Featured in Five is a monthly section where we pose five questions to a Computing Reviews featured reviewer. Here are the responses from our March featured reviewer, Dominik Strzalka.
Q: What is the most important thing that's happened in computing in the past 10 years?
A: I believe that the most important thing is the possibility to use a computer in almost every place on Earth, by almost everyone who wants this, with direct access to the Internet. A computer system is no longer a machine that arouses negative emotions related to fear, anxiety, and embarrassment. It is a common device that is "normal" to us, like a car, bicycle, train, plane, or fridge.
Q: If you weren't working in the computer science field, what would you be doing instead?
A: When I was young, I would imagine being an electronics engineer with the magic ability to repair every device. When I was a teen, I wanted to be a satellite transmission systems specialist. Finally, I'm a computer scientist, but I also love cooking. However, because I live in a village, I would probably be a farmer.
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: We are surrounded by many interconnected and interdependent systems. I believe that sooner or later computer science will help us discover the complexity of systems and understand how nature works. I am trying to make a small contribution to this challenge.
Q: Who is your favorite historical figure? Why?
A: I haven't got just one favorite historical figure. There are many people who influence our lives, or even entire civilizations over centuries. I should probably choose someone from Poland, because our history as a nation is full of figures who have greatly influenced the whole world, but this is a very hard choice. One person who greatly affected my present life is US President Ronald Reagan, who was able to damage the Iron Curtain that divided Europe.
Q: What is your favorite type of music?
A: I'm a big fan of pop music from the '80s, especially many forgotten bands that are still in the minds of people who are 40+ years old. Music from the '80s reminds me of many great memories from childhood, when the whole world was much simpler and easier.
Click here to read one of Dominik’s highlighted reviews.
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