The Ancient Code Still Powering Modern Tech

Created in the 1950s, Lisp is the second-oldest programming language still widely used today. Despite its extreme age, its unique structure remains so flexible that it powers modern systems like Clojure and Racket.

Most people assume ancient computer languages are long forgotten, but Lisp has persisted since the dawn of the space age. Its signature style uses vast strings of parentheses to treat code as data, a radical concept that changed how software is built. Because it is so adaptable, it has evolved through countless dialects to survive for over sixty years. It is a rare example of a digital fossil that is still being actively developed and improved by engineers today.