This month I had the privilege of speaking at EuroClojure 2017 in Berlin, offering a bit of an introduction to symbolic AI in Clojure and at the same time showcasing a couple of tools that one of my colleagues Dr. Simon Lynch put together (with some input from me) for his AI consultancy Cognesence. Watch the talk here (please excuse the sniffles, I left my hayfever medication at home), you can also get your hands on the paper and the slides.
Berlin is a truly beautiful place. Coming from the UK, what struck me most was the lack of gigantic high-rise buildings, allowing the sun to touch almost everywhere I walked and the vegetation to flourish without being stifled by shadows. Something to do with an old law with regard to maximum building height, I think, but don't quote me on that. I very much wish I was more in the habit of taking photographs, because there was a lot I'd have liked to capture. Maybe next time.
I must say the atmosphere and enthusiasm surrounding the conference both amongst the other speakers (all of whom were excellent), other attendees, organisers and sponsors was palpable and very refreshing. It was my first peek into a community of functional programmers who are (for the most part) working in industry, and while I felt immediately welcome, I was also faced with the reality of just how much there still is for me to learn about not just Clojure but FP in general.
Also great to meet up for Vietnamese food with a friend of mine Alan Pearce who is currently out there doing what sounds like some extremely interesting work.