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LingQ Academy - Tech Startup Course, Can Computer Programming Boost Your Brain Power?

Can Computer Programming Boost Your Brain Power?

Brains Are Like Muscles, and Tackling Complex Skills Like Web Development May Help Strengthen Them Learning how to program for the first time was a challenge for Adam Waxman.

He worked as a full-time investment banking analyst in Atlanta, but in January 2013, his nights were less about reclining after a day's work and more about teaching himself Objective-C and JavaScript with books and online tutorials.

By that summer, he left his career in finance behind and moved to New York to enroll in a programming boot camp where he learned Ruby on Rails.

“It's like learning a foreign language,” says Waxman, 25, a product developer at SeatGeek, a New York ticketing start-up. “It's much easier to learn a programming language by being very immersive.”

Careers in code and programming are no doubt booming. But are there less-visible benefits? Can a career in software and web development keep you healthy and fit, particularly your brain? Besides agile software development methods, meet-up groups and collaborative projects — which help foster social interactions — programming involves creativity, critical thinking and algorithmic skills necessary to complete tasks.

“When people say they want to learn to program, what they're really saying is, ‘I want to solve a problem that the computer can help you with,' ” says Sherif Abushadi, an educator at Dev Bootcamp, who has nearly 13 years of experience teaching development. “In fact, most programmers spend half their time failing over and over and fixing those mistakes until they get it right.”

Early Studies on Brains and Computer Programming That analytical approach in the context of brain development and computers has been explored for decades.

In 1980, MIT mathematician Seymour Papert, a co-founder of the programming language LOGO, published the pioneering book “Mindstorms: Children, Computers and Powerful Ideas.” Papert claimed programming provided children with new opportunities for learning and thinking. A series of studies on the cognitive effects of programming determined that Papert's claims were problematic, but other research studies like the “Effects of Computer Programming on Cognitive Outcomes,” and those conducted at institutions like MIT, have shown that programming can be beneficial to cognitive development.

Free trial on Treehouse: Do you want to sharpen your web design and development skills? Click here to try a trial on Treehouse.

Ongoing empirical studies will be important, of course, but here's what we know generally about the brain: It's like a muscle, which means we need to exercise it to conserve brain vitality, according to many research studies cited by the National Institutes of Health.

For some programmers, the ability to simplify complex issues is similar to a brain workout.

“I don't think it's something that's magical, where all of the sudden I feel much smarter, but I do think that programming in general is all about tackling pretty large, unknown problems and breaking it down into smarter pieces that makes sense, ” Waxman says.

Errol King, 29, the director of experience for the kids programming app Beta, says the logical thinking skills he has acquired are transferable outside of the tech world: “The more I go into code, the more I see the world from that perspective.”

It's not too Late to Train Your Brain According to research, brain exercises help improve brain function and can possibly fight dementia. But as for brain games — well, science hasn't exactly jumped on the bandwagon. Still, living a cognitively active lifestyle is never a bad thing — especially when we give our minds and bodies time to relax, says Dr. Sherrie All, a neuropsychologist and founder of the Chicago Center for Cognitive Wellness.

“We grow new brain cells throughout our entire lives and not at a very high rate so you want to keep the ones you have,” she adds.

One way to keep the brain young is learning a new skill. Last year, researchers from the University of Texas at Dallas discovered that mentally challenging activities that you've never done before can sharpen the brain.

When we learn a new programming skill — such as Python, PHP, Ruby on Rails, or other complex activities outside of programming like digital photography and juggling — our brains are forming new neural connections while strengthening existing ones each time we practice, according to the National Institutes of Health.

This illustration is from “The Home and School Reference Work, Volume I” by The Home and School Education Society, H. M. Dixon, President and Managing Editor. The book was published in 1917 by The Home and School Education Society. This illustration of the parts of the brain can be found on page 368. The parts are A. Cerebrum; B. Corpus Callosum; C: Medulla Oblongata; D. Arbor-Vitae; E: Cerebellum, F: Pons Varolii (Illustration from Flickr user Sue Clark) Of course, there will always be tasks we can perform faster when we're younger, but that doesn't mean we're incapable of doing them when we're older, either. Moreover, professionals in their 40s and 50s are stepping outside of their comfort zones to explore careers in code and programming, which supersedes the misconception that our brains are inflexible.

