Ask HN: If I like programming, what other hobbies would I likely enjoy?
Especially ones that are maybe a bit left of field and that the regular person might not necessarily know about.
26 comments
Try bouldering! The perfect combination between problem solving, fitness, and strength.
I have been bouldering for years, and I love that you can go with people from all levels, and everybody is having the same fun trying to succeed at problems. And a beginner that doesn't have the strength to do something can have th brains to show you how to do it.
I have brought many people with me over the years, most engineers / software people get totally hooked for some reason. I think it probably comes from the puzzle aspect of it.
I have been bouldering for years, and I love that you can go with people from all levels, and everybody is having the same fun trying to succeed at problems. And a beginner that doesn't have the strength to do something can have th brains to show you how to do it.
I have brought many people with me over the years, most engineers / software people get totally hooked for some reason. I think it probably comes from the puzzle aspect of it.
I second this as well. Healthy mind in a healthy body and all.
I second this. Climbing exercises your body and mind!
Lock picking is a technical, logical, and interesting hobby you may enjoy. It's a classic hacker (as in Hacker News) skill. Here's a great line from the absolute classic MIT Guide to Lock Picking [0]:
"The big secret of lock picking is that it's easy. Anyone can learn how to pick locks.
The theory of lock picking is the theory of exploiting mechanical defects."
[0]: http://www.lysator.liu.se/mit-guide/MITLockGuide.pdf
"The big secret of lock picking is that it's easy. Anyone can learn how to pick locks.
The theory of lock picking is the theory of exploiting mechanical defects."
[0]: http://www.lysator.liu.se/mit-guide/MITLockGuide.pdf
Speedsolving - solving rubik's cubes and similar puzzles and doing it FAST, blindfolded, one-handed etc
Sports/workouts/exercise - not original but great way to balance the sedentary lifestyle if you're not already doing so
Juggling - pretty fun to learn and relaxing activity. It has been shown to give great mental benefits when done regularly
Card tricks/magic tricks - impress your friends during parties
Learning foreign languages - this one has so much in common with learning programming I'm surprised that it's not that popular among developers. It is quite mentally draining tho so combining it with programming career is hard
Sports/workouts/exercise - not original but great way to balance the sedentary lifestyle if you're not already doing so
Juggling - pretty fun to learn and relaxing activity. It has been shown to give great mental benefits when done regularly
Card tricks/magic tricks - impress your friends during parties
Learning foreign languages - this one has so much in common with learning programming I'm surprised that it's not that popular among developers. It is quite mentally draining tho so combining it with programming career is hard
I'll second speedsolving. I'm also big fan of fewest-move competitions. You get a scramble, an hour, and a sheet of paper. The current record in-tournament is 19 moves.
One thing parallel to speedsolving that is fascinating is the amount of optimization that goes into the cube itself, especially from small brands in China. Rubik's Cube engineering just happens to be in that sweet spot of providing incremental improvements, a large design space to eke out new and interesting optimizations, and cheap plastic manufacturing. The latest and greatest model that everybody is hyped about is just $15 + shipping from Hong Kong, so it doesn't break the bank.
YMMV, the only thing you might say negatively about it is that as a community, older players weed out very quickly. The demographic really leans in the 10-15 range, so you might struggle to find adults to talk to other than online.
It's also a practical application of all that group theory the internet's been telling you to learn.
One thing parallel to speedsolving that is fascinating is the amount of optimization that goes into the cube itself, especially from small brands in China. Rubik's Cube engineering just happens to be in that sweet spot of providing incremental improvements, a large design space to eke out new and interesting optimizations, and cheap plastic manufacturing. The latest and greatest model that everybody is hyped about is just $15 + shipping from Hong Kong, so it doesn't break the bank.
YMMV, the only thing you might say negatively about it is that as a community, older players weed out very quickly. The demographic really leans in the 10-15 range, so you might struggle to find adults to talk to other than online.
It's also a practical application of all that group theory the internet's been telling you to learn.
Many programmers also knit, there is a surprising amount of overlap (talking about patterns as algorithms, fixing errors as debugging). Knitters even have their own stackoverflow/github: ravelry.
