If there are intelligent civilizations in our galaxy, why have we not yet detected any evidence of them? Noted science fiction writer David Brin has a particularly scary answer to the question. What if we are the ones who are supposed to light the galaxy?
Vinton G. Cerf
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Every time I see calendar dates like 2014, I feel as if I have been transported by time machine into the future. Isaac Asimov made some remarkably astute projections about 2014 in 1964, so what might he say today?
I have just returned from a trip to Warsaw where I had the opportunity to visit the Copernicus Science Museum. The facility houses an amazing array of interactive exhibits. As I encountered these fascinating experiences, I thought about what we have been able to achieve in the virtual world of computing.
I have been thinking about the implications of the increasing number of programmable devices and appliances that surround us. For one thing, they all require software to function. Who will write all that software?
The inaugural Heidelberg Laureate Forum affected my thinking about computability and computation.
Revisiting the Tragedy of the Commons
While the commons created by the Internet need not be bounded, it is a shared environment that must be protected for the benefit of its users.
Freedom and the Social Contract
In today's world, threats to our safety and threats to national security come from many directions. It seems fair to say the expansion of the content and tools of the Internet and computing devices in general has been accompanied by a growth in their abuse.
Computer Science Education – Revisited
ACM has been pursuing an initiative to make computer science acceptable as a core science along with mathematics, physics, biology, and chemistry.
‘But Officer, I Was Only Programming at 100 Lines Per Hour!’
One wonders whether legislative bodies and perhaps insurance companies will reach conclusions that suggest software designers and implementers should have imposed upon themselves regulatory requirements, authorizations, and certifications.
It is June again and we gather once more in San Francisco to honor the best among us. It is fitting that we do this, not only to celebrate the successes of our colleagues but to convey to the general public the remarkable power of computer science.
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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