These “grand challenges” of systems biology encompass almost every aspect of modern computing, from numerical and symbolic methods through data management and analytics to extraordinarily high-performance computing platforms.
Daniel Reed
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Software Development and Crunch Time; and More
For software developers, crunch time is a period prior to a major product milestone when team members are asked to put in extra effort to get a product finished by a specific delivery date. Why do developers put up with it?
Research challenges us to pose new questions, choose exploratory avenues carefully, and be frugal and wise stewards of the financial trust invested in us.
NSF Funding Advice; 21st Century Innovation
Jeannette M. Wing shares useful suggestions for department heads. Daniel Reed discusses the importance of synergy among computing specialists and generalists.
Consumerization of IT and Research
When a corporate, government, or university IT department of the 1970s debated an upgrade to its IBM S/370 mainframes, it is doubtful that the IT director was in any way influenced by the computing experiences or opinions of their teenage children.
Presentations, Humor, and Memes
I have been reflecting on the nature of technical presentations. Public speaking can be great fun. When done well, it is a form of performance art. Enjoy it, and help your listeners enjoy it also!
Paucity to Plethora: Jevons Paradox
I suspect much of computing is still socially conditioned by its roots in computational paucity to recognize fully the true opportunity afforded by computational plethora. Many of us are still wed to a stimulus-response model of computing, where humans provide the stimulus and computers respond in preprogrammed ways.
The Ghosts of Holiday Shopping: Past, Present and Future
In many parts of the western world, the frenzy of holiday shopping has reached its crescendo. With apologies to Charles Dickens, it is instructive to consider the ghosts of shopping past, present and future, albeit with a bit of U.S.-centric perspective.
SC09 Reflections: The Need For Speed
SC09 (aka the “Supercomputing Conference”) was held during the week of November 16. The conference set an attendance record this year – roughly 10,000 attendees at the combined conference and tradeshow – despite the economic malaise of the technology industry and the global economy.
Consilience: The Path to Innovation
I believe solutions to many of the most challenging problems facing our society – medicine and health care, climate and the environment, economic security and privacy – will require fusing expertise from multiple disciplines, including computing. Filling those disciplinary interstices is both our challenge and our opportunity
Shape the Future of Computing
ACM encourages its members to take a direct hand in shaping the future of the association. There are more ways than ever to get involved.
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