Computing Reviews News

Featured Reviewer: Eugene Callahan

Featured in Five is a monthly section where we pose five questions to a Computing Reviews featured reviewer. Here are the responses from our January featured reviewer, Eugene Callahan. 

Q) What is the most important thing that's happened in computing in the past 10 years?

A) The spread of Agile and DevOps.

Q) If you weren't working in the computer science field, what would you be doing instead?

A) Farming.

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) Prediction is very hard, especially about the future. But I hope our work on easily combining data from different APIs might prove useful to some people.

Q) Who is your favorite historical figure? Why?

A) George Berkeley. He brought clarity to a vexing philosophical problem.

Q) What is your favorite type of music?

A) Reggae.

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Click here to read one of Eugene’s recent reviews.

Featured Reviewer: Massimiliano Masi

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, Massimiliano Masi. 

Q) What is the most important thing that's happened in computing in the past 10 years?

A) The information technology (IT)/Internet of Things (IoT)/operational technology (OT) convergence. With the advent of so many ubiquitous devices, we are able to give a sense of the physical world to our networks and algorithms that, along with the computing power given by today's cloud environment, could potentially change how we use software. However, this convergence lacks cybersecurity. So many devices are made without even basic cybersecurity measures and thus they can be easily compromised. Even in industrial control systems, this convergence should be seen as positive: for years those systems had a false sense of security since they were air gapped from the Internet, hindering the full exploitation of their potential. Now, since the context is well understood and cybersecurity standards exist, there is nothing that can block the full exploitation of industrial data from cloud computing’s potential.

Q) If you weren't working in the computer science field, what would you be doing instead?

A) Farming. Parts of my family were farming in the region of Chianti, in Italy, and I studied agriculture in high school. I quit agricultural studies because I got to know math and computer science, but I still work the field in my spare time.

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) Hard to say. I read Marc Andreessen’s “Why Software Is Eating the World” essay some years ago that stated that all human processes will soon be digitized. However, software contains bugs and bugs cause anomalies to those human processes. Computer scientists will drive us toward a set of techniques that can handle the complexity of maintaining the code implementing everyday activities. The democratization of formal methods, rigorous software architectures, and continuous awareness of how computer science is so pervasive will be the next big things. Recently I have been part of a team studying ways to formalize the design of new IT projects, by proposing a methodology that enables a rigorous procedure to attain security by design. We are continuously improving this methodology to make it as usable as possible.

Q) Who is your favorite historical figure? Why?

A) I would say Alan Turing. His studies helped to end World War II, saving so many lives and soldiers. Like many other students, I read his works at university. There I had a professor who was so passionate about him, who made me appreciate Turing's character.  

Q) What is your favorite type of music?

A) Bossa nova! I love listening to the compositions of Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, Gilberto Gil, and all the Brazilians who were able to merge their roots with the jazz played in North America, which led to the creation of that unique sound. My favorite guitar player is Irio De Paula, a classical guitarist that I had the opportunity to see live in my hometown. Of course, hard rock from the 90s is also very good listening, which I like to play with my Fender Strat.

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Click here to read one of Massimiliano’s recent reviews.

Featured Reviewer: Ponmurugarajan Thiyagarajan

Featured in Five is a monthly section where we pose five questions to a Computing Reviews featured reviewer. Here are the responses from our November featured reviewer, Ponmurugarajan (Rajan) Thiyagarajan. 

Q) What is the most important thing that's happened in computing in the past 10 years?

A) I think that artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most important things to happen in computing. AI is about the development of algorithms and programs to enable machines to perform human-like tasks. AI today can do a variety of things, like detecting fraud, predicting disease outbreaks, automated financial investing, and self-driving cars. I envision a future world powered by AI where humans and machines will coexist like brothers and sisters.  

Q) If you weren't working in the computer science field, what would you be doing instead?

A) This is an interesting question. If I were not working in the computer science field, I would be teaching undergraduate and graduate programs on mechanical and industrial engineering.  

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) In another 30 years or so, I hope to see maturing capabilities in the areas of AI, robotics, quantum computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and cybersecurity. My contributions include crafting and delivering design-led, human-centered customer experience solutions powered by AI, IoT, and other modern computing technologies.  

Q) Who is your favorite historical figure? Why?

