Anxious Cows in ClojureScript

About this Presentation

ClojureScript is a dialect of Clojure that compiles to JavaScript, and targets the JavaScript runtimes of the web as a deployment environment. It offers the unparalleled expressiveness of Lisp, the performance and space efficiency of the Google Closure Compiler, interoperability with the in-browser object model, and natural integration with server-side Clojure applications. In a time of proliferating JavaScript extensions and client-side development frameworks, this is a compelling vision of how client-side web development should be done.

It's also a great language in which to write an agent model. In this talk, we'll dissect an entirely client-side simulation of a pen full of cows inside an electric fence. Each cow moves around randomly, and is sensitive to the stress level of the cows around it. When a cow wanders into the electric fence, we can explore simulation parameters that determine how stress moves through the herd. We'll learn how to write ClojureScript, and draw fascinating parallels to human behavior in real-life emotional systems.