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Category Archives: Philosophy

Languages and automata, part 2

Today an oppressive, passivizing heat covers Tokyoites like a massive woollen blanket. Summer is here. In a feeble attempt to defy the heat, I follow up on my previous post on languages and automata. That post ended with the suggestion that we can apply these concepts to interactions in society. But can we? As a […]

Posted 12 July 2009 † johan § Computer science ‡ Comments (3) ° Tagged: , ,

Languages and automata, part 1

Computing is very new as a science. Blaise Pascal devised a mechanical calculator in 1645, but Charles Babbage’s analytical engine, widely considered the first programmable computer, was not conceived of until the mid-19th century. However, it was never constructed (unlike Babbage’s simpler “difference engine”), and even at this time there was almost no theory to […]

Posted 06 July 2009 † johan § Computer science ‡ Comments (2) ° Tagged: , , , ,

Computing in and with the physical world

Computers are connected to people, and to the physical world, through input/output devices. These are not just keyboards, mice, monitors, printers etc, but also various sensors, e.g. temperature, light, movement sensors and video cameras, and output devices like industrial control systems or robots. Every day, we increase the extent of what computers can observe, and […]

Posted 11 June 2009 † johan § Computer science ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: , , ,