HackerTube.dev

Clasp: Common Lisp using LLVM and C++ for Designing Molecules

Google TechTalks · 8.7K views · 2015-09-11 · 1:00:16

Open on YouTube ↗

If playback is restricted in your region, try opening the original video. Use Mark watched to add it to your marked videos.

Overview

Christian Schafmeister's Google Tech Talk on Clasp and CANDO, a Common Lisp implementation on LLVM and C++ used to design molecules, including energy minimization and force-field calculations.

On Hacker News

Held up in Lisp threads as a striking example of Lisp powering cutting-edge science.

Recommended by 2 HN people across 2 months · HN mentions 2016–2022

Topics

Functional programmingCompilers, interpreters & program analysisChemistry
Search by tags
common lispclaspllvmcomputational chemistrymolecular design

What people said

reitzensteinm · 2020-10 · Strong recommendation

Your Google talk was one of my top 10 ever, it blew me away. It's not uncommon in the tech industry to build some mad scientist solution - pardon the expression - because we're trying to do something pedestrian but have painted ourselves in to a corner, eg HipHop VM. Doing it to help with cutting edge science is genuinely exciting. [VIDEO]

Read the original HN comment ↗
nabla9 · 2016-02 · Strong recommendation

Lisp is programmable programming language, especially Common Lisp. It works as programmer amplifier. Better you are, more you benefit from it. I challenge anyone to watch this lecture from Christian Schafmeister and say they are not impressed: [LINK] and [VIDEO]

Read the original HN comment ↗
jakeogh · 2022-11 · Reference

More presentations! I think two are almost the same presentation: [LINK] (July 2010) 10S6P4 Christian Schafmeister 2010 UNTT 3rd Annual Conference Session 6 Presentation 4 [LINK] (July 2015) Clasp: Common Lisp using LLVM and C++ for Molecular Metaprogramming [VIDEO] (Aug 2015) Clasp: Common Lisp using LLVM and C++ for Designing Molecules [LINK] (Oct 2018) Modular Polymer Catalysts - Chris Schafmeister [LINK] (Nov 2018) LLVM Developers Meeting: C. Schafmeister lessons Learned Implementing Common Lisp with LLVM

Read the original HN comment ↗

Sources

Video by Google TechTalks, played through YouTube.

Data and selection notes

HN summaries and labels may contain AI errors. HN dates refer to discussions, not video publication.

HN Library: HackerTube export (2026-10-31) and open-index/hacker-news. Upstream summaries and classifications may contain AI errors.

Views, duration and playback status refresh separately from the published catalog. When an update fails, existing data remains visible.

Selection checks
  • SaaS & AI candidates: Topic keywords do not match
  • Editor-approved picks: Editorial review is required

Rule matches identify candidates. They do not guarantee video quality or financial results.

About the library and its sources