When developers talk about bootstrapping, they're not referring to a technique they've developed to avoid tying their shoelaces—but a means of running code wherever the hell they like.


The concept behind bootstrapping sounds very simple: separate code and machine, allowing one piece of script to run on many different pieces of hardware. In reality it's not quite so straightforward, though; Professor Tom Rodden explains how it all works in this video. [Computerphile]