Slide 1COS 116: The Computational UniverseSlide 3Ancient dream: “Breathe life into matter”“Breathe life into matter” – Another perspective“Breathe life into matter” – A 20th century perspectiveBreathing life into matter…Electric SheepComputational UniverseSome important distinctionsCourse not about programming!Brief history of computationBrief history of computationComputer Science: A new way of looking at the worldSlide 15Example 2: Public closed-ballot electionsSlide 17COS 116This week’s lab: Web 2.0GradingNext couple labs: Scribbler. What determines its behavior?COS 116: The Computational UniverseAdam FinkelsteinSpring 2012COS 116: The Computational UniverseInstructor: Adam FinkelsteinTAs: Sema Berkiten & Sourindra ChaudhuriLabsMon, Wed 7:30-10:20pm, Friend 009This week only: take-home labAncient dream: “Breathe life into matter”Philippe SemeriaGolem (Jewish mythology)CIMA museumAutomaton (Europe)Frankenstein (Shelley 1818)Robot (Capek 1920)“Breathe life into matter” – Another perspective“Breathe life into matter” – A 20th century perspective“Matter”: Atoms, molecules, quantum mechanics, relativity …“Life”: Cells, nucleus, DNA, RNA, …“Breathe life into matter”: ComputationOne interpretation: Make matter do useful, interesting things on its ownBreathing life into matter…Military was a major sponsor of computationalresearch in 20th centuryElectric SheepScott DravesComputational UniverseSome important distinctionsComputer Science vs. Computer Programming (Java, C++, etc.)Notion of computationvs. Specific implementation (Silicon, robots, Xbox, etc.)Course not about programming!Not necessary for understandingMore time for to cover computer science (broader than COS126!)Little advantage to those who have prior programming experienceBrief history of computationTechnological:ClocksClockwork “Automata”Mechanized looms, steam enginesVacuum tubes, electronic calculators (1910-1930’s)ENIAC (1945)von Neumann Computer (1949, Princeton)Brief history of computationIntellectualAncient Greeks, philosophers(How to “formalize thought”)Boolean logic (G. Boole, 1815-1864)Crisis in mathHilbert: Call to systematize mathGödel: Incompleteness theoremLambda calculus (A. Church, 1936)Turing machines (A. Turing, 1937)Both at Princeton;First clear notion of “What is computation?”Wang tiles 1961Computer Science:A new way of looking at the worldExample 1:Example 2: Public closed-ballot electionsHold an election in this roomEveryone speaks publicly(no computers, email, etc.)End: everyone agrees on who won and marginNo one knows howanyone else votedIs this possible?Yes! (A. Yao, Princeton)Example 3:Computational BiologyOld Biology New BiologyMicroarraysPathwaysCOS 116 First 10 lectures:Cool things computers do and howNext 8 lectures:What’s inside, internet, silicon chipsLast 6 lectures:Complexity, cryptography, viruses, search engines, artificial intelligenceThis week’s lab: Web 2.0Take-home lab – see course web page.This week’s reading:Brooks pp 12-21, pp 32-51See course web page.GradingMidterm: 15%Final: 35%Lab reports: 35%Participation (class, blog): 15%Attendance expected at lectures and labsNext couple labs: Scribbler. What determines its
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