Featured in Five is a monthly section where we pose questions to a Computing Reviews featured reviewer. Here are the responses from our July featured reviewer, Vladimir Mencl.
Q) What is the most important thing that's happened in computing in the past 10 years?
A) Hard to say. Given that it's now 2023, advances in artificial intelligence (AI) offer themselves as the answer—and they may challenge and change the field significantly. I also see a significant shift in computer security. With the number of discovered (and exploited) vulnerabilities growing rapidly, I hope this will lead to a change in software development practices. But maybe that's for the next 10 years.
Q) If you weren't working in the computer science field, what would you be doing instead?
A) That is an even harder question. I was already leaning toward computers by the 6th grade, starting with a hobby computer. But if the computers were not there to apply the theory to, maybe I'd be a mathematician.
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) Technologies enabled by the foundations of computer science will likely be present in many everyday settings—and our lives will have even stronger digital counterparts. The challenge is to do that without giving away our privacy while ensuring safety and security. I hope my work in identity management and secure online authentication will contribute to that goal.
Q) Who is your favorite historical figure? Why?
A) I'll put forward Alan Turing as the father of the first computer—and to compensate for the lack of appreciation in his own time.
Q) What is your favorite type of music?
A) Quite a wide range, including classical, Irish folk, and even metal.
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Click here to read one of Vladimir Mencl's reviews.