“As people get older, they actually don't lose the capacity to learn,” All says. “Our brains are constantly changing up until the point that we die.” She adds: “I've learned [to code] before and it's a really complex brain exercise.”

New York-based actress Ondina Frate, 31, a beginner enrolled in CS50X, an introductory online programming class at Harvard, looks forward to the challenges of the training.

“It's not as tough in the first week, but then it's starts [getting] harder,” she says. “It's very precise and detailed. You have you be very analytical.”

There are no shortages of Meetup groups or tech organizations, including New York Entrepreneurs & Startup Network, Just Dev It and Silicon Valley NewTech, all of which offer support and networking opportunities to programmers, developers, and coders. “It's also very comforting to know that there are other beginners, too, and if you don't know something, you can talk about it,” Frate says.

Researchers from the Rush University Medical Center and University of Michiganfound that similar social connections are advantageous for brain health. Like other social environments, exchanges in tech communities are exercises for the brain because of social and language skills essential to having a conversation.

“I think that when a lot of people think of programmers,” Waxman says. “They think of a nerdy guy or women alone that's probably trying to do something all by themselves when the beauty of code is that you're making something [together] that can help a lot of people in everyday life.”

Can Computer Programming Boost Your Brain Power? Kann Computerprogrammierung Ihre Gehirnleistung steigern? Can Computer Programming Boost Your Brain Power? ¿Puede la programación informática aumentar la capacidad cerebral? La programmation informatique peut-elle stimuler votre puissance cérébrale ? コンピュータ・プログラミングは脳力を高めるか？ 컴퓨터 프로그래밍이 두뇌 능력을 향상시킬 수 있을까요? Czy programowanie komputerowe może zwiększyć moc mózgu? A programação informática pode aumentar o poder do seu cérebro? Может ли компьютерное программирование увеличить мощность мозга? Bilgisayar Programlama Beyin Gücünüzü Artırabilir mi? Чи може комп’ютерне програмування підвищити потужність вашого мозку? 计算机编程可以增强你的脑力吗？ 計算機編程能提高你的腦力嗎？

Brains Are Like Muscles, and Tackling Complex Skills Like Web Development May Help Strengthen Them Learning how to program for the first time was a challenge for Adam Waxman. Brains Are Like Muscles, and Tackling Complex Skills Like Web Development May Help Strengthen Them Learning how to program for the first time was a challenge for Adam Waxman. Les cerveaux sont comme les muscles, et s'attaquer à des compétences complexes comme le développement Web peut aider à les renforcer Apprendre à programmer pour la première fois a été un défi pour Adam Waxman.

He worked as a full-time investment banking analyst in Atlanta, but in January 2013, his nights were less about reclining after a day’s work and more about teaching himself Objective-C and JavaScript with books and online tutorials. Il travaillait comme analyste de banque d'investissement à temps plein à Atlanta, mais en janvier 2013, ses nuits consistaient moins à se reposer après une journée de travail qu'à apprendre lui-même Objective-C et JavaScript avec des livres et des didacticiels en ligne. Він працював на повний робочий день інвестиційно-банківським аналітиком в Атланті, але в січні 2013 року його ночі були не пов’язані з відпочинком після робочого дня, а більше з навчанням Objective-C і JavaScript за допомогою книг і онлайнових посібників.

By that summer, he left his career in finance behind and moved to New York to enroll in a programming boot camp where he learned Ruby on Rails. Cet été-là, il a abandonné sa carrière dans la finance et a déménagé à New York pour s'inscrire à un camp d'entraînement en programmation où il a appris Ruby on Rails. O yaz, finans alanındaki kariyerini geride bıraktı ve Ruby on Rails'i öğrendiği bir programlama eğitim kampına kaydolmak için New York'a taşındı. Того літа він залишив фінансову кар’єру позаду і переїхав до Нью-Йорка, щоб вступити до навчального табору з програмування, де він вивчав Ruby on Rails.

