Do programmers have different brains?

Douglas Goodall, former Contract Software Engineer at Goodall Software Engineering (1987-2006)

I interpret the question to ask if a programmer’s brain is qualitatively different from a non-programmer’s brain. I think a thoughtful answer to the question requires some qualification.

What is programming? Programming is the activity of generalizing a problem such that a program can be used to solve it on a repeated basis. Actually, this has generally been the work of the Programmer/Analyst. The analyst determines the flow of the program, often simply input, calculation, and output. The programmer takes the analysis and codes it in a particular computer language so that it can be run by a computer. This includes debugging, which is part of programming.

Can the programming phase occur without the analysis? Yes, this happens when the programming phase starts before the analysis is complete, and this has been known as, hacking.

Can anyone do the analysis? It takes some skills that can be obtained by anyone with average intelligence. Can anyone do the programming? That takes skills also obtainable by the same people.

Now the question phrased differently: Do successful programmers have different brains? (then each other, or the average human?)

Whether by innate talent, or learned skill, some programmers have a more refined ability to generalize in the analysis, and either talent or training to develop code that reflects the analysis. Some people seem almost born to it, and some people can do it, but it is a strain to do so.

I believe that certain people are what I call, “symbolists”. These people have an easier time with the analysis because they can see the problem symbolically and are able to generalize the problem more easily during analysis. These same people can usually visualize the code needed to express the flow of the analysis.

Some people by training or talent can do this more successfully and easily than others. The people most easily able to analyze the problem symbolically, and write the most reliable and efficient code required, tend to be the most successful, and generally enjoy their work more.

So a new question. Do people who are symbolists have different brains?

Maybe. Some people seem almost born to it. I was. From childhood, I had a burning desire to analyze problems, and from there a desire to codify my analysis in whatever language I was doing at the time. I believe I was a natural born symbolist. Is my brain different than others?

Again, in the process of living life, humans are confronted by problems. More successful humans overcome them and carry on with life. Some people have an ability and a willingness to take the time and effort to do the analysis and programming required to create a programmatic solution, the results of which may end up in the app store.

Now back to the original question. Do programmers have different brains?

Yes. By the time they are successfully doing this process and feeling satisfaction about it, whether they are doing it because of talent or training, I believe their brains have certain wrinkles that are making this possible.