The accepted view of programming, rooted in Turing?s fundamental characterization of algorithms, has had a profound impact on the theory and practice of computing with yet broader implications for thinking about mind and culture. Where programming is traditionally conceived in terms of requirements, specification and implementation, this paper argues for a complementary conceptualization to support the development of the next generation of computing applications. It briefly reviews an extended programme of research into Empirical Modellng, an approach to creating interactive environments to enable programming based on identification and prescription.