“It’s like learning a foreign language,” says Waxman, 25, a product developer at SeatGeek, a New York ticketing start-up. "C'est comme apprendre une langue étrangère", déclare Waxman, 25 ans, développeur de produits chez SeatGeek, une start-up de billetterie new-yorkaise. 「それは外国語を学ぶようなものです」と、ニューヨークのチケット会社であるSeatGeekの製品開発者であるWaxman（25歳）は言います。 “It’s much easier to learn a programming language by being very immersive.” 「非常に没入型であるため、プログラミング言語を学ぶのははるかに簡単です。」

Careers in code and programming are no doubt booming. Les carrières dans le code et la programmation sont sans aucun doute en plein essor. But are there less-visible benefits? Can a career in software and web development keep you healthy and fit, particularly your brain? Besides agile software development methods, meet-up groups and collaborative projects — which help foster social interactions — programming involves creativity, critical thinking and algorithmic skills necessary to complete tasks. Outre les méthodes de développement logiciel agiles, les groupes de rencontre et les projets collaboratifs - qui contribuent à favoriser les interactions sociales - la programmation implique la créativité, la pensée critique et les compétences algorithmiques nécessaires pour accomplir les tâches.

“When people say they want to learn to program, what they’re really saying is, ‘I want to solve a problem that the computer can help you with,' ” says Sherif Abushadi, an educator at Dev Bootcamp, who has nearly 13 years of experience teaching development. “In fact, most programmers spend half their time failing over and over and fixing those mistakes until they get it right.” "En fait, la plupart des programmeurs passent la moitié de leur temps à échouer encore et encore et à corriger ces erreurs jusqu'à ce qu'ils réussissent."

Early Studies on Brains and Computer Programming That analytical approach in the context of brain development and computers has been explored for decades.

In 1980, MIT mathematician Seymour Papert, a co-founder of the programming language LOGO, published the pioneering book “Mindstorms: Children, Computers and Powerful Ideas.” Papert claimed programming provided children with new opportunities for learning and thinking. 1980 veröffentlichte der MIT-Mathematiker Seymour Papert, ein Mitbegründer der Programmiersprache LOGO, das bahnbrechende Buch "Mindstorms: Children, Computers and Powerful Ideas". Papert behauptete, das Programmieren eröffne Kindern neue Möglichkeiten des Lernens und Denkens. A series of studies on the cognitive effects of programming determined that Papert’s claims were problematic, but other research studies like the “Effects of Computer Programming on Cognitive Outcomes,” and those conducted at institutions like MIT, have shown that programming can be beneficial to cognitive development. Eine Reihe von Studien über die kognitiven Auswirkungen des Programmierens stellte fest, dass Paperts Behauptungen problematisch waren, aber andere Forschungsstudien wie die "Effects of Computer Programming on Cognitive Outcomes" und solche, die an Institutionen wie dem MIT durchgeführt wurden, haben gezeigt, dass das Programmieren für die kognitive Entwicklung von Vorteil sein kann. Une série d'études sur les effets cognitifs de la programmation a déterminé que les affirmations de Papert étaient problématiques, mais d'autres études de recherche comme les "Effets de la programmation informatique sur les résultats cognitifs", et celles menées dans des institutions comme le MIT, ont montré que la programmation peut être bénéfique pour les troubles cognitifs. développement.

Free trial on Treehouse: Do you want to sharpen your web design and development skills? Essai gratuit sur Treehouse : Vous souhaitez affiner vos compétences en conception et développement Web ? Click here to try a trial on Treehouse.

Ongoing empirical studies will be important, of course, but here’s what we know generally about the brain: It’s like a muscle, which means we need to exercise it to conserve brain vitality, according to many research studies cited by the National Institutes of Health. Laufende empirische Studien werden natürlich wichtig sein, aber hier ist, was wir im Allgemeinen über das Gehirn wissen: Es ist wie ein Muskel, was bedeutet, dass wir es trainieren müssen, um die Vitalität des Gehirns zu erhalten, so viele Forschungsstudien, die von den National Institutes of Health zitiert werden.