A) My favorite historical figure is Theodore Roosevelt Jr., the 26th President of the United States and also the youngest person to serve in this role. He is often ranked as one of the best presidents to date. He was a visionary leader of the progressive movement in his time and championed “Square Deal” domestic policies.  

Q) What is your favorite type of music?

A)I enjoy Carnatic, Western, and Hindustani classical music played by Indian musicians such as A. R. Rahman and Ilaiyaraaja.  

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Click here to read one of Rajan’s recent reviews.

Featured Reviewer: Arturo Ortiz-Tapia

Featured in Five is a monthly section where we pose five questions to a Computing Reviews featured reviewer. Here are the responses from our October featured reviewer, Arturo Ortiz-Tapia.

Q) What is the most important thing that's happened in computing in the past 10 years?

A) As for hardware, I don't think I would be too mistaken if I say the birth of quantum computing. Concerning software, we could mention the massification and ramification not only of cloud storage (Google Drive, Zenodo) but also of cloud computing (take Wolfram Alpha 2009, Symbolab, and GeoGebra 2011; GeoGebra existed before, but it started working as cloud computing in 2011), cloud research sharing, and question-answer networks (Overleaf, Stack Exchange, Overflow, Quora, and ResearchGate), just to give some examples that roughly fall within the decade range.

Q) If you weren't working in the computer science field, what would you be doing instead?

A) Something between what Umberto Eco, Noah Chomsky, Edward Sapir, and Benjamin Lee Whorf researched. In a way, I would still be working to understand cognition and artificial intelligence.

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) Quite possibly, computer science will have worked with cognition sciences and quantum theories to advance human evolution itself. Humans will have developed the capacity to entangle at will with the collective consciousness not only of humanity, but with the awareness of information stored in the quantum field of the universe in more dimensions than we currently perceive, thus converting people into qubits, or more than one qubit per person.

I have been working with a team of experimental scientists about the connection between human awareness and quantum entanglement, and the results thus far look quite promising. Theoretically there have been advances in several disciplines that interact with computer science, like the relationship of Gödel's incompleteness theorem and the possible endless discovery of order in the universe (according to a statement by Stephen W. Hawking). The results have been published as a preprint in ResearchGate and a more detailed book is forthcoming.

I have also been working on some properties of Lucas sequences and their relationship with Julia sets through a finite set of points in the complex plane, resembling some parts of the geometrical aspect of the Mandelbrot set. One of those points is the golden ratio, and the other points follow a similar structure. At this point it is still a result in pure mathematics, but the resemblance of that set of points with the Mandelbrot set, and the fact that the golden ratio is involved, makes me think that fractals, through computer science, may still deliver many fruits when it comes to understanding (and even perceiving) the complexity of the universe. 

Q) Who is your favorite historical figure? Why?

A) It is between Hypatia and Sofya Kovalevskaya. Hypatia because of her love of mathematics, and while I know it has been a bit romanticized, it is sort of true that she died defending the works of Euclid, among others. Kovalevskaya also has a romantic component—for example, she died when she was 41, which forces me to acknowledge that I am already older than that. But on a more serious note, it is because she worked in subjects that I have worked on myself for a significant portion of my life.

Q) What is your favorite type of music?

A) Depending on my mood, I listen to just about everything, from Shamanic songs to hip hop, crossing over to Indian sitar and African kalimba music, and of course John Williams and Hans Zimmer film scores. However, the only music I can listen to when I am eating or working peacefully comes from the Baroque or Romantic periods, more or less. Johann Sebastian Bach and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are very prominent, always. I reserve jazz for when I’m drinking coffee in a nice place, reading the latest news in mathematics, or talking to friends.

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Click here to read one of Arturo’s recent reviews.

Featured Reviewer: Xiannong Meng

Each month we pose questions to a Computing Reviews featured reviewer. Here are the responses from our September featured reviewer, Xiannong Meng.

Q) What is the most important thing that's happened in computing in the past 10 years?

A) I think the most important thing that has happened in computing in the past 10 years is the pervasive use of computing technology in our everyday life, including e-commerce, social media, and data analytics, among others. For computing itself, I'd say cloud computing (in all its forms) has been the most important thing.

Q) If you weren't working in the computer science field, what would you be doing instead?

