Valence: Bringing the structural ambiguity of spoken language to code

Valence is a programming language written with eight Ancient Greek signs, each a homophone with many meanings. They are defined by context: each can be a command, an expression, or an octal digit. Its valence (number of parameters) and the order it appears determines its meaning, often with little relation to its other potential readings. If a line of code has no brackets to clarify the relation between signs, the program simply splits and both potential readings are carried out simultaneously. In this way, a single program can be a polyglot with many different executions running side by side. To write in Valence is to embrace this ambiguity. This lightening talk will not only show this design's unexpected repercussions, but also how we can mine spoken language to find new approaches to logic and code for creative expression.