How to Get People Excited about Functional Programming • Russ Olsen & James Lewis

This GOTO Podcast episode features James Lewis interviewing Russ Olsen about functional programming, particularly in the context of the Clojure programming language. Olsen discusses his journey into functional programming, the challenges in teaching and understanding it, and the common pitfalls, such as over-reliance on mathematical examples and terminology. They explore the cultural aspects of Clojure, the "write-only" perception of the language, and strategies to mitigate this. The conversation extends to the broader topic of inspiring moments in engineering, with Olsen's upcoming keynote, "To the Moon," serving as a focal point to discuss the Apollo moon landings and their impact. The discussion also touches upon risk tolerance in engineering, comparing approaches in software versus mechanical engineering, and the importance of diversity of thought and technique in programming.