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79539-01 - Research seminar: Maschinensprachen (4 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Pierre Depaz (pierre.depaz@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | This seminar takes programming languages as its object of study. These languages are uniquely ambivalent, as they are understood both by humans and by Turing machines, and are also increasingly pervasive, describing more and more aspects of our worlds. This seminar will allow us to grasp how programming languages are mediating between these three entities: the human, the machine and the world. We will start by a very practical overview of the kinds of programming languages that exist, and the dominant paradigms that they align with. We will then question how these computational artefacts have come to be considered as language, as they tread a thin line between formal rigor and stylistic expressivity and how they are uniquely productive by combining abstraction and automation. Finally, we will critique their so-called "universality", considering their socio-economic origins, the dominant modes of action they enable, and the alternatives that might exist to that mathematical-industrial model. |
| Learning objectives | - Understand what is a programming language, and how it mediates between machine, human and world - Evaluate the consequences of different paradigms on designing and implementing software - Analyze the manifestations of human practices within linguistic automation and abstraction - Create a series of sample programs in different programming languages |
| Comments | This seminar will be taught in English |
| Course application | Anmeldung über MOnA notwendig (services.unibas.ch). |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Course auditors welcome |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Tuesday | 10.15-12.00 | Holbeinstrasse 12, Bluebox |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 15.09.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Holbeinstrasse 12, Bluebox |
| Tuesday 22.09.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Holbeinstrasse 12, Bluebox |
| Tuesday 29.09.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Holbeinstrasse 12, Bluebox |
| Tuesday 06.10.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Holbeinstrasse 12, Bluebox |
| Tuesday 13.10.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Holbeinstrasse 12, Bluebox |
| Tuesday 20.10.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Holbeinstrasse 12, Bluebox |
| Tuesday 27.10.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Holbeinstrasse 12, Bluebox |
| Tuesday 03.11.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Holbeinstrasse 12, Bluebox |
| Tuesday 10.11.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Holbeinstrasse 12, Bluebox |
| Tuesday 17.11.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Holbeinstrasse 12, Bluebox |
| Tuesday 24.11.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Holbeinstrasse 12, Bluebox |
| Tuesday 01.12.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Holbeinstrasse 12, Bluebox |
| Tuesday 08.12.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Holbeinstrasse 12, Bluebox |
| Tuesday 15.12.2026 | 10.15-12.00 | Holbeinstrasse 12, Bluebox |
| Modules |
Modul: Digital Humanities, Culture and Society (Master's degree subject: Digital Humanities) Modul: Forschungsorientiertes Studium (Master's degree subject: Media Studies) Modul: Materialitäten (Master's degree program: Cultural Techniques) Modul: Praktiken (Master's degree program: Cultural Techniques) Modul: Strategien des Digitalen (Master's degree subject: Media Studies) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Medienwissenschaft |