@eejd @ninsel

And what vectorized programming language do you use?

As noted in the discussion chains, python and numpy are orders of magnitude less efficient, being both slower and more memory intensive than Matlab.* (Even ignoring the *nightmare* bloat that is the python ecosystem.) Older, closer-to-the-architecture languages like C and its descendants are difficult to maintain clear codesets for, and very hard to write efficient GPU and NPU algorithms in. Although there is some evidence that Julia might achieve the efficiency in a clean, open-source structure, it doesn't have the codebase that the other languages do.

* Matlab is particularly well-suited for neurophysiology. Neural analysis algorithms that only run on the supercomputer in python run easily on my desktop in Matlab with an inexpensive GPU.

I would say that among the serious neurophys labs that I know, they are about 60/40 python to Matlab, with the python labs defending their choice based on "open source code" and the Matlab labs defending their choice based on "efficiency", although you are right that the Matlab labs generally seem unusually embarrassed about it.

@adredish @eejd @ninsel

This is indeed the reason #julialang exists. Give it a spin! Easy to switch from Matlab or python, but sane, explicit, fast, fun...

I do 90% of my labs work (EEG) there nowadays!

The codebase is not that a big issue, given you can easily call python via pythoncall.jl for things not yet implemented

You get an awesome package manager with versioning too! Something Matlab is just terrible in IMHO

@BenediktEhinger

Yes, I am intrigued by #Julia as a response to the #Matlab crisis.

Can you give a good place to start? (Basic tutorial, language definition, best IDE / package management system?)

My specific targets are
(1) large vectorized computations, preferably (1a) automatically GPU'd when possible and
(2) hardware control of (2a) arduino devices (access as sending characters over a serial port is fine) and (2b) online (at speed) video processing and storage, including camera hardware signaling.

Alternatively to (2), I have considered #BonsaiRx. Really good would be having a way of linking Julia with BonsaiRx (which does video well, but not the other task-control stuff).