Programming with Music and Photos? Exploring the Weird World of Esoteric Languages

A new book, "Forty-Four Esolangs: The Art of Esoteric Code," explores 44 bizarre programming languages, some using musical notation, others producing different results each run, and even one using photographs. Author Daniel Temkin uses these languages to explore the creativity of programming and the subtle power dynamics between programmer and machine. He highlights the contrast between esoteric languages and AI-generated code, the latter often lacking creativity. The history of esoteric languages dates back to early computing and is intertwined with the rise of shareware, demoscene culture, and the early internet.