For some programmers, the ability to simplify complex issues is similar to a brain workout. Für manche Programmierer kommt die Fähigkeit, komplexe Sachverhalte zu vereinfachen, einem Gehirntraining gleich.

“I don’t think it’s something that’s magical, where all of the sudden I feel much smarter, but I do think that programming in general is all about tackling pretty large, unknown problems and breaking it down into smarter pieces that makes sense, ” Waxman says. "Je ne pense pas que ce soit quelque chose de magique, où tout d'un coup je me sens beaucoup plus intelligent, mais je pense que la programmation en général consiste à s'attaquer à des problèmes assez importants et inconnus et à les décomposer en éléments plus intelligents qui ont du sens, " dit Waxman.

Errol King, 29, the director of experience for the kids programming app Beta, says the logical thinking skills he has acquired are transferable outside of the tech world: “The more I go into code, the more I see the world from that perspective.” Errol King, 29, Director of Experience bei der Kinderprogrammier-App Beta, ist der Meinung, dass die Fähigkeiten des logischen Denkens, die er sich angeeignet hat, auch außerhalb der Tech-Welt übertragbar sind: "Je mehr ich mich mit Code beschäftige, desto mehr sehe ich die Welt aus dieser Perspektive".

It’s not too Late to Train Your Brain According to research, brain exercises help improve brain function and can possibly fight dementia. Es ist noch nicht zu spät, Ihr Gehirn zu trainieren Forschungen zufolge tragen Gehirnübungen zur Verbesserung der Gehirnfunktion bei und können möglicherweise Demenz bekämpfen. Il n'est pas trop tard pour entraîner votre cerveau Selon des recherches, les exercices cérébraux aident à améliorer les fonctions cérébrales et peuvent éventuellement combattre la démence. Тренувати мозок ще не пізно Згідно з дослідженнями, вправи для мозку допомагають покращити роботу мозку і, можливо, можуть боротися з деменцією. But as for brain games — well, science hasn’t exactly jumped on the bandwagon. Mais en ce qui concerne les jeux cérébraux, eh bien, la science n'a pas vraiment pris le train en marche. 그러나 두뇌 게임에 관해서는 — 음, 과학은 정확히 시류에 편승하지 않았습니다. Але що стосується мозкових ігор — ну, наука не вскочила на підніжку. Still, living a cognitively active lifestyle is never a bad thing — especially when we give our minds and bodies time to relax, says Dr. Sherrie All, a neuropsychologist and founder of the Chicago Center for Cognitive Wellness. Pourtant, vivre un mode de vie cognitif actif n'est jamais une mauvaise chose, surtout lorsque nous donnons à notre esprit et à notre corps le temps de se détendre, explique le Dr Sherrie All, neuropsychologue et fondatrice du Chicago Center for Cognitive Wellness. Тим не менш, вести когнітивно-активний спосіб життя ніколи не є поганою річчю, особливо коли ми даємо своєму розуму і тілу час для розслаблення, каже доктор Шеррі Ол, нейропсихолог і засновниця Чиказького центру когнітивного здоров’я.

“We grow new brain cells throughout our entire lives and not at a very high rate so you want to keep the ones you have,” she adds. "Nous développons de nouvelles cellules cérébrales tout au long de notre vie et pas à un rythme très élevé, vous voulez donc conserver celles que vous avez", ajoute-t-elle. «Ми вирощуємо нові клітини мозку протягом усього життя і не дуже високою швидкістю, тому ви хочете зберегти ті, що у вас є», – додає вона.

One way to keep the brain young is learning a new skill. Одним із способів зберегти мозок молодим є навчання новому навичку. Last year, researchers from the University of Texas at Dallas discovered that mentally challenging activities that you’ve never done before can sharpen the brain. Минулого року дослідники з Університету Техасу в Далласі виявили, що розумові навантаження, які ви ніколи раніше не робили, можуть загострити мозок.

