Computer Science as an Evolving Discipline
by
David N. Palacios
P.h.D Student
William & Mary
2018
-A TALK FOR NON-COMPUTER SCIENCE FOLKS-

What does it mean "Computer Scientist"?
Algorithms, machines and the main concepts in CS
Active (inter-disciplinary) fields
Milestones in Computer Science
Computer Science Influencers
What does it mean "Computer Scientist"?
Algorithms, machines and the main concepts in CS
Active (inter-disciplinary) fields
Computer Science Contributions
Milestones in Computer Science
Computer Science Influencers
What does it mean "Computer Scientist"?


Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Liteos_debugging.png

What does it mean "Computer Science"?
is...
- theory
- engineering
- experimentation
of Machines!




Etymology -> Computer -> Computation -> Counting
Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abacus#/media/File:Boulier1.JPG

What does it mean "Computer Scientist"?
Algorithms, machines and the main concepts in CS
Active (inter-disciplinary) fields
Computer Science Contributions
Milestones in Computer Science
Computer Science Influencers
Algorithms, machines and the main concepts in CS
Algorithm: Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi

What should I do to withdraw money from an ATM?
- Look for an ATM
- Identify the card input
- ...
- ...
- 1 Select the amount...
Machine: Enabling computations
Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_machine_gallery#/media/File:Turing_machine_1.JPG
System: components and subcomponents interacting each other for a goal
Ref: https://www.flickr.com/photos/30591976@N05/6096667988


What does it mean "Computer Scientist"?
Algorithms, machines and the main concepts in CS
Active (inter-disciplinary) fields
Milestones in Computer Science
Computer Science Influencers
Milestones in Computer Science
Analytical engine
- mechanical general-purpose computer
- 1837

Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analytical_Engine#/media/File:AnalyticalMachine_Babbage_London.jpg
Binary logic
- boolean algebra
- 1854
Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Boole

Enigma
- Crypto machine of German military during WW2
Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Enigma.jpg

Digital revolution
- Third Industrial Revolution
- 50. - 70s
- Internet users: 3.9 billion (49.5% of world population in 2016)
Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Internet_map_1024.jpg

Programming languages
- Punched cards (40s)
- Machine Language (1000111)
- High-Level Language (e.g., java, c, c++, cobol, scala)
Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:C_Hello_World_Program.png


Computer graphics
- 60s (Verne Hudson and William Fetter of Boeing)
- Computer-generated imaginary (CGI)
Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_graphics#/media/File:Blender_2.45_screenshot.jpg


Artificial intelligence
- 50s (Newell, Simon, McCarthy, Minsky, Samual)
- Intelligence demonstrated by Machines
Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence#/media/File:D%C3%A9tection_de_personne_-_exemple_3.jpg

Human–computer interaction
- 80s (Newell, Moran)
- Interfaces between people and computers
Ref: https://www.flickr.com/photos/stockcatalog/42820690351

What does it mean "Computer Scientist"?
Algorithms, machines and the main concepts in CS
Active (inter-disciplinary) fields
Milestones in Computer Science
Computer Science Influencers
Computer Science Influencers
Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace
Analytical Engine - 1810s
Bernulli Numbers Program - 1840s


Alan Turing and the Turing machine


- Cryptoanalysis
- Computational Biology
- Turing Test
- Artificial Machines
Akira Nakashima (switching circuit theory) & Konrad Zuse

Zuse-z3: First Fully Automatic Digital Computer (1949)
Norbert Wiener and cybernetics (1948)


John von Neumann and the von Neumann architecture

Another Father of Computation along with Turing
- Game Theory
- Set theory
- Lattice Theory
- Math formulation of Quantum Mechanics
- Entropy
- Mathematical Economics
- Fluid Dynamics
- Cellular Automata, DNA and Universal Constructor
What does it mean "Computer Scientist"?
Algorithms, machines and the main concepts in CS
Active (inter-disciplinary) fields
Milestones in Computer Science
Computer Science Influencers
Active (inter-disciplinary) fields

Science
Theoretical
Empirical (Applied)
Physics
Theoretical
Empirical (Applied)


Computer Science
Theoretical
Empirical (Applied)



Margaret Hamilton (1936)
- Leading the development of
on-board flight software for NASA's Apollo Moon mission (1969) - Software Engineering
Computer Science
Theoretical
Empirical (Applied)







Computer Science
Empirical (Applied)
Ref: https://www.kdnuggets.com/2017/07/rapidminer-ai-machine-learning-deep-learning.html

Machine Learning & Medicine
Ref: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Jeannette_Wing.pdf
- Anti-inflammatory drugs
- Chronic hepatitis
- Mammograms
- Renal and respiratory failure
- Human Genome

Machine Learning & Other Sciences
Ref: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Jeannette_Wing.pdf
Chemistry
- Atomistic computations to explore chemical phenomena
- Search algorithms to improve reactions conditions
Physics
- Genetic algorithms discover laws of physics
Machine Learning & Journalism
Ref: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Jeannette_Wing.pdf
- Crowdsourcing as a new way of getting news tips from sources
- An algorithmic approach to validate the credibility of sources
- Digital Media and Learning Initiative

Machine Learning & Humanities
Ref: https://www.kdnuggets.com/2017/07/rapidminer-ai-machine-learning-deep-learning.html
- Digging into Data Challenge: What could you do with a million books?
- Music, English, Art, Design, Photography, …



In Summary
Embrace Computer Science

Embrace Computer Science

Enable Computational Thinking

Embrace Computer Science

Enable Computational Thinking

CS is Interdisciplinary (always)

Thanks!
(?)
Evolving Discipline
By David Nader Palacio
Evolving Discipline
- 298