A) I enjoy working with students. So, if I were not in the computer science field, I'd probably teach math as I have some basic training in this field. If I had complete financial freedom, I'd probably just read and listen to music.

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) I think computing will become more "humane." Machines of all forms, including the Internet and the software on them, will interact with and serve humans in more efficient and effective ways. As an educator, I encourage my students to keep an open mind and help computing evolve in this direction.

Q) Who is your favorite historical figure? Why?

A) Out of all the biographies and autobiographies I have read, which isn't too many, I like Harry Truman the most. He is less well known than FDR, though his influence is comparable.

During his six years in office, he directed, participated in, and experienced such historical events as the use of the atomic bomb, the creation of the United Nations (UN), the recognition of Israel, the Berlin Airlift and the Marshall Plan, Churchill’s speech in Truman’s hometown (a precursor to the Cold War), the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), withdrawing from mainland China in 1949, and committing troops to the Korean War while limiting the scale of the war.

Domestically, he was the first president to recommend Medicare—he even proposed “Medicare for All” while in office. He was a “common man” who worked for the common American.

Q) What is your favorite type of music?

A) I like two types of music: classical and easy listening. Classical music gives us inspiration, while easy listening music lets us relax after work.

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Click here to read one of Xiannong’s highlighted reviews.

Featured Reviewer: Scott Moody

Each month we pose questions to a Computing Reviews featured reviewer. Here are the responses from our August featured reviewer, Scott Moody.

Q) What is the most important thing that's happened in computing in the past 10 years?

A) I'm impressed with the scale of application distribution networks (app stores) and the breadth and power of devices (phones, tablets, TV, watches, the Internet of Things (IoT), and so on). With advanced code editing environments (like XCode and Flutter) and optimizing compilers, programming to these device framework libraries has become more significant and more language agnostic. The same compiled application bits are distributed to millions of devices hourly (try that exactness following a published cookbook algorithm). Gutenberg would be impressed!

Q) If you weren't working in the computer science field, what would you be doing instead?

A) I've always enjoyed photography, especially of my own activities like mountain climbing and ocean sports. But my mind has always thought there must be a simpler approach to problems (like finding or displaying photos), and with computer science (CS) the potential for building “an app for that” is unlimited.

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) CS must find new approaches to manage nondeterministic unbounded complexities. We've hit a metaphorical iceberg and inverted the original intent of the "Internet," as there are now vastly more “mobile, wireless, sensor devices” than “well-known" services [1]. Newer automatic programming approaches are needed that can leverage bigger chunks of reusable capability, expanding approaches like CocoaPods, GitHub, and app stores. More nimble, reusable, and executable software architecture approaches are needed. Just like a photo being worth a 1000 words, I believe the rapid advances in computer vision will outpace speech recognition approaches, especially for those that can't pass the CAPTCHA not-a-robot tests.

Much like Peter Denning's "Great principles of computing" [2], I've been focused on cataloging these architecture challenges and trying to disseminate them to students and others while overcoming what seems to be our collective "18 second attention span" ("18 seconds" is from one of Scott Adams' podcasts, but I've included a reference where he talks about reduced attention spans [3]). I've been exploring various distributed collaboration approaches across a wide breadth of devices, agents, networks, and users. The IoT genre provides a foundation for easily testing new devices and providing immediate user feedback (or at least in 18 seconds). I can even feed my dogs remotely from my wristwatch, just like Dick Tracy. CS enabled me to envision and build “an app for that.”

Q) Who is your favorite historical figure? Why?

A) I’ve always liked Lady Ada, Countess of Lovelace (1815-1852), daughter of the poet Lord Byron. She lived during the “Victorian Internet” era and worked with Charles Babbage to understand and disseminate his "computer" ideas, even sending detailed messages back and forth five times a day by runner (basically early email). Thus she is potentially the first (female) computer scientist, in 1843, programming in a non-existing language for a non-existing computer and discovering important CS formalisms. I've always liked this quote from Lady Ada on concurrency:

"There are frequently several distinct sets of effects going on simultaneously; all in a manner independent of each other and yet to a greater of less degree exercising a mutual influence.” [4]

I'm glad the Ada Language is named after her, codifying her concurrency in the Ada tasking and rendezvous model.

Q) What is your favorite type of music?

