The Challenges Facing Computer Science for the Next Ten Years SCI 110 December 2, 2002 Dr. H.E. Dunsmore Department of Computer Science

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The Challenges Facing Computer Science for the
Next Ten YearsSCI 110December 2, 2002Dr.
H.E. DunsmoreDepartment of Computer Science
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Ubiquitous Computing

• "Ubiquitous" -- Existing or being everywhere, in
  all places at the
• same time
• We used to design software to run only on
  computers
• Now software used in cell phones, microwave
  ovens, tv sets,
• automobiles, photocopy machines, cameras,
  satellites, ....
• Software for ubiquitous computing must be small,
  quick, robust,
• error-free

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Mobile Computing

• Internet connectivity via Personal Digital
  Assistants (PDAs), laptops, palmtops, fingertops,
  cell phones, hearing aids, "glasses", ....
• Challenges --
• Handling traffic of information flow in ether
• Handling volume of information to servers
• Providing up-to-date information

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Data Compression, Bandwidth Expansion

• Every time we increase processing speeds and
  transfer speeds, demand increases
• Must find ways to do astounding job of...
• Data compression -- Can I get a 75 MByte file
  down to 150 bytes?
• Bandwidth expansion -- Can I move data at
  1,000,000 times today's speeds?

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Programming vs. Creating Systems

• With volume of software necessary in future,
  there will not be enough programmers
• Analogy - telephone system made us all telephone
  operators
• We can all become programmers via high-level
  software creation systems ... that will require
  brilliant computer scientists to develop

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Human-Computer Interaction

• Windows, icons represent significant step forward
  in human-computer interaction
• Much more needs to be done -- natural language
  commands, decision support systems, expert
  systems, learning systems

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Visualization and Graphics

• Visualization systems are outgrowth of computer
  games
• Visualization systems can be used for training
  pilots, doctors, dentists, large equipment
  operators, ....
• Visualization systems can also be used to slow
  down fast time and speed up slow time

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Bioinformatics, Computational Biology

• Progress has been made in this area (human genome
  project, cloning) using sophisticated software
  systems
• Future progress will depend on databases, blazing
  fast processors, better algorithms, ....

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Databases -- Massive Data Handling, Data Mining

• Now possible to collect massive databases
• Store and retrieve information
• Correlate information
• Sophisticated data mining
• What have you done every minute of today? Where
  are you now? What are you doing?

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Security

• Information in files and in transit must be
  secure
• Must develop better encryption systems
• Must be very careful whenever data is not
  encrypted

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Terrorism, Vandalism

• Need better mechanisms than accounts, passwords
  for access control
• Biometric access control (fingerprints, hand
  readers, facial
• biometrics) shows promise
• Terrorists might shut down Internet, interrupt
  e-commerce, corrupt information (like account
  balances, charges), ....
• What about turning off security mechanisms via
  network, shutting down hospital monitoring
  devices, opening prison gates,....?
• Must make it impossible to deliver and execute
  viruses

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Computer Science Educators

• Computer Science been around since approximately
  1970
• 30 years later many original CS faculty reaching
  retirement age
• Many faculty who started in 80s and 90s will
  retire in next 5-20 years
• Many students have opted for non-academic careers
• Pipeline running dry

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Educational Paradigm

• Old educational paradigm 16-week semester,
  classes, labs, recitations, students in lock-step
• Maybe this paradigm needs to be modified
• Replace classes with digitized "explanations"
• Replace labs, recitations with "chat groups"
• Dump 16-week semester in favor of topic modules

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Educational Paradigm (2)

• Give students as much time as needed for each
  module -- 1 week or 10 weeks
• How do we give exams in this model?
• Purdue CS student could take modules from
  Stanford, Illinois, Carnegie-Mellon and students
  from those schools could take Purdue modules
• Administrative nightmare

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Women in Computer Science

• In mid-1980s women constituted 30 of the
  professionals and students in Computer Science
• That percentage now down to about 10
• Why?
• Nature of the men in CS
• Perceived long hours, stress, lifestyle
• Women have longer-term, grander-scale
  perspectives than men

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Managing Email

• Today's email systems will be remembered as the
  dinosaurs of the email age
• Manage the volume, respond using email triage,
  delete un-needed messages, file needed messages
  in retrievable place
• Email all sorts of information (including audio,
  video, documents)
• Must get rid of (or control better) spam