Yulia Startsev - To loosen up, to put together -Joy of Coding 2024

It is a difficult thing, to simply look at something, without preconceptions. To take in the colors and shapes, and nothing more. We tend to instantly interpret what we're seeing, to apply labels, categories, classifiers, identifiers; a level of symbolic interpretation. It helps us to make sense of the world, but it can also prevent us from seeing what's in front of us. Similarly, in a programming setting, we might find ourselves searching fruitlessly for the source of a bug, only to realize it was staring back at us all along.
The way we categorize the world predisposes us to behave in certain ways. It defines how we approach things, as it colours our underlying mental state. But what if this capacity was a tool, much like a paint brush? A tool among many. One that could be picked up when necessary, and likewise -- when necessary, put down. This talk will explore these different modes of thinking, how they apply to arts, engineering, and how to practice perception.