这个问题来自于对过去50年左右计算领域各种进展的评论。

其他一些与会者请我把这个问题作为一个问题向整个论坛提出。

这里的基本思想不是抨击事物的现状,而是试图理解提出基本新思想和原则的过程。

我认为我们在大多数计算领域都需要真正的新想法,我想知道最近已经完成的任何重要而有力的想法。如果我们真的找不到他们,那么我们应该问“为什么?”和“我们应该做什么?”


当前回答

什么都没有。

我认为这是因为人们改变了他们的态度。人们过去相信,只要找到“好点子”,就能一夜暴富。如今,人们相信,回报最大的是执行过程,而不是发现过程。你有诸如“想法一毛钱一打”和“第二只老鼠得到奶酪”这样的咒语。因此,人们专注于开发现有的想法,而不是想出新的想法。

其他回答

上世纪八十年代初,施乐帕洛阿尔托研究中心对计算机蠕虫进行了研究。

摘自John Shoch和Jon Hupp的“蠕虫”程序——分布式计算的早期经验”(ACM通讯,1982年3月,第25卷第3期,172-180页,1982年3月):

In The Shockwave Rider, J. Brunner developed the notion of an omnipotent "tapeworm" program running loose through a network of computers - an idea which may seem rather disturbing, but which is also quite beyond our current capabilities. The basic model, however, remains a very provocative one: a program or a computation that can move from machine to machine, harnessing resources as needed, and replicating itself when necessary. In a similar vein, we once described a computational model based upon the classic science-fiction film, The Blob: a program that started out running in one machine, but as its appetite for computing cycles grew, it could reach out, find unused machines, and grow to encompass those resources. In the middle of the night, such a program could mobilize hundreds of machines in one building; in the morning, as users reclaimed their machines, the "blob" would have to retreat in an orderly manner, gathering up the intermediate results of its computation. Holed up in one or two machines during the day, the program could emerge again later as resources became available, again expanding the computation. (This affinity for nighttime exploration led one researcher to describe these as "vampire programs.")

引用艾伦·凯的话:“预测未来最好的方法就是创造未来。”

忆阻器。

虽然这个想法并不比1980年更新,但我相信直到2008年才有了一个可行的模型。如果它能通过研发,它将是自晶体管以来计算机硬件领域最重大的进步;至少,消除了次要记忆。

数字音乐合成器。

我认为,整个音乐场景都受到了廉价复调合成器的影响。 早期的复调合成器是有效地多个模拟合成器(离散或使用CEM或SSM芯片)。它们都很昂贵,而且数量有限。在80年代,第一个数字系统出现了(我不确定,但我认为Kurzweil是第一个)。 今天,大多数都是数字的——甚至模拟的也是典型的“虚拟模拟”。

问候

编辑:哎呀-我刚刚发现CMI灯管是在1978年发明的。忘掉上面的,抱歉。

1980年1月2日我开始编程。我试着思考在我的职业生涯中有哪些重大的新发明。我很难想出一个。大多数我认为重要的东西实际上是在1980年之前发明的,但直到1980年之后才被广泛采用或改进。

Graphical User Interface. Fast processing. Large memory (I paid $200.00 for 16k in 1980). Small sizes - cell phones, pocket pc's, iPhones, Netbooks. Large storage capacities. (I've gone from carrying a large 90k floppy to an 8 gig usb thumb drive. Multiple processors. (Almost all my computers have more than one now, software struggles to keep them busy). Standard interfaces (like USB) to easily attach hardware peripherals. Multiple Touch displays. Network connectivity - leading to the mid 90's internet explosion. IDE's with Intellisense and incremental compiling.

虽然硬件有了巨大的进步,但软件行业一直在努力跟上。我们比1980年领先了几光年,但大多数改进都是改进,而不是发明。自1980年以来,我们一直忙于应用技术进步,而不是发明创造。就其本身而言,这些渐进式的发明大多不重要或不强大,但当你回顾过去29年,它们相当强大。

我们可能需要接受渐进式的改进并引导它们。我相信真正原创的想法可能会来自很少接触计算机的人,而且他们越来越难找到。

I'd say the biggest trend is an ever increasing lack of location dependence and pervasiveness. An interesting philosophical exercise these days is to count the computers in you immediate area. They're everywhere desktops, keyboards, microwaves, radios, televisions, cell phones etc... My grandmother computer is illiterate however her life is as infested with small computers as everyone else's. She can make a call to me from the middle of an empty field. I can then answer that call zipping down the highway.