The Art of Code - Dylan Beattie

The speaker shares his fond memories of his first computer, an Amstrad 6128, and how the Logo programming language introduced him to creating graphics and sparked his love for programming. He describes the thrill and excitement of being able to make the computer do what he wanted, a feeling that has stayed with him throughout his career.

The speaker discusses Conway's Game of Life, a cellular automaton with surprisingly complex behavior emerging from simple rules. He explains the rules, shares early visual representations, and describes how computers allowed for simulations that revealed intricate patterns and constructs like spaceships and glider guns. The Game of Life demonstrated that basic rules could generate immense complexity, foreshadowing concepts in chaos theory and complex systems.

The speaker introduces the Mandelbrot set, a remarkable mathematical phenomenon with infinite complexity arising from a simple equation. He discusses the work of Benoit Mandelbrot and how advances in computing power and visualization enabled the discovery and exploration of this intricate, self-similar fractal structure. The Mandelbrot set represents a hidden world of beauty that remained unseen until humans developed the tools to visualize and study it.

The speaker explores how technological advancements have enabled the creation and visualization of art in new and unprecedented ways. He discusses examples from movies and games, where computer-generated imagery has brought imaginary worlds to life. He also touches on the ethical debates surrounding the use of technology to recreate or manipulate real-life actors and characters.

The speaker discusses the concept of code as an art form, referencing Donald Knuth's famous work "The Art of Computer Programming." He then delves into the world of convolutional neural networks, which mimic the human brain's ability to recognize patterns and shapes. The speaker showcases examples of using these networks to manipulate and "amplify" images, creating surreal and unsettling artworks that challenge our perceptions.

The speaker introduces the concept of quines, programs that can print their own source code, and showcases various examples across different programming languages. He then explores the realm of polyglot programming, where a single source code is valid in multiple programming languages simultaneously. These concepts demonstrate the creativity and ingenuity that can be achieved through code, blurring the lines between art and programming.

The speaker showcases an HTML-based quine, a program that prints its own source code, by leveraging the quirks and parsing rules of web browsers. He demonstrates how CSS and HTML can be manipulated to display the source code itself, creating a unique and interactive experience. This example highlights the creative potential within the constraints of web technologies.

The speaker introduces the world of esoteric programming languages, which push the boundaries of what constitutes a programming language. He showcases examples like Shakespeare, where programs are written as plays; Chef, where recipes double as code; and Piet, a graphical language where instructions are based on color transitions. These languages blur the lines between code, art, and natural language, challenging traditional notions of programming.

The speaker demonstrates Sonic Pi, a live coding music synthesizer that allows programmers to create and manipulate music in real-time. He explains the basic syntax and shows how loops and parallel execution can be used to construct complex compositions. Sonic Pi exemplifies the artistic potential of code, transforming it into a medium for creative expression and performance.

The speaker introduces Rockstar, a programming language he created that allows developers to write code in the style of 1980s heavy metal song lyrics. He explains the language's syntax, which incorporates elements like variable names with spaces and numeric literals based on word lengths. Rockstar challenges traditional programming conventions and celebrates the intersection of code and creative expression.

The speaker performs a live demonstration of Rockstar by coding the classic FizzBuzz problem in the language, accompanied by guitar riffs and heavy metal vocals. This unique performance showcases the creative potential of Rockstar, blending code with music and art in an entertaining and engaging way.

The speaker concludes the talk by thanking the audience and inviting them to attend PubCon, an event where speakers will deliver five-minute humorous talks. He expresses his appreciation for the attendees' time and interest, leaving them with a sense of excitement and anticipation for the creative possibilities that lie at the intersection of code and art.