Truman Days 2018

Potentially relevant links

(url:   http://joeposnanski.com/hamilton/)

Hamilton cast at the White House

Discussion Questions:

Question One

The Federalist Papers were anonymous documents trying to persuade people how to vote and what to believe in a contested political environment. What could possibly go wrong?

How is this relevant today? What aspects of the situation are similar to today and what aspects are different?
Question Two

Alexander Hamilton came from an impoverished, West Indian, immigrant family and was an orphan. Yet he managed to become powerful and influential. How do you think his diverse background helped and hindered him as he tried to become successful in the world?

Computer Science as a field is disproportionately made up of white men. Why do you think this is the case? Have you experienced or witnessed incidents that you think might have had a negative (or positive) influence on people considering computer science as a field? How does our lack of diversity affect the field and what might we do to address this problem?

Examples of Big Questions in Computer Science

What is intelligence? Do machines have it now? Will it ever be possible for a machine to have it?
How (and why?) did human language evolve and will machines ever effectively use/understand human language?
How does semantics emerge from syntax? Or where does meaning come from in language?
Does P = NP ?
How can we strike a balance between security and privacy on one hand and openness and flexibility on the the other hand?
What is an appropriate set of professional ethics for a computer scientist? How can we balance conflicts between employer/client interest and societal good? (Sort of a CS version of the tragedy of the commons.)
What are the trade-offs between open vs. closed software development in our society?

Truman Foundation Scholarships

Truman Catalog

CS 100