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Computer programming
Course: Computer programming > Unit 1
Lesson 1: Intro to programmingWhat is Programming?
Current time:0:00Total duration:2:01
Programming is the process of creating a set of instructions that tell a computer how to perform a task. Programming can be done using a variety of computer programming languages, such as JavaScript, Python, and C++. Created by Pamela Fox.
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Video transcript
Hi, welcome to programming! If you've never learned
+to program before, you might be wondering
+what programming actually is. Well, when we write a program, we're giving the computer
+a series of commands that kind of look like
+a weird form of English. You can think of a computer
+as a very obedient dog, listening to your every command,
+and doing whatever you tell it to do. So what's so cool about programming? Well, it really depends on
+what you think is cool. Because as it turns out, you can
+use programming for almost everything. Programs control robots
+that can take care of patients, and my favorite,
+robots that can roam around Mars and look for water on the surface. Programs help self-driving cars
+know which way to turn-- which is pretty important! Programs help doctors cure diseases by
+processing huge amounts of medical data. Programs can be really fun games,
+like Doodle Jump, Angry Birds, Minecraft. Programs make it possible for Pixar to put out their awesome
+3-D animated movies, and for movies like Harry Potter
+to have such cool special effects. What's your favorite movie? I bet that a computer
+helped make it somehow. Programs are behind
+the websites and the apps that you use every day, all the time, like Google Maps, and
+Wikipedia, and YouTube, and of course, where you are now,
+Khan Academy. Here, on Khan Academy, you'll learn
+how to write JavaScript programs to make drawings, animations, and games. And that will be a great start towards creating whatever
+you're imagining in your head. I know, it might be hard to see
+how a drawing program relates to programs for robots,
+or curing diseases. But believe it or not,
+the same basic concepts are used by pretty much
+every programmer in every program. Once you learn to program JavaScript, you'll be able to learn other
+programming languages much more easily. Now you just gotta keep going!