modification to this talk
Title
Description
Orders of Magnitude by Davy Stevenson Up until the 17th century, the world was mostly limited to what we could see with the naked eye. Our understanding of things much smaller and much larger than us was limited. In the past 400 years our worldview has increased enormously, which has led to the advent of technology, space exploration, computers and the internet. However, our brains are ill equipped to handle dealing with numbers at these scales, and attempt to trick us at every turn. Software engineers deal with computers every day, and thus we are subject to both incredibly tiny and massively large numbers all the time. Learn about how your brain is fooling you when you are dealing with issues of latency, scalability, and algorithm optimization, so that you can become a better programmer. Help us caption & translate this video! http://amara.org/v/IMZu/
Date
Summarized using AI?
If this talk's summary was generated by AI, please check this box. A "Summarized using AI" badge will be displayed in the summary tab to indicate that the summary was generated using AI.
Show "Summarized using AI" badge on summary page
Summary
Markdown supported
In the video titled 'Orders of Magnitude', Davy Stevenson explores how humans perceive and handle numbers across vastly different scales—from minute measurements at the atomic level to astronomical distances. The talk emphasizes that up until the 17th century, human understanding was largely limited to what could be intuitively counted or seen. However, advancements over the past few centuries have drastically reshaped our worldview, particularly through technology and exploration. Stevenson particularly addresses the cognitive limitations humans face in comprehending both very large and very small numbers, leading to misconceptions in data handling and programming. Key points discussed include: - **Human Number Sense**: Humans possess an innate ability to count, but this is limited to small quantities. We actually struggle with comprehending numbers beyond four without the help of counting systems. - **Development of Counting Systems**: Stevenson illustrates how various cultures have developed numeral systems and methods for counting, exemplified by the Incas' rope counting and the evolution from Roman to Arabic numeral systems. - **Conceptual Challenges**: The speaker elaborates on the difficulties in assigning meaning and understanding to large and small numbers, noting that we have only grasped these concepts in the last few centuries. - **Practical Applications in Programming**: Using numerical ranges, programmers can enhance software design and logic by structuring information into manageable sections and understanding the importance of visualization over raw numbers. - **Risk and Edge Cases**: Stevenson discusses risk evaluation in programming, highlighting the need to anticipate edge cases and emphasizing that just because an unlikely scenario seems improbable, it doesn't mean it won't occur. This is particularly relevant when discussing software uptime and system reliability. - **Expanding Human Experience**: The growth of human understanding has evolved from thousands to millions, billions, and beyond, underscoring the necessity for software systems that can accommodate this expanding complexity. In conclusion, Davy Stevenson suggests that programmers must be prepared for edge cases and that our cognitive biases regarding numbers require careful consideration in software development. By grounding our understanding in experiences and visual representations, we can better navigate the complexities of programming amid vast numerical scales.
Suggest modifications
Cancel
