News: Mind reading study connects spatial problem solving with computer science

A group of researchers led by Prof. Westley Weimer and CSE grad student Yu Huang set out to identify how computer scientists think, using real-time fMRI readings to look inside coders brains while they program. This mind reading project studied whether manipulating data structures in a program (like balancing a tree) uses the same parts of the brain as spatial reasoning (rotating a map or turning a key in a lock).