The invisible skill everyone will need

SCIENCE NEWS FROM KRISTIANIA: Coding

Coding is no longer a skill pertaining only to developers and “computer people”. It is a fundamental skill in this digital age; it’s a way of thinking, an approach to problem solving. 

There is a reason why I call it magic. The foundation of all computing machinery lies in mathematics. But how did we go from 0s and 1s to finn.no and secure online banking? For many, it can seem abstract how simple electrical pulses can ultimately give rise to something as complex as ChatGPT. 

This "magic" doesn't materialize from thin air, it's built on a foundation far more precise than any magic spell book.  

Knowing how to code gives you life skills 

Everyone should learn how to code! If not as a career choice, as a problem-solving skill, and as a fundamental skill in the digital age.  

When you program, there is a certain way to approach a problem, there are certain rules you must respect, and there are certain steps you must follow. You analyze a problem and design a solution, clearly defining each step needed to reach it.  You are applying a structured problem-solving approach.  

This is a useful skill not only in programming but in any field where complex problems arise.  

Moreover, debugging a piece of code (investigate the code step by step to check where an issue arises), teaches patience and resilience.  

Programming is no longer limited to software engineers; it is becoming a core skill across diverse fields such as finance, healthcare, and marketing. 

 In finance, it enables analysts to automate complex calculations, analyze market trends, and develop predictive models.  

In healthcare, programming powers diagnostic tools, data management systems, and personalized treatment algorithms.  

In marketing, it allows professionals to analyze consumer behavior, optimize campaigns, and implement data-driven strategies.  

As industries increasingly rely on data and automation, programming has become an essential tool for problem-solving, innovation, and efficiency across virtually every sector. 

Do you want a program to make your coffee – here you are! 

Coding isn’t always about solving serious problems – it can be fun too. You can automate all sorts of trivial tasks. One programmer, for instance, wrote a program to make the office coffee machine brew a latte.

The code waits 17 seconds before starting the brew, and once it’s ready, it waits another 24 seconds before pouring the coffee into a mug (Abrakadabra? No, exec make_coffee).  The timing was calculated based on how long it took this programmer to walk from his desk to the coffee machine; perfectly timed automation!

This story may or may not be true, but here is the GitHub link so you can check it yourselves: https://github.com/NARKOZ/hacker-scripts . Sometimes you write code not because you must, but because you can, and that’s pure power. 

Understanding programming enhances digital literacy. When you know how it works, you better understand how apps and website function, seeing beyond the interface to the logic behind clicks, forms, and page transitions. You begin to recognize delays, understand how inputs connect to databases, and appreciate the complexity behind features like search or recommendations. This knowledge also helps you tell whether something is broken or simply misused. As your technical intuition grows, you become more confident exploring new technologies, knowing they often rely on the same fundamental principles. 

Code, programming, syntax – what does it all mean? 

You’ve likely heard the terms coding, programming, and programming languages, but it’s worth clarifying them. 

A code is a set of instructions that tells a computer what to do, and coding is the act of writing those instructions.  

While often used interchangeably, programming goes a step further; it includes not only writing code but also designing, testing, and maintaining it, often involving algorithms and data structures. 

For example, you can write code using HTML, CSS, Python, or Java. However, HTML and CSS are not programming languages since they lack computational logic.  

Programming is no longer limited to software engineers

In contrast, languages like Python, Java, and C are considered programming languages because they can perform logical operations and calculations. 

Whether you are writing a simple calculator program that runs in the console, or developing complex systems, the amazing feeling when your code compiles and runs correctly is universal and indisputable. You might feel like Luffy or Superman (pick your favorite superhero). 

Yet just like Superman, we have our kryptonite. It starts with syntax. 

“It's leviOsa, not levioSA!” – Yeah, coding is fun, until a small mistake like a missing semicolon, bracket, or even a space causes an error.  

Luckily for us, modern tools make it easy to spot such errors, unless u want to live in a cave and use Notepad++ (which, don’t get me wrong, I personally love).  

You also run into compatibility issues, collaboration challenges when working in teams, and, sooner or later, the classic line every developer has used at least once: “It works on my machine!” 

(Here is a question for you dear reader: how to program a program that programs a program?)  

The world’s first programmer

Ada Lovelace is widely recognized as the first computer programmer, and yet she lived in the 1800s (1815-1852). Even though she did not program in what we consider today as programming, she created what is now known as “an execution trace”, or an algorithm written for execution by a machine (note that the concept of algorithm itself is much older).  

She worked on the Analytical Engine, a project initiated by Charles Babbage. While Babbage himself was mostly concerned with numeric calculation, Lovelace recognized that computation could be applied to far more than numbers, which earned her recognition as the world’s first programmer.        

Nearly a century later, Alan Turing introduced the Turing Machine (1936), an idealized mathematical model that captures the core principles of modern computing: reading and writing memory, executing instructions, and transitioning between states.

Although abstract, this concept laid the theoretical foundation for programmable machines and remains one of the most influential ideas in computer science. Building on this theoretical groundwork, the field soon moved toward practical ways of instructing machines. 

The magic behind your gaming and online shopping 

Let’s now dive into more important stuff: magic. 

It doesn’t matter if you are a fresh developer, or a seasoned one, we all started with one phrase: “Hello World”. 

printf(“Hello, World!\n”); 

System.out.println(“Hello World”); 

echo(“Hello World!\n”); 

And indeed, it did open a Whole New World for us!  

The computer is the magic carpet that allows us to explore the world, our modern wand that allows us to create.  

A structured mix of elements, silicone, copper, gold, etc, in a box; a few phrases and words combined in a very particular way to be translated in another set of instructions, then to 1s and 0s, which represent electrical pulses – these are able to help you write your papers, create your presentations, watch a video, play Minecraft and shop online! If that is not magical...! 

We have grown so used to our computers, to our tablets and our phones, that we have forgotten to recognize the magic behind all the science that makes it possible. 

Programming unites people 

Programming languages are universal tools that break cultural and linguistic barriers, allowing developers from different countries, backgrounds, and time zones to collaborate.  

Whether it’s contributing to an open-source project, building a cross-border app, or sharing algorithms online, programming provides a common language that unites people around shared goals. Therefore, coding doesn’t just create software; it creates a global community where ideas, solutions, and innovation can flow freely across borders. (Gaming does that too, but that is another article.)  

In this global community, humor thrives too. Who says nerds cannot be funny!  Whether you are in Oslo, New York or Tokyo, a good programming pun is universally understood.  

// When I wrote this, only God and I understood what I was doing.  

// Now, God only knows. 

Some comments are funny because they are clever, and some are funny because they are relatable. It is not exactly Rictusempra2, but if it made you smile, welcome to the nerd club!  

We have come a long way since Lovelace, but the future sounds exciting and the best is yet to come. 

<? echo “Happy coding!”?> 

References: 

Bauer, F. L., & Wössne, H. (1972). The “Plankalkül” of Konrad Zuse: a forerunner of today's programming languages. Communications of the ACM, 678-685. 

Denning, P. J. (2003). Great principles of computing. Communications of the ACM, 15-20. 

Wang, Y. (2024). The Countess of Computing: Ada Lovelace's Lasting Impact on Modern Technology. Intelligence Planet Journal of Mathematics and Its Applications. 

Text: Iva Kertusha, PhD candidate, Faculty for health and technology, Kristiania University of Applied Sciences.

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