cs210COMPUTING
AND
CULTURE
Biographies in
Creation & Innovation
Spring 2005: Monday and Wednesday 2:00-3:15 PM
Brian M. O'Connell, Maria Sanford Room 205
Course
Description:
Computer Science is frequently presented as a set of theories and practices
without much attention
to their creators and development. This course will focus on a series of paradigmatic events and
individuals within computing, analyzing the dynamics of the advances and their implications for
computing and society as a whole.
Although we will be approaching these issues through an interdisciplinary perspective, students are
reminded that this is a computer science course. Basic knowledge of computational theory, architecture
operating systems and programming will be expected. Students who are not computer science majors
should request additional assistance in these areas when needed.
The course will be conducted as a seminar at the graduate level. Students are expected to read every
assignment and to be prepared for discussion. Attendance at each class is presumed. Three or more
unexcused absences will result in the loss of the class participation score.
Our topics and schedule may be changed with the availability of guest speakers and the interests of
the class. Please check the online syllabus for updates and revisions.
Texts:
Class Handouts
Online Materials located at this site
Reserve Materials
Class Policies:
Attendance is presumed. Three or more unexecused absences will result in loss of class participation score.
All materials submitted must be in typed, analog form and stapled. No email assignments accepted.
Students must maintain backup copies of all course work for the semester.
Evaluation:
60% Topic Assignments
20% Final Project, including preparation assignments
20% Class Participation
Evaluation Criteria:
40% Use of Course Material
40% Comprehensiveness & Clarity
20% Creativity & Originality
Course Syllabus
subject to change - check here often
Key | Lecture/Discussion | Guest Speaker | Other |
Weeks |
subject |
René Descartes No Class: 2/16 and 2/21 (Presidents' Day) |
|
1-6 |
topics |
Course Overview Descartes' 'Dualism' The Legacy of Descartes |
|
|
assignment |
Scheutz: The Cognitive-Computational Story (pdf file) |
|
supplement |
|
Assignment One - Out: 02/23 Due: 03/07
Weeks |
subject |
A.M. Turing No Class: 3/9 & Spring Break |
7-13 |
topics |
The Turing Machine Computation Theory & Computability |
|
assignment |
Hodges: Short Biography of Alan Turing |
supplement |
Regarding Turing and Mathematics: Chaitin, A Century of Controversy over the Foundations of Math Regarding Searle's Chinese Room: Searle: Minds, Brains, and Programs Generally: |
Assignment Two - Out: 4/20 Due: 05/02
Weeks |
subject |
Minsky et al. v. Brooks et al. No Class: 3/18 |
13-15 |
topics |
Defining and Re-defining A.I. Robotics Determinative Factors: Theory v. Practice |
|
assignment |
|
supplement |
Assignment Three - Out: 05/09 Due: 05/16
Bibliography
These are selected books, articles
& Web sites referred to in class lectures. They may be helpful
to your papers
and presentations. They will
be updated throughout the course.
A.I.
AI:
LINK
AAAI: A.I.
Topics Index
LINK Rod Brook's Web Site
Early Computing History
Davis, Martin. The
Universal Computer, New York: Norton (2000)
Founders:
LINK Rene
Descartes 1596 - 1650
LINK Blaise
Pascal 1623 - 1662
LINK Gottfried
Wilhelm von Leibniz 1646 - 1716
LINK Sophie,
Duchess of Brunswick 1630 - 1714
LINK Joseph-Marie
Jacquard 1752-1834
Babbage & Ada: Countess of
Lovelace
LINK Charles
Babbage Biography
LINK The
Analytical Engine Page - Fourmilab
LINK Ada
Byron King, Countess of Lovelace - TAP:
The Ada Project
LINK Selection
and Adaptation From Ada's Notes - Betty Alexandra Toole
Logicians & Inventors
LINK
George
Boole 1815 - 1864
LINK Herman
Hollerith 1860 - 1929
LINK
Kurt
Godel 1906 - 1978
Turing: modern era
LINK Alan
Turing Home Page
LINK Turing
Machine in Java
The Internet
LINK
J.C.R.
Licklider
LINK
ISOC: Internet
History Links
Modern Computer History
Glass, Robert. In the Beginning:
Recollections of Software Pioneers. IEEE Computer Society (1998).
Shasha, Dennis & Lazere,
Cathy. Out of Their Minds: The Lives of 15 Great Computer Scientists.
Copernicus Press (1995).
profiles: early modern era
LINK Vannevar Bush: Memex
and Beyond Web Site
LINK Alan Turing: The
Turing Project
profiles: contemporaries
LINK Stephen Cook: Web
Page
LINK W. Daniel Hillis: Edge
Biography
LINK Alan Kay Biographical
Information
LINK Donald Knuth: Home
Page
LINK Burton Smith: From
Here to Petaflops
LINK Robert Tarjan: Home
Page
general sites
LINK
The
Computer History Museum
LINK IEEE
Annals of the History of Computing
LINK Past
Notable Women in Computing and Mathematics
software
LINK Software
History Center
Space Exploration & Computing
LINK
CMU Field Robotics
Lab
LINK
JPL Robotics Lab
LINK
Open University: Robot
Space Explorers
Links Last Modified 01.22.05