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Post date: Aug 2, 2011 11:49:02 AM
C S, I,
N C
G. Rozenberg
The spectacular progress in Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
is very much supported by the evolution of computer science which designs and
develops the instruments needed for this progress: computers, computer networks,
software methodologies, etc. Since ICT has such a tremendous impact on our ev-
eryday life, so does computer science.
However, there is much more to computer science than ICT: it is the science
of information processing, and as such it is a fundamental science for other sci-
entific disciplines. On the one hand, the only common denominator for research
done in all so diverse areas of computer science is thinking about various aspects
of information processing. Therefore, frequently used (mostly in Europe) term
“Informatics” is much better than “Computer Science” – the latter stipulates that
a specific instrument, viz., computer, is the main research topic of our discipline.
On the other hand, one of the important developments of the last century for a
number of other scientific disciplines is the adoption of Information and Informa-
tion Processing as their central notions and thinking habits – biology and physics
are beautiful examples here. For these scientific disciplines informatics provides
not only instruments but also a way of thinking.
I am convinced that one of the Grand Challenges of informatics is to under-
stand the world around us in terms of information processing. Each time progress
is made in achieving this goal, both the world around us and informatics benefits.
Since nature is a dominating part of the world around us, one way to understand
this world in terms of information processing is to study computing taking place
in nature. Natural Computing is concerned with this type of computing as well as
with its main benefit for informatics, viz., human-designed computing inspired by
nature. Research in natural computing is genuinly interdisciplinary, and therefore
natural computing forms a bridge between informatics and natural sciences. It has
already contributed enormously to human-designed computing: consider, e.g., all
the advances made through neural networks, evolutionary algorithms, quantum
computing and molecular computing. Most importantly, this research has led al-
ready to a deeper and broader understanding of the nature of computation.
In summary: the attractiveness and beauty of informatics as a science is that
while it is a fundamental science for a number of scientific disciplines, it is also
the main force behind the development of ICT, and through this development it
influences and revolutionizes our everyday life. Natural computing is an important
vehicle of progress for both of these facets of informatics. Let’s propagate then
and develop the science of informatics (and present it to “the outside world”)
this way. Both informatics (viewed as above) and natural computing have great
future!!!
January 2005
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