Featured in Five is a monthly section where we pose five questions to a Computing Reviews featured reviewer. Here are the responses from our December featured reviewer, Gregory Guthrie (Maharishi University of Management, Iowa).
Q: What is the most important thing that's happened in computing in the past 10 years?
A: Recognizing the importance of functional computing paradigms and their more abstract and declarative style, and the incorporation of these into the mainstream, more imperative languages. I would add to that the recognition on a broader level that computing is not just programing, and that so called “computational thinking” is really just a form of critical thinking and analysis, and permeates all areas of study and professions. Learn first how to think, then how to express this into computational models if that is your specialty.
Q: By the end of your career, where do you think computer science will have taken us? What are you working on that might contribute toward that?
A: Computing and computing devices are rapidly becoming ubiquitous, and even now we are starting to realize that equally or more important than what we can create with computing systems and machines is what we do with them. This recognizes that as we automate more and more of our own logic and thought processes, we are forced to reflect on what types of intelligence we not only can, but should, quantify and embody into machines.
Of course, all of the science fiction movies highlight the dangers and possible catastrophes of this, so this reminds us to improve our own qualities of thinking before propagating them to automation. My attempt at a contribution – see above!
Q: Who is your favorite historical figure? Why?
A: Hmm, this is a tough one. I’d have to say none. There are so many great individuals who over the past eons have lived and expressed the great truths of life in every tradition, philosophy, and religion around the world. This is a common expression of a universal truth, and it is not their individuality that I admire, but the knowledge that they have come to live and express in their lives.
Q: If you weren't working in the computer science field, what would you be doing instead?
A: Teaching meditation! I have been a teacher of meditation for the past 40 years, and find that it really provides an important balance and nourishment to the more focused and intellectual qualities of a technical profession.
Q: What is your favorite type of music?
A: Instrumental folk music, although I do like to enjoy some occasional rock-and-roll dance music with my granddaughter!
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Click here to learn more about him, and here to read one of his recent reviews.
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