A) I listen to music constantly and really like rock and roll, especially electric guitars and long jams; Van Morrison, Wagner, and other music works, too. But CS sneaks in again, as the frequency from a microwave oven (while heating my coffee) interferes with the IoT Bluetooth speakers and has me wishing to “put the cable back.” There must be “an app for that.”

REFERENCES

[1] NSF Wireless Mobile Planning Group (WMPG) Workshop. “New architectures and disruptive technologies for the future Internet: the wireless, mobile and sensor network perspective.” Aug. 2-3, 2005, http://www.winlab.rutgers.edu/WMPG/Documents/WMPG_draft_report_v3_604.pdf.

[2] Denning, P. “The great principles of computing.” April 2008, https://denninginstitute.com/pjd/PUBS/ENC/gp08.pdf.

[3] Adams, S. “Things I can’t do.” April 17, 2014, https://www.scottadamssays.com/2014/04/17/things-i-cant-do/.

[4] Toole, B. A. (Ed.). Ada, the enchantress of numbers. Strawberry Press, Mill Valley, CA, 1992.

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Click here to read one of Scott’s highlighted reviews.

Featured Reviewer: Andrea Paramithiotti

Each month we pose questions to a Computing Reviews featured reviewer. Here are the responses from our July featured reviewer, Andrea Paramithiotti.

Q) What is the most important thing that's happened in computing in the past 10 years?

A) The gradual spread of computing to most aspects of modern life, just as electricity did in its time.

Q) If you weren't working in the computer science field, what would you be doing instead?

A) I would probably be working in some other engineering field.

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) Computer science will probably have the same effect on organizational aspects of business and professional life that the Industrial Revolution had during the 19^th century. I’m working on this for my customers.

Q) Who is your favorite historical figure? Why?

A) Winston Churchill—he held fast in difficult times and inspired others to do the same.

Q) What is your favorite type of music?

A) Classical music.

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Click here to read one of Andrea’s highlighted reviews.

Featured Reviewer: Boumediene Belkhouche

Each month we pose questions to a Computing Reviews featured reviewer. Here are the responses from our June featured reviewer, Boumediene Belkhouche.

Q) What is the most important thing that's happened in computing in the past 10 years?

A) Technological advances (for example, cloud infrastructure, processing power, sensing) provided the necessary platform for the large-scale development and deployment of computing applications (for example, machine learning, data science, cloud/edge computing, blockchain, computer vision, virtual reality, autonomous vehicles, personal assistants). These applications have effectively generalized digital modeling to society at large, thus accelerating the digital transformation. Yet most of the general public sees only the wonders of these applications, unaware of what makes them tick. That is, these wonders are the manifestations of advances in computing systems (software and hardware).

Q) If you weren't working in the computer science field, what would you be doing instead?

A) In high school, I enjoyed very much history, literature (specifically poetry), and geography. I craved learning about other places, other people, and ancient times. I am still fascinated by these topics as they relate to society. Outside computer science, and specifically nowadays, I would dedicate my time to gain a humanistic understanding of the current state of affairs of our society, and hopefully share this understanding with others.

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) On the one hand, machine learning will face its litmus test to prove whether it is indeed artificial intelligence (AI) or just a sophisticated predictive statistics. On the other hand, computer science will take us beyond science fiction. It will continue the digital transformation by blurring the real and the virtual, allowing us to naturally move in and out. It will also provide all the tools for tyrants to subjugate their people. As for me, I am working on the notion of primitive learning, that is, a natural state in which infants and toddlers acquire knowledge effortlessly. I would like to develop a virtual environment that will give them more joy in their instinctive and continuous search for knowledge.

Q) What is your favorite type of music?

A) I enjoy a wide spectrum of music, whether it is “Ne Me Quitte Pas,” “Stairway to Heaven,” “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “The Sound of Silence,” “Carolina in My Mind,” or The Four Seasons. I also enjoy classical Algerian music, called Andalusian music, which originated in Andalusia at the end of the first millennium and is the first model of symphonic music.

Click here to read one of Boumediene’s highlighted reviews.

 

Featured in Five: Grigore Albeanu

Featured in Five is a monthly section where we pose five questions to a Computing Reviews featured reviewer. Here are the responses from our May featured reviewer, Grigore Albeanu.

