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Hello World! In this video, we will introduce you to the wonderful world of computer science. We will establish a definition of the term "computer science" and set expectations of what to expect in this workshop.
Resources
- Virginia Tech - Other Definitions of Computer Science
- Hidden Figures (20th Century Studios)
- Katherine Johnson, American mathematician (1918-2020)
- Dorothy Vaughan, American mathematician (1910-2008)
- Mary Jackson, American mathematician (1921-2005)
- Edsger Dijkstra, Dutch computer scientist (1930-2002)
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[MUSIC]
0:00
Hello, world.
0:09
My name is Richard,
I'm an instructor at Treehouse,
0:10
and my background is computer science.
0:13
Your first question might be,
what exactly is computer science?
0:16
Is it the science of
working with computers?
0:20
Well, there's no set definition.
0:23
It seems that every major university and
0:26
computing organization
has their own take on it.
0:28
To help us define computer science,
0:32
consider the Oscar nominated film
Hidden Figures released in 2016.
0:35
It was the true story of Black women who
are hired at NASA to perform complex
0:40
mathematical calculations for
upcoming space missions.
0:45
Their job title, computers.
0:49
So the term computer science doesn't
necessarily refer to this machine we call
0:53
a computer, because the term existed long
before computers were widely available.
0:58
In fact, Edsger Dijkstra,
1:03
an influential figure in the early days of
the discipline, once stated that computer
1:05
science is no more about computers
than astronomy is about telescopes.
1:10
It has been argued that a more appropriate
term might be computing science,
1:17
although most of the work in the modern
age is done for and by computers.
1:22
So here's our definition.
1:29
Computer science is the study and
design of algorithms,
1:31
computations, and information systems,
in both theory and
1:35
practice, typically with
the aid of computers.
1:40
I know, that's a mouthful.
1:45
As we move forward, we will provide more
1:47
understanding of the term computer
science as you begin this new journey.
1:50
Just like telescopes are tools
in the study of astronomy,
1:55
computers are tools in computer science.
1:59
In the next video, we will unpack
the history of computers and the Internet.
2:03
See you there.
2:08
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