Talks
The Betty Behrens Seminar on Classics of Historiography
Paul Seaward on "The History of the Rebellion" by Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon
Honorary fellows prize lecture - Could computers understand their own programs?
Wed 19 November 2014
Chemistry, Department of
Honorary fellows prize lecture - by Professor Sir Tony Hoare FRS FREng, Microsoft Research Limited and Computer Laboratory
Aristotle showed how humans can understand the processes of our own rational thinking. Euclid showed us how to understand simple programs for a wide range of useful geometric constructions. Turing showed us how to understand the more complex and more general programs of the present day. Finally, Turing suggested that we can test the understanding of computers in the same way that we used to test the understanding of our students: by an interactive examination.
From these historic insights, I will argue for a positive answer to the question of my title. Again following Turing, I will suggest that exploitation of this potential understanding is a Challenge for Computing Science that may take fifty years of international collaborative effort to achieve. The effort will be justified if it enables computers to help in programming themselves more efficiently and more reliably than humans do.
A COMPLIMENTARY DRINKS RECEPTION TO FOLLOW ON AFTER THE LECTURE WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE FOYER TO THE LECTURE THEATRE FOR ALL ATTENDEES
Cost: free
Enquiries and booking
No need to book.
Enquiries: Beverley Larner Website Email: philosoc@hermes.cam.ac.uk Telephone: 07870 671715
Timing
Venue
| Entrance to the lecture theatre is opposite the Scott Polar Research Building, off Lensfield Road
A complimentary drinks reception to follow on after the lecture will take place in the foyer to the lecture theatre, for all attendees. |
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| Address: | Chemistry, Department of Bristol Myers-Squibb Lecture Theatre University Chemical Laboratory Lensfield Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB2 1EW |
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| Email: | reception@ch.cam.ac.uk |
| Telephone: | +44 1223 336300 |
| Fax: | +44 1223 336362 |
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