Singing - it may not seem like there's much overlap, but the amount of pattern recognition and other compatible skills required is surprising. Flow state is a common element in both, and I find it a great stress reliever. It also helps to balance a left-brain career with right-brain hobbies.
Meditation - not really a hobby per se, but the amount of clarity it can bring to programming later that day is incredible.
Nutrition / health optimization - understanding how the body works and how to support it through your lifestyle and nutrition can be a hobby in and of itself, and as a bonus, it helps maintain a healthy brain to program with.
Cooking - this will save you money, gain you friends, and can be looked at as 'food engineering'. It's just chemistry you can eat, in the end.
Homebrewing - much like cooking, this is biology and chemistry you can eat. Or in this case, drink.
Geocaching - I've been meaning to try this. I gather it's essentially world-wide interactive scavenger hunts that use GPS.
Meditation - not really a hobby per se, but the amount of clarity it can bring to programming later that day is incredible.
Nutrition / health optimization - understanding how the body works and how to support it through your lifestyle and nutrition can be a hobby in and of itself, and as a bonus, it helps maintain a healthy brain to program with.
Cooking - this will save you money, gain you friends, and can be looked at as 'food engineering'. It's just chemistry you can eat, in the end.
Homebrewing - much like cooking, this is biology and chemistry you can eat. Or in this case, drink.
Geocaching - I've been meaning to try this. I gather it's essentially world-wide interactive scavenger hunts that use GPS.
Consider something so completely different that it would allow your mind to refresh itself.
Some sport so your brain can rest (focus on your muscle coordination) and process your thoughts and knowledge in the background.
Computer graphics. Check out SideFX Houdini and try building a few simple things wih it, it's the most fun and addictive thing ever. Also check out Silo for more conventional 3D modeling. If you're looking for the easiest no-learning-curve way to start, try MagicaVoxel, it's amazing, free, and you'll be buildinthings out of voxels in 20 minutes.
Other fun and valuable hobbies: public speaking, improv, standup comedy, pick up, drawing, writing, and go.
Other fun and valuable hobbies: public speaking, improv, standup comedy, pick up, drawing, writing, and go.
Rock climbing, kayaking & snowboarding/skiing
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Problem solving under stress (and will get you fit at the same time).
A disproportionate amount of our members [0] are programmers or software engineers.
[0] http://bjjlab.ch/
A disproportionate amount of our members [0] are programmers or software engineers.
[0] http://bjjlab.ch/
Photography is generally really popular with programmers. So is homebrewing. Gun collecting, also.
I know a lot of programmers who enjoy photography and playing some instrument. Those hobbies involve a similar kind of focus to programming but in a different area.
Motorbike riding - you need to think very fast.
Playing music - you need to synchronize your brain hemispheres.
Cooking - you are building but from food :)
Weight Lifting and/or Martial Arts, program your body brute force vs. clever solutions. Also they'll extend your general wellness.
Second weightlifting. Not really similar or left of field, but a good complement. I found it more interesting after I started following a routine and tracking progress on each exercise, trying to optimize nutrients before/after workout, daily macros etc. Optimizing these things is kind of satisfying.
For example, the other day I had to work out after work instead of in the morning, and I had also been encouraged to do some spinning because of a knee issue. I found that I didn't perform well but I don't what caused it exactly: the cardio before lifting, it being late, tiredness from work, eating schedule, the knee, etc. Kind of similar to debugging.
For example, the other day I had to work out after work instead of in the morning, and I had also been encouraged to do some spinning because of a knee issue. I found that I didn't perform well but I don't what caused it exactly: the cardio before lifting, it being late, tiredness from work, eating schedule, the knee, etc. Kind of similar to debugging.
Golf, making math/dead baby jokes, buying textbooks and never reading them, playing a musical instrument, writing fiction.
Playing the piano, in particular, will protect against wrist problems you might get from a computer keyboard.
Road biking, long distances on the road. It's like active meditation, part of my mind hygiene.
Modular synthesizers. See www.muffwiggler.com
Bridge card game
fishing - the best hobby ever for me :-)
Boardgaming.