tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post116723332949818086..comments2024-03-29T08:55:55.727-05:00Comments on Computational Complexity: Foundations and ImpactsLance Fortnowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06752030912874378610noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-1167320106292000312006-12-28T09:35:00.000-06:002006-12-28T09:35:00.000-06:00Hmmmm ... kind of a bland & cynical thread so far!...Hmmmm ... kind of a bland & cynical thread so far! <BR/><BR/>Just to ask a non-bland and non-cynical question, how many people would agree that in order to dramatically increase the NSF's broad impact on society, the NSF should adjust its 2008 budget to allocate support 50%-50% between fundamental scientific and mathematical research on the one hand, and practical engineering research on the other hand?<BR/><BR/>At present, the NSF Engineering Directorate receives approximately 10% of the NSF's overall budget (<A HREF="http://www.nsf.gov/about/budget/fy2007/pdf/2-SummaryTablesandCharts/05-FY2007.pdf" REL="nofollow">summary here</A>, <A HREF="http://www.nsf.gov/about/budget/fy2007/toc.jsp" REL="nofollow">details here</A>). <BR/><BR/>Isn't this engineering choke-point, arguably, the main obstacle that prevents the NSF's (fiscally much larger) investment in science and mathematics from achieving a broader impact on society and the economy?<BR/><BR/>To put it another way, if an adjustment along these lines isn't made, every engineering department in the country is going to have to start teaching Mandarin as a required language, because the Mandarin-speaking community will complete its rapidly accelerating program of becoming the <A HREF="http://courses.washington.edu/goodall/Journal/ji/QSE_Roadmap_34_sustained_lower.pdf" REL="nofollow">dominant language of system engineering</A> in the 21st Century.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-1167293175359113772006-12-28T02:06:00.000-06:002006-12-28T02:06:00.000-06:00By the way, the NSF highlighted list-decoding as o...By the way, the NSF highlighted list-decoding as one of the breakthroughs coming from NSF-sponsored research. Are there more theory-related such highlights? Are there similar results that should be highlighted but have not yet been? That might help with crafting a general story for theory, as Lance suggests.<BR/>http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=100256&org=NSFAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-1167292961689824952006-12-28T02:02:00.000-06:002006-12-28T02:02:00.000-06:00Yes, it is possible to say bland and uninspiring t...Yes, it is possible to say bland and uninspiring things in the "broader impacts" section. It is also possible to do more and make that section less of a joke. Some of the things I've heard of that people have done include developing educational material for high school students, volunteering their expertise in computer science for the benefit of local organizations, and getting involved in policy issues related to their research. These are concrete things that go beyond just vaguely promising to educate more students.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-1167247310519299302006-12-27T13:21:00.000-06:002006-12-27T13:21:00.000-06:00Unfortunately, the "broader impacts" section of NS...Unfortunately, the "broader impacts" section of NSF proposals has become a joke, as anyone who has ever written or reviewed a proposal likely knows. Almost everyone says essentially the same meaningless blather: how we are going to make sure to educate students (especially women and minorities!) and how furthering understanding of [insert proposal topic here] is both of fundamental importance and likely to lead to useful results. Bah.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722233.post-1167243702314995702006-12-27T12:21:00.000-06:002006-12-27T12:21:00.000-06:00Yawn. Didn't see many talks on disributed memory a...Yawn. Didn't see many talks on disributed memory algorithms. Wonder how many of these guys are back in PRAM land.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com