When we learn a new programming skill — such as Python, PHP, Ruby on Rails, or other complex activities outside of programming like digital photography and juggling — our brains are forming new neural connections while strengthening existing ones each time we practice, according to the National Institutes of Health. Wenn wir eine neue Programmierfertigkeit erlernen - wie z. B. Python, PHP, Ruby on Rails oder andere komplexe Aktivitäten außerhalb des Programmierens wie Digitalfotografie und Jonglieren -, bildet unser Gehirn neue neuronale Verbindungen und stärkt gleichzeitig bei jedem Üben bestehende, so die National Institutes of Health. Lorsque nous apprenons une nouvelle compétence en programmation - telle que Python, PHP, Ruby on Rails ou d'autres activités complexes en dehors de la programmation comme la photographie numérique et la jonglerie - notre cerveau forme de nouvelles connexions neuronales tout en renforçant celles qui existent à chaque fois que nous pratiquons, selon le Instituts nationaux de la santé.

This illustration is from “The Home and School Reference Work, Volume I” by The Home and School Education Society, H. M. Dixon, President and Managing Editor. The book was published in 1917 by The Home and School Education Society. Книга була опублікована в 1917 році Товариством домашньої та шкільної освіти. This illustration of the parts of the brain can be found on page 368. The parts are A. Cerebrum; B. Corpus Callosum; C: Medulla Oblongata; D. Arbor-Vitae; E: Cerebellum, F: Pons Varolii (Illustration from Flickr user Sue Clark) Of course, there will always be tasks we can perform faster when we’re younger, but that doesn’t mean we’re incapable of doing them when we’re older, either. Moreover, professionals in their 40s and 50s are stepping outside of their comfort zones to explore careers in code and programming, which supersedes the misconception that our brains are inflexible. Außerdem verlassen Fachleute in ihren 40ern und 50ern ihre Komfortzone, um Karrieren im Bereich Code und Programmierung zu erkunden, was den Irrglauben widerlegt, dass unsere Gehirne unflexibel sind. De plus, les professionnels dans la quarantaine et la cinquantaine sortent de leur zone de confort pour explorer des carrières dans le code et la programmation, ce qui remplace l'idée fausse selon laquelle nos cerveaux sont inflexibles.

“As people get older, they actually don’t lose the capacity to learn,” All says. "Wenn Menschen älter werden, verlieren sie nicht die Fähigkeit zu lernen", sagt All. “Our brains are constantly changing up until the point that we die.” She adds: “I’ve learned [to code] before and it’s a really complex brain exercise.” "Unser Gehirn verändert sich ständig bis zu dem Punkt, an dem wir sterben". Sie fügt hinzu: "Ich habe schon einmal gelernt [zu programmieren] und es ist eine wirklich komplexe Gehirnübung."

New York-based actress Ondina Frate, 31, a beginner enrolled in CS50X, an introductory online programming class at Harvard, looks forward to the challenges of the training.

“It’s not as tough in the first week, but then it’s starts [getting] harder,” she says. "Ce n'est pas aussi difficile la première semaine, mais ensuite ça commence [à devenir] plus difficile", dit-elle. “It’s very precise and detailed. You have you be very analytical.”

There are no shortages of Meetup groups or tech organizations, including New York Entrepreneurs & Startup Network, Just Dev It and Silicon Valley NewTech, all of which offer support and networking opportunities to programmers, developers, and coders. Les groupes Meetup ou les organisations technologiques ne manquent pas, notamment New York Entrepreneurs & Startup Network, Just Dev It et Silicon Valley NewTech, qui offrent tous un soutien et des opportunités de réseautage aux programmeurs, développeurs et codeurs. “It’s also very comforting to know that there are other beginners, too, and if you don’t know something, you can talk about it,” Frate says.

Researchers from the Rush University Medical Center and University of Michiganfound that similar social connections are advantageous for brain health. Like other social environments, exchanges in tech communities are exercises for the brain because of social and language skills essential to having a conversation.

“I think that when a lot of people think of programmers,” Waxman says. “They think of a nerdy guy or women alone that’s probably trying to do something all by themselves when the beauty of code is that you’re making something [together] that can help a lot of people in everyday life.” "Ils pensent à un gars ringard ou à des femmes seules qui essaient probablement de faire quelque chose par eux-mêmes alors que la beauté du code est que vous faites quelque chose [ensemble] qui peut aider beaucoup de gens dans la vie de tous les jours."