 

Q) What is the most important thing that's happened in computing in the past 10 years?

A) The most impressive fact is related to AlphaGo Zero. The challenge now is how to transfer the experience for solving other tasks. Sure, a lot of technologies have been developed to increase communication speed and computation power, but creating more intelligent machines is very exciting.

Q) If you weren't working in the computer science field, what would you be doing instead?

A) During gymnasium, my dream was to go into physics. However, I learned computer science in high school, and then studied mathematics and computer science at university. If I had not had that particular high school experience, I think I would have gone on to study physical geography and geophysics.

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) Quantum computing will have a great impact on the future of the Internet and computing. As a computer science professor and researcher, I will continue to teach and develop algorithms, not only in classical paradigms but also in the quantum computing field.

Q) Who is your favorite historical figure? Why?

A) I have been impressed by many personalities in computing history, but I consider Alan Turing my favorite, as he is the father of computer science and artificial intelligence. 

Q) What is your favorite type of music?

A) I appreciate many types of music, including folk, country, and rock, but my favorite sounds come from classical pieces.

Click here to read one of Grigore’s highlighted reviews.

Featured in Five: Soon Ae Chun

Featured in Five is a monthly section where we pose five questions to a Computing Reviews featured reviewer. Here are the responses from our April featured reviewer, Soon Ae Chun.

Q) What is the most important thing that's happened in computing in the past 10 years?

A) Technology has advanced rapidly, creating global super-connectivity and thus the sharing of information among computers, devices, sensors, and humans. This connectivity has generated a huge amount of data of all sorts of formats and types, moving society into the Information Age. However, in my mind, the most impactful change in the last ten years is the democratization of computing due to smartphones, where information “processing” has become everybody’s business, beyond information technology (IT) and technical computing communities.

The byproducts of computing, such as data, machine learning models, and artificial intelligence (AI) machines, are readily available to users, empowering them to be more aware of societal issues. For example, the data policies, personal data collection, and usage/storage behaviors of IT companies have become a big issue for both individuals and governments. The issues raised by systemic biases embedded in AI and machine learning models include inequality and exclusion, which many computing fields have traditionally considered “somebody else’s problem.” They are no longer separate fields of study. This trend of rethinking the computing field’s priorities and convergence with other social issues will continue in the coming years, as it is key to becoming a more user-sensitive, information-centered, and intelligence-focused society.

Q) If you weren't working in the computer science field, what would you be doing instead?

A) I would have liked farming in the countryside: a simple life of predictable outputs and regularities, close to nature, and working with a close-knit community. 

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) As mentioned above, the “future” of computing will need to consider some qualitative dimensions: morality, ethics, fairness, inclusiveness, and so on. The fact that IT companies take the lion’s share of profits regardless of these dimensions will not (and should not) be acceptable or sustainable. As computer scientists, we should be aware of the pervasive impact of IT on every aspect of society. Furthermore, we are responsible for our artifacts and products, as well as the processes involved in making them. 

I am looking into the impact of technology on governments, governance, and citizens, with the hope that a transformed future society facilitated by computing can be designed better if we consider and overcome various challenges posed by non-algorithmic aspects we did not deeply incorporate. Standing at the threshold of the next stage in the Information Age, there is still much to do: redefining what we mean by democracy in this hyper-intelligent society, and what the socioeconomic policies in this technology-driven society should be, and clarifying many other concepts such as collaborative governance, transparent and fair governments, and citizen participation.    

Q) Who is your favorite historical figure? Why?

A) I like ordinary people, as each individual lives their life with unique experiences, challenges, and achievements. Every human being seems to go through life’s unique path, but most people’s records are not preserved like those of well-known historical figures due to their “ordinary” status. I admire the crowds who make small impacts via their personal lives in each era. Without them, heroic figures would not exist. For example, without patients willing to go through clinical studies, medical scientists may not discover culminating results, and without small voices from crowds, we may not have towering political leaders.    

Q) What is your favorite type of music?

A) I like all sorts of music: classical, rock, indie music, and K-pop. They all convey human emotions, impressions, and life lessons in different formats and in different eras.  Music is a language understood by everyone, touching upon all aspects of humanity.  

Click here to read one of Soon’s highlighted reviews.