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From: retrac@titan.rice.edu (John Carter)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: What is Computer Science?
Message-ID: <450@ra.rice.edu>
Date: Fri, 13-Nov-87 11:41:05 EST
Article-I.D.: ra.450
Posted: Fri Nov 13 11:41:05 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 15-Nov-87 09:44:03 EST
References: <933@ssc-bee.ssc-vax.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@rice.edu
Reply-To: retrac@rice.edu (John Carter)
Organization: Rice University, Houston
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Sender:


In article <933@ssc-bee.ssc-vax.UUCP> thornton@ssc-vax.UUCP (Ken Thornton) writes:
>The study of computers isn't science, unless one extends the definition
>of computer beyond the digital instruments we all are familiar with.
>After all, anyone with a background in chemistry and physics knows
>exactly how a computer works.

    You seem to be confusing Computer Science and Computer Engineering!
The study of computer science is NOT the process of learning how these piles
of silicon and metal work physically.  Computer science is the study of the
fundamental abstractions and practices that are used with computers.


>Writing compilers and computer languages is not science.
    In general I agree, but I would also say that the design of *new*
varieties of language (i.e. a language with fundamentally new semantics),
data communication protocols, algorithms, compiler optimizations, etc. ARE
science.  Writing code from specifications is "science" in the sense that
a chemist sitting in his lab doing a standard process/test is.  Nothing
theoretical - merely putting known practices in to use.


>Most CS majors are not scientists. They are programmers.
    Sure, at the BS level.  Are most BA/BS physicists or chemists really
doing SCIENCE?  From what I've seen the answer is no - many are basically
lab technicans and the like.  The theoretical work in even the "pure"
sciences is done by people with PhD's - this is also true in Computer
Science.  What do you think constitutes SCIENCE - do you have to be a lab
measuring physical phenomena?  If that's what you think SCIENCE is then I
can understand why you don't think CS is science. That's not my view.


    To summarize, I think that developing new ideas/practices for languages,
communications, algorithms, models, etc., etc. in computer science is just
as much "science" as what is considered science in biology, chemistry and
physics.  I don't think there have to be physical phenomena involved to
constitute science.  I agree that most people coming out with an
undergraduate degree in CS from most schools are more "programmers" that
"scientists", though I don't see how this affects the basic argument that CS
is a science.

John Carter
Rice University, Dept. of Computer Science

P.S. The CS department here is in the School of Engineering (along with
     the Mathematical Sciences department and the standard engineering
     departments).  The School of Natural Sciences has physics, bio, chem,
     and mathematics.

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