Take your Kotlin to the next step, abandon what you’ve learned (in Java)

Often Kotlin developers have a Java background. For many of us, that is actually the reason why we love Kotlin so much.

But although we know and like the new features Kotlin gives us, we often hold on to concepts from the Java world. What’s once learned is not easily forgotten. To go Kotlin all the way, we need to unlearn some of those things. But how do we actually learn things and can unlearn what we need to? Let's dive all the way into Kotlin spiced with a bit of Neuroscience.

Transcript

1. Embrace change
   Abandon what you’ve learned
   @PreusslerBerlin
   

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2. https://www.thecut.com/2018/01/how-to-conquer-your-fear-of-trying-new-things.html
   From an evolutionary
   standpoint, trying new things,
   for much of human history,
   could have been dangerous
   

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3. Dean Burnett, Neuroscientist, author
   We have a threat-detection system
   that [..] tags anything unusual or
   unknown [..],
   That's what's kept us alive for
   millions of years
   

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4. MINDSETS
   

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5. fixed-mindset
   prevent them from evolving in
   the acquisition of skills …
   outside their comfort zone.
   “Mindset”, Dr. Carol Dweck
   

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6. growth-mindset
   certain amount of curiosity,
   ease and perseverance in
   solving difficult problems
   “Mindset”, Dr. Carol Dweck
   

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9. we learn new knowledge by reference
   to those we already know.
   We focus on the points of similarity
   between them to select the information
   that reaches the brain.
   http://www.anewya.co.in/why-learn-unlearn-relearn
   

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11. What got you here won’t get
    you there.
    Book title by Marshall Goldsmith
    

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12. © Christina Lee, KotlinConf 2019
    

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13. It is not the strongest of the species
    that survives,
    not the most intelligent [..]
    It is the one that is the most
    adaptable to change.
    Charles Darwin
    

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14. Pascal
    

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15. C/C++
    

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16. Java
    

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17. Kotlin
    

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18. The illiterate of the 21st century
    will not be those
    who cannot read and write,
    but those who cannot
    learn, unlearn, and relearn.
    Alvin Toffler, Author, Futurist
    

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19. CONSTANTS
    

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20. Constants
    In Java: static final In Kotlin: const val
    But where?
    

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21. Constants
    

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22. Constants
    

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23. Constants
    

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24. Constants
    

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25. https://twitter.com/PreusslerBerlin/status/1305565623867633666
    Constants
    

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26. TIME TO UNLEARN
    

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27. .. is not about forgetting.
    It’s about the ability to choose
    an alternative mental model or
    paradigm.
    https://hbr.org/2016/11/why-the-problem-with-learning-is-unlearning
    

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28. The process of unlearning:
    1.) Recognize that the old mental model
    is no longer relevant or effective.
    This is a challenge because we are
    usually unconscious of our mental
    models
    https://hbr.org/2016/11/why-the-problem-with-learning-is-unlearning
    

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29. The process of unlearning:
    2.) Find or create a new model
    that can better achieve your goals.
    Careful, you will probably
    see this new model through
    the lens of the old.
    https://hbr.org/2016/11/why-the-problem-with-learning-is-unlearning
    

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30. The process of unlearning:
    3.) Ingrain the new mental habits
    https://hbr.org/2016/11/why-the-problem-with-learning-is-unlearning
    

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31. GET FUNCTIONAL
    

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32. Get functional
    

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33. Get functional
    

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34. The tools we use have a
    profound (and devious)
    influence on our thinking
    habits, and, therefore, on our
    thinking abilities.
    Edsger W. Dijkstra
    

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35. OPERATORS
    

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36. Operators
    Thinking of … ?
    a + b a.plus(b)
    a > b a.compareTo(b) > 0
    a in b b.contains(a)
    a..b a.rangeTo(b)
    

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37. Operators
    

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38. Operators
    

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39. Operators
    

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40. Developing an original and creative idea
    requires the simultaneous activation
    of two [..]
    perhaps even contradictory --
    networks
    University of Haifa 2015
    https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151119104105.htm
    

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41. WHAT GOES ON
    IN THE MINDS
    OF PROGRAMMERS WHEN
    THEY READ CODE?
    

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42. Understanding Understanding Source Code with Functional Magnetic
    Resonance Imaging
    University of Passau, University of Magdeburg, Carnegie Mellon, Georgia Tech, Leibniz Institute for
    Neurobiology, Metop Research Institute, 2014
    http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ckaestne/pdf/icse14_fmri.pdf
    Studying programming in the neuroage: just a crazy idea?
    Chemnitz University of Technology, 2020
    https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3347093
    Studies
    

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43. To our surprise, we could not
    observe any activity in the
    direction of mathematical or
    logical thinking, ...
    https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-06-language-brain-scans-reveal-coding.html
    

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44. The image data clearly
    showed activation in the test
    subjects' left brain areas,
    which are mainly associated
    with speech comprehension.
    https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-06-language-brain-scans-reveal-coding.html
    

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45. NAMES
    

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46. COBOL variable names [..] can
    use any of the uppercase
    alphabet characters, the digits 0
    through 9, and the hyphen (but
    not as a starting character).
    

