Ask HN: What are current CS subfields in their infancy?
My wife (a chemist) and I were recently talking about Watson and Crick and other work that had a significant impact on the life sciences. She asked an interesting question which I was unable to satisfactorily answer:
What are some examples of computer science subfields which are in their infancy today?
Two examples I came up with were quantum computing and nanoscale computing+robotics. These are fields which (to my knowledge) are still in their infancy today but which I think will have a significant impact within the somewhat near future. It's also perhaps interesting that both of those subfields are interdisciplinary and not pure CS.
This is a train of thought along the same lines as Richard Hamming's "You and Your Research" talk (http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~robins/YouAndYourResearch.html). While I think Hamming comes across here as elitist and arrogant, he does have an interesting point: if you don't know what the important problems or areas are in your field, you can't be an effective representative.
What are some examples of computer science subfields which are in their infancy today?
Two examples I came up with were quantum computing and nanoscale computing+robotics. These are fields which (to my knowledge) are still in their infancy today but which I think will have a significant impact within the somewhat near future. It's also perhaps interesting that both of those subfields are interdisciplinary and not pure CS.
This is a train of thought along the same lines as Richard Hamming's "You and Your Research" talk (http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~robins/YouAndYourResearch.html). While I think Hamming comes across here as elitist and arrogant, he does have an interesting point: if you don't know what the important problems or areas are in your field, you can't be an effective representative.