Wendy Langer

I first learnt to program in Microbee Basic, in between bouts of playing 'Hunt the Wumpus' and 'Colossal Caves'. This all happened a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away...

Many years later, I accidentally learnt Fortran whilst studying for a physics degree at University. Then, finally, after a long period of wandering in the outer darkness, I discovered the perfect programming language – Python!

Even though I currently spend more actual coding time using C++, my heart will always belong to Python :)

I have worked as a programmer in web development using technologies such as Python, Zope, Django, mySQL and postgreSQL, and lately in video-game development using C++.

I have also acted as technical reviewer for two titles about Python and web development published by Packt Publishing.

More recently I have worked in the video-games industry as a C++ programmer at Tantalus Interactive, a Melbourne-based company.

Apart from programming and games, my other main passion has always been physics - both the learning and the teaching of it.

Since receiving my physics degree in 1996 (that little episode with the Fortran not-withstanding!), I have kept my interest in this area alive by continuing to work on and off as a part-time evening coach in physics and mathematics to high-school and university students.

Currently I am running my own tutoring business, as well as doing free-lance web-dev work.

In teaching, my main motivation has been to inspire as well as to instruct. To always strive, as Einstein liked to say, to make things 'as simple as possible, but not simpler'.

If there is any thread joining the multiple strands developed above, it is the idea that knowledge and learning are important, that science and technology are important, that play is important, and that new science and technology always leads to new ways of learning and knowing and playing. Finally that, more often than not, it is 'playing' which leads to the most profound and deep learning.

Specialties

Programming: data-based web development, video-games development (physics engines, 3D math, shader programming)

I have had a long-term interest in Linux and the FLOSS community generally.

Teaching: maths and physics from primary to tertiary Level. Making it fun, and weaving in ideas about the 'big picture' which students often miss out on when learning science and mathematics.