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47. Kotlin
    Something inside us
    cringe
    

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48. social missteps
    activate regions in the brain, [..]
    that have been previously
    associated with physical pain.
    University of Michigan, University of Colorado, Boulder, Columbia
    University, New York Psychiatric Institute,
    https://sciencephenomena.wordpress.com/2015/05/10/the-neurological-aspect-of-cringing/
    

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49. When people express opinions that
    differ from yours,
    take it as a chance to grow.
    Be curious, not defensive.
    http://www.anewya.co.in/why-learn-unlearn-relearn
    

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50. Practicing unlearning
    will make it easier and quicker
    to make the shifts
    as your brain adapts.
    https://hbr.org/2016/11/why-the-problem-with-learning-is-unlearning
    

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51. PROPERTIES
    

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52. Properties
    

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53. Properties
    

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54. Properties
    

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55. Properties
    

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56. Properties
    

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57. Properties
    

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58. Properties
    

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59. DELEGATES
    

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60. Property Delegates
    

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61. Property Delegates
    

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62. Property Delegates
    

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63. Property Delegates
    

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64. Property Delegates
    

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65. Property Delegates
    

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66. Property Delegates
    

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67. Property Delegates
    

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68. Property Delegates
    

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69. Property Delegates
    

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70. Property Delegates
    

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71. Property Delegates
    

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72. Property Delegates
    

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73. Property Delegates
    

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74. EXTENSION FUNCTIONS
    

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75. Extension functions
    

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76. Extension functions
    

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77. Conceptual Affinity.
    Certain bits of code want to be near
    other bits. They have a certain
    conceptual affinity.
    The stronger that affinity, the less
    vertical distance there should be
    between them.
    (Clean Code, Robert Martin)
    

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78. Extension functions
    

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79. Extension functions
    

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80. Extension functions
    

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81. Property Delegates
    

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82. Property Delegates
    

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83. Think outside the box!
    

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84. Think outside the box!?
    

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85. When you look at the neuroscience of
    creativity, you see that it’s physically
    impossible for your brain to
    “Think outside the box.”
    http://www.jaredvolle.com/why-thinking-outside-the-box-is-completely-wrong/
    

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86. That’s simply not how the brain is wired.
    It’s like asking your brain
    to fire a neuron
    that doesn’t exist.
    http://www.jaredvolle.com/why-thinking-outside-the-box-is-completely-wrong/
    

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87. There is nothing
    outside of “the box”
    except for more boxes.
    [..] the trick is
    to think between boxes.
    http://www.jaredvolle.com/why-thinking-outside-the-box-is-completely-wrong/
    

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88. GENERICS
    

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89. Generics
    ● Kotlin generics offer some new changes
    ● Don’t be afraid if reified syntax
    

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90. Generics
    

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91. Generics
    

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92. Generics
    

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93. Generics
    

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94. HOW TO GET THERE?
    

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95. Habits
    ● Habits are the brain’s internal drivers
    ● brain forms neuronal connections based on what you do repeatedly in
    your life — both good and bad.
    ● Every time you act in the same way, a specific neuronal pattern is
    stimulated and becomes strengthened in your brain.
    

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97. How to get there
    - Unlearn: build new models w/o looking through old lenses
    - Connect the boxes
    - Practise
    - Change habits
    

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98. Nothing so needs reforming
    as other people’s habits
    Mark Twain
    

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99. You tell me, I forget.
    You teach me, I remember.
    You involve me, I learn
    Benjamin Franklin
    

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100. When your brain expects a
     reward even [..], you are more
     likely to pursue the new
     routine and stick to it.
     https://medium.com/swlh/to-break-bad-habits-you-really-have-to-change-your-brain-the-neurosci
     ence-of-change-da735de9afdf
     

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103. Thank you
     ● World’s largest open audio platform
     ● Founded in 2007
     ● 200 million tracks, 25 million creators
     ● What’s next in music is first on SoundCloud
     

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104. Further reads
     ● https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-06-language-brain-scans-reveal-coding.html
     ● https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-programming-affects-brain/
     ● https://medium.com/swlh/to-break-bad-habits-you-really-have-to-change-your-brain-the-neuroscience-of-chang
     e-da735de9afdf
     ● https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151119104105.htm
     ● http://www.jaredvolle.com/why-thinking-outside-the-box-is-completely-wrong/
     ● https://www.thecut.com/2018/01/how-to-conquer-your-fear-of-trying-new-things.html
     ● https://hbr.org/2016/11/why-the-problem-with-learning-is-unlearning
     ● https://thriveglobal.com/stories/unlearning-to-learn/
     ● https://proandroiddev.com/keep-your-interfaces-simple-e025d515e3b9
     ● https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQ176FUIyIUY6SKGl3Cj9yeYibBuRr3Hl&app=desktop
     

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105. Thank you
     @PreusslerBerlin
     

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