FYS511

The natural sciences and computing have long been intertwined disciplines. This connection is deeply established although not always readily apparent: first, in that computing is a fundamentally physical process, something in and of nature and not merely abstract; second, in that the evolution of our universe according to the laws of physics is itself a kind of computation; and third, in that much of scientific progress now is wholly dependent on computing infrastructure. In this course students learn about the history of computing machines, and how this has culminated in our ubiquitous networked devices and the recent development of rudimentary quantum computers. Students read historical nonfiction on the history of computing, and explore new ideas in recent computing research. Computational work of their own as well as written work help students clarify and communicate their ideas on the subjects, including their own relationship to technology.