On 4/3/14 2:43 PM, Marko Rauhamaa wrote:
What does computer science have to show of late? A better mutual
exclusion algorithm? Dancing trees?
Ok, cryptography has been pretty exciting. The back and forth between
feasibility and unfeasibility. The ongoing cat and mouse.
Computer science is stuck right now. This is for two reasons:
1) marketing (capitalism)
2) software idea patents (obviously marketing related)
Two things need to happen to 'unstick' computer science: 1)
intellectual property law needs an overhaul and software idea patents
must die, and 2) computer languages (software engineering, coding) needs
to be taught as a liberal art beginning seriously in middle school as an
integrated discipline (for sure by high school, and as an absolute in
colleges).
Computer science needs to be freed of the capitalistic strangle-hold
which some corporations leverage over it. Innovation is thwarted because
its the wrong capitalistic thing to do. Innovation is thwarted because
of the asinine world-wide intellectual property law malfunction;
software idea patents must die.
Cryptography is particularly annoying. Mathematicians and algorithm
specialists are ham-strung because of the GCHQ in the U.K. and the NSA
in the States. Our governments DO NOT want computer science to move
forward with cryptography! God help the guy (people) who finally figure
out how to determine the nth prime, or figure out how to factor really
HUGE prime numbers easily on a desktop computer (not likely to happen
anytime soon, but for sure NOT going to happen with the NSA & GCHQ
looking over everyone's shoulders.
Well, as everyone pointed out integers are the focal point for
crypto. But, what if the focal point should be 'decimal' (really large
very fast decimals). --- which are useful for constructing certain
integers and ... dream with me here. Whatever it will take WILL
require a paradigm shift, and it will require that we stand up and
defend our right to pursue the course. Everyone has a right to digital
privacy. Computer science is the way forward.
marcus
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