Codexpanse Podcast

A conversation with David Kopec, Assistant Professor at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. David is a passionate computer science educator and writer. His latest book "Classic Computer Science Problems in Java" was just published recently. We're talking about teaching and learning programming, Swift, Dart, Python and Java, OOP and strong typing, as well as Dave's experience writing books with an established publisher as opposed to self-publishing.

David's blog observationalhazard.com

David's twitter @davekopec

Manning had generously provided our listeners with a permanent 35% discount code for all books and other products. Use code podcodexpanse20 at checkout.

There're also 5 free copies of "Classic Computer Science Problems in Java". Use one of the codes below:

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(Music: Intro by Air Apparent)

Impossibilities sometimes are as exciting to mathematicians and computer scientists as possibilities. Proving something is impossible defines the limits and tames the vastness of the universe.
Related links:
Halting Problem
CAP Theorem
Two Generals' Problem
Music: Intro by Air Apparent

HTTP is the foundation of modern web, and The Internet is... Well, it's simple and complicated at the same time.
Let's see the big picture and clear the fog of war, rise above the minutiae and understand what the hell is going on. We will understand the following concepts:
network
internet
web
web servers and web clients
HTTP protocol
HTTP requests and responses
Check out our HTTP course at codexpanse.com. It includes videos, exercises, downloadable cheat sheets and quizzes + teacher's support and discussions. Use code hellopod at checkout to get 50% off!

There are a few misconceptions floating around when it comes to static typing vs. dynamic typing. Often, the difference is wrongly attributed to the way variables are allowed or disallowed to change their type on the fly. Sometimes, the difference is confused with type "strength".
In this episode we'll discuss the nature of types in programming languages, and learn why static/dynamic and strong/weak are different.
Related links:
VIDEO: Typing: Static vs Dynamic, Weak vs. Strong
Static typing / C2 wiki
Type Theory / Wikipedia
Music: Intro by Air Apparent

The more we learn about the nature of information, the more deep connections we discover. It seems like it is sometimes useful to see the universe as information rather than matter.
In this pilot episode of Codexpanse we will discuss the implications of Claude Shannon's seminal paper "A Mathematical Theory of Communication", talk about the connection between entropy in physics and in information, and fantasize about the future of AI-based communication.
Related links:
A Mathematical Theory of Communication (original paper)
The Misunderstood Nature of Entropy, video by PBS Space Time
Why Information Grows: The Evolution of Order, from Atoms to Economies, book by Cesar Hidalgo
Music: Intro by Air Apparent