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James Gosling: Java, JVM, Emacs, and the Early Days of Computing | Lex Fridman Podcast #126

Lex Fridman | September 12, 2026



James Gosling is the founder and lead designer of the Java programming language. Please check out our sponsors to get a discount and to support this podcast:
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EPISODE LINKS:
James Twitter: https://twitter.com/errcraft
James Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Gosling

PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
Full episodes playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4
Clips playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOeciFP3CBCIEElOJeitOr41

OUTLINE:
0:00 – Introduction
4:45 – Irrational numbers
8:04 – Math and programming
10:36 – Coding style
14:41 – First computer
23:54 – Lisp
27:22 – Write an Emacs implementation in C
35:15 – Early days of the Internet
45:57 – Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos
56:13 – Work hard and smart
58:48 – Open source
1:10:25 – Java
1:28:31 – Java virtual machine
1:44:05 – Android
1:47:04 – Advice

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Written by Lex Fridman

Comments

This post currently has 40 comments.

  1. @lexfridman

    September 12, 2026 at 8:36 pm

    I really enjoyed this conversation with James. Here's the outline:
    0:00 – Introduction
    4:45 – Irrational numbers
    8:04 – Math and programming
    10:36 – Coding style
    14:41 – First computer
    23:54 – Lisp
    27:22 – Write an Emacs implementation in C
    35:15 – Early days of the Internet
    45:57 – Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos
    56:13 – Work hard and smart
    58:48 – Open source
    1:10:25 – Java
    1:28:31 – Java virtual machine
    1:44:05 – Android
    1:47:04 – Advice

  8. @douglas2lee929

    September 12, 2026 at 8:36 pm

    Austin might be great in terms of people and culture, but the state itself is an absolute armpit. Crappiest place in the country that I have ever been. I was there for 4 years. Like a third world country. Investigate the whole state, not just the metro area you want to go to.

  9. @juhanleemet

    September 12, 2026 at 8:36 pm

    I can emphasize, esp. his oppositin to Richard Stallman (pompously supirior in his professor job?), I wondered how programmers were supposed to stay alive if all software was supposed to be free? I concluded that we were going back to the middle ages: software creators would need "patrons", such as IBM paying people to work on open source projects

  13. @RadekJ-n2q7c

    September 12, 2026 at 8:36 pm

    I prefer also maximize amount of code visible at once. In general I use style similar to sources of standard libraries. Opening brace should be part of previous line. But really to maximize amount of visible code it is necessary to use large and high resolution monitor. I think most important is not density of code but ease of modify and reuse.

  23. @rajnishsasmal180

    September 12, 2026 at 8:36 pm

    It is quite interesting to have a great inventor and creator of the java programming language . I have been working for this language for the last 16 years , starting with Java 2. I read his book with co author , arnold and holmes. He mentioned the vulnerabilities of google chrome using the C++ using the pointers if I understood correctly . Can anyone explain , any idea on this ?

  28. @songoffools4319

    September 12, 2026 at 8:36 pm

    I’m kind of stalking old episodes here. But this guy reminds me so much of my father. The whole building stuff and everything. I didn’t hang out with my dad much in the computer labs because my parents had divorced but my mom was also in the computer science track and me and brothers spent a lot of time in the computer labs with her. So when he starts speaking of the computer in the corner brings back so many memories. My dad tried to encourage me into the field but I was obsessed with biology by middle school. But now I want to do computer science 🤦🏻‍♀️ cloud and or cyber security.

  34. @mahkhi7154

    September 12, 2026 at 8:36 pm

    Do You Think I don't Know What your P1ggey Brain can Do? ALL you are is a Terrorist Ba5tard. doing MASS Terrorism, MASS Jujitsu and MASS Charades. Java is a Copy of Visual Basic 6, done by the Minions and Borgs. YOU, You're a P1G, an Animal thats Just Got off four Limbs and Just Started to Talk. Even the English Language you don't FULLY Understand. Even something as Simple as Tic / Tac / Toe is beyond your P1ggey Brains Ability. All you can Do is Memorise and Repeat. The Problem with That is, You'll Never Make something New, that Currently does Not Exist.
    Why Don't You Try and Hack Kernel Kesaria or Program Windows. Waiting for Your Minion Gods to do it and Then Claiming You've done it Here. If You had an Intellectual Ability. Your God wouldn't Have Given you Blind Blue Eyes or Given You 1 Kidney to Fill you with WHITE Bacteria. You're a "Yodi" = Fu*cking Girl (In the Language of the Gods: Hindi/Urdu)

  37. @sonic_boom297

    September 12, 2026 at 8:36 pm

    I don't entirely align with James and Lex's perspective that success necessitates relentless hard work.
    I believe in the importance of maintaining a delicate balance, recognizing when and how to exert extra effort without losing sight of the broader objectives. However, considering their accomplishments compared to my own setbacks, perhaps they have a point after all 😂😂.

Comments are closed.

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