Computer Science Education Week, 2018
And why everyone must dive into it
December 3rd — 9th 2018 is celebrated as the Computer Science Education Week.
Many of the actions we take for granted today are in fact the culminate result of decades of hard work of millions of individuals committed to enhance the digital world.
So what are the lessons to consider from the past? How can we better utilized todays growth potential and what does the future of computer science hold for us? Let us explore and find out.
Past
Looking back in time, we have come a long way from first generation computers to the device on which you are reading this article. With the advent of the internet in the 1990’s, the reach and potential the field had to offer grew exponentially. Technology had helped us overcome several challenges by providing automation and centralized supervision solutions.
Though not many realize it, the success of Computer Science is attributed to the commitments of several women. From the mother of algorithms Ada Lovelace to visionary technologists like Jean Jennings, Grace Hopper the world of programming significantly grew. While the men were busy designing the hardware components of computers, these women were on their toes developing the programming requirements for each.
Inspiration from various sources was what lead John Mauchly to develop ENIAC. And events of the world war that urged for the need of more efficient communication methodologies helped the field of computer science flourish. Intense research in various domains and the execution of the same via various products lead mankind to the information first era that we live in today.
Present
We as a civilization grew up to embrace it, and the connectivity that the internet provides us. Our changing requirements induced the evolution of technology from desktops to super computing chips on our phones. A best example to better understand this point is the fact that today only 8% of the world currency is physical money — the rest is digital.
Technology is widespread — from institutions to homes, it is quite easy to spot a machine. From actions such as carrying out routine tasks to processor intensive computations, its applications are plenty. Cloud computing further simplifies the process by providing external computational support to facilitate your task.
The field of computer science is one of the most sought after ones due to immense growth potential and demand. Beyond syntax and formal notations, the subject is all about logic and deriving meaning from information. As a student of this field, I find it very intriguing to see how everything revolves around the interpretation of 1’s and 0’s.
With industry leaders like Steve Jobs who set the bar of excellence high to Sundar Pichai who is leading numerous initiatives round the globe, technology is growing immensely and the possibilities it offers is just a tap away.
Future
What the world today needs are cross dimensional thinkers who can come up with solutions to to better meed the needs of today. We need designers who can convert their ideas efficiently into code; philosophers who can better encapsulate their thoughts and package it in an app that reaches masses.
We need innovators — or rather, the window of opportunity for rising innovators to grow. There are many problems to solve, ranging from deforestation to uncontrolled disease outbreaks. There is a lot to optimize ranging from the quality of time spent to the seconds spent in getting a task done. All these growing demands need more minds to work together.
Let us make it a basic requirement to educate every individual in the field of computer science. Through initiatives such as Hacktoberfest, hour of code and open source collaboration, the world is inviting many more innovators to join in and build something interesting. With numerous communities round the world, the future looks very welcoming and anyone from any background can get started in coding!
The doors are wide open, and hands are stretched out to help — will you take it?
