Great Impractical Ideas in Computer Science: PowerPoint Programming

Why HN readers recommended it

Repeatedly recommended in best-talks threads as a fun, mind-blowing demonstration of unexpected computation.

This is a summary from the source dataset, not an endorsement by Hacker News or the video creator.

Video & recommendation details

Creator / channel

Tom Wildenhain

Topic

esoteric programming

Format

lecture

Level

intermediate

HN recommenders in dataset

4

HN mentions in dataset

5

Recommendation years in dataset

2020–2026

These counts and years describe the included Hacker News records; they are not YouTube views or the video’s publication date.

From the original HN conversations

Excerpts from the recorded comments. Follow each source for the full comment and surrounding discussion.

• I would also very highly recommend you watch this talk about PowerPoint’s Turing-completeness — [VIDEO] It’s from the same person (Tom Wildenhain) as your video, but this is an hour long, there’s an actual audience (that’s supportive and spends most of the talk in disbelief), …

• "Great Impractical Ideas in Computer Science: PowerPoint Programming" Tom Wildenham (2019) [VIDEO] Really fun, kinda blew my mind. Guy got a job at Microsoft shortly after giving this talk.

• I think this drives your point with incredible wit: “On The Turing Completeness of PowerPoint (SIGBOVIK)” by Tom Wildenhain[1]. (5 minutes video) [1]: [LINK] (Nerding out should always be hilarious like that!) [2]: Recording of a guest lecture he gave for the Esoteric Programming Languages …