[comp.ai.digest] Is Computer Science is Science?

dml@NADC.ARPA (D. Loewenstern) (09/17/87)

>From: kodak!elmgate!ram@cs.rochester.edu  (Randy Martens) 
 
>I am of the firm opinion that there is NO such thing as 
>computer science.  To quote (and I have forgotten the attribution) 
>"Computer Science bears the same relationship to Real Science, that 
>plumbing bears to Hydrodynamics." 
 
>There is, however, Computer Engineering. (and Software Engineering, 
>and Systems Engineering etc.).  Science is the discovery of the new. 
>Engineering takes what the scientists have found, and finds ways 
>to do useful things with it.  The two are like Yin and Yang, closely 
>interrelated, but not the same, and each dependant on the other. 
 
I think that what Mr. Martens has said is: 
  1. a. Science is the discovery of the new. 
     b. There is no such thing as computer science. 
     => There is no discovery of the new in the realm of computers. 
  2. a. Engineering takes what the scientists have found... 
     => Computer Engineering takes what the Computer Scientists have found... 
     b. There is no such thing as computer science. 
     => There are no computer scientists. 
     => Nothing has been found by computer scientists. 
     => Computer Engineering takes nothing and finds ways to do useful
        things with it.  (8v))




David Loewenstern
Naval Air Development Center
code 7013
Warminster, PA 18974-5000

<dml@nadc.arpa>