Programming Erlang, 2nd Edition

Chapter 11Real-World Concurrency

Let’s forget about programming for a while and think about what happens in the real world.

We understand concurrency.

A deep understanding of concurrency is hardwired into our brains. We react to stimulation extremely quickly, using a part of the brain called the amygdala. Without this reaction, we would die. Conscious thought is just too slow; by the time the thought “hit the brakes” has formed itself, we have already done it.

While driving on a major road, we mentally track the positions of dozens, or perhaps hundreds, of cars. This is done without conscious thought. If we couldn’t do this, we would probably ...