A few weeks ago, I blogged about the Thermodynamic Computing workshop that took place in Honolulu between January 3-5. Today a new episode of the Catalyzing Computing podcast is available that features an interview with two of the workshop organizers, Tom Conte (Georgia Tech) and Todd Hylton (UC San Diego). In this interview we discuss their reasons for proposing the workshop, what thermodynamic computing is, and the potential impact that thermodynamic computing could have on future technology. I also sit down with workshop participant Christof Teuscher (Portland State University) to discuss his thoughts on the workshop and his work with new models of computation, including computing with DNA. You can stream or download the […]

In May 2018, the Computing Community Consortium (CCC) hosted a workshop on quantum computing, titled Next Steps in Quantum Computing: Computer Science’s Role. The workshop brought together computer scientists – including computer architects, compiler experts, and programming wonks – with physicists and researchers from quantum computers. A workshop report was released in November, 2018. The workshop report is now available in a Japanese translation done by the Yoshi-aki Shimada of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) on their Qmedia website, which focuses on quantum technology. Japan Science and Technology Agency was formed by merging two existing organizations: Japan Information Center of Science and Technology (JICST) and Research Development Corporation of […]

The following is a letter to the community from National Science Foundation (NSF) Director, France A. Córdova. Dear Colleague: The National Science Foundation is initiating a national search for the Assistant Director for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE). We seek your assistance in the identification of visionary candidates to lead the Directorate during the coming years. Dr. James Kurose has served in this position with distinction since January 2015. He has worked with his NSF colleagues on new initiatives in Harnessing the Data Revolution and other NSF Big Ideas; and with the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), other Federal agencies, industry partners, and the academic research […]

Contributions to this post were provided by the Computing Research Association’s Director for Government Affairs, Peter Harsha, and Computing Community Consortium’s Director, Ann Drobnis. Today President Trump signed an executive order on Maintaining American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence calling on Federal agencies to prioritize investments in research and dedicating Federal resources to boost U.S. artificial intelligence (AI). In an accompanying fact sheet, the White House explained the goal of the order: Americans have profited tremendously from being the early developers and international leaders in AI. However, as the pace of AI innovation increases around the world, we cannot sit idly by and presume that our leadership is guaranteed. We must […]

The Computing Community Consortium (CCC) recently released the first episode of the “Catalyzing Computing” podcast, and episode 2 is available now. The podcast is hosted by CCC Program Associate Khari Douglas and features interviews with researchers and policy makers about their background and experiences in the computing community. The podcast will also offer recaps of visioning workshops and other events hosted by the CCC. If you want to learn about some of the computing community’s most influential members or keep tabs on the latest areas of interest then, this is the podcast for you! The second episode of Catalyzing Computing is part 2 of the interview with CCC Council Member […]

The Computing Community Consortium (CCC) recently hosted a visioning workshop on Thermodynamic Computing in Honolulu, Hawaii in order to establish a community of like-minded visionaries; craft a statement of research needs; and summarize the current state of understanding within this new area of computing. The premise behind thermodynamic computing is that striving for thermodynamic efficiency is not only highly desirable in hardware components, but may also be used as an embedded capability in the creation of algorithms. Can dissipated heat be used to trigger adaptation/restructuring of (parts of) the functioning hardware, thus allowing hardware to evolve increasingly efficient computing strategies? Recent theoretical developments in non-equilibrium thermodynamics suggest that it drives […]