Ask HN: What is the Holy Grail for Software Engineering? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: What is the Holy Grail for Software Engineering?

#21

Post by redthrowaway » Sat, Dec 04, 2010, 1:59 AM UTC

jashkenas wrote: post #5

Holy grail, eh? Well, if you really want to swing for the fences... * Programming a computer in plain English. * Teaching a machine to compose (real) music, or draw (real) art. * Simulating a brain -- or, even better, emulating one. * A programming language that makes it possible to write code that's worthy of being read as literature.

While I agree those are worthy goals, the middle two are CS, not SENG. Real AI is probably the loftiest goal in CS, but it requires a lot more theory work before anyone will be able to implement it.

Re: Ask HN: What is the Holy Grail for Software Engineering?

#22

Post by evanrmurphy » Sat, Dec 04, 2010, 2:02 AM UTC

To make software so extensible that you never have to rewrite it, or so painless to rewrite that you never mind.

Re: Ask HN: What is the Holy Grail for Software Engineering?

#23

Post by binaryfinery » Sat, Dec 04, 2010, 2:05 AM UTC

The Singularity.

http://mindstalk.net/vinge/vinge-sing.html

I think Vinge explains it better than Kurzweil.

Re: Ask HN: What is the Holy Grail for Software Engineering?

#24

Post by Tichy » Sat, Dec 04, 2010, 2:06 AM UTC

Doing correct time estimates? Finding an engineering methodology that actually works?

Re: Ask HN: What is the Holy Grail for Software Engineering?

#25

Post by curt » Sat, Dec 04, 2010, 2:14 AM UTC

How to talk to women? Couldn't resist.

Re: Ask HN: What is the Holy Grail for Software Engineering?

#26

Post by evanrmurphy » Sat, Dec 04, 2010, 2:15 AM UTC

binaryfinery wrote: post #23

The Singularity. http://mindstalk.net/vinge/vinge-sing.html I think Vinge explains it better than Kurzweil.

Vinge's "superhuman intelligence" rhetoric bothers me because it suggests that intelligence is a one-dimensional quantity. I don't think this makes sense except in the context of specific domains. For example, a basic calculator has superhuman intelligence when it comes to arithmetic, because it can evaluate arbitrary expressions much faster than a human can and doesn't make mistakes. But it's dumb about everything else.

Update: The child comment by binaryfinery points to where Vinge addresses this. Sorry, I failed to add the disclaimer that I only skimmed the article.

Re: Ask HN: What is the Holy Grail for Software Engineering?

#27

Post by kingsidharth » Sat, Dec 04, 2010, 2:28 AM UTC

It's a Holy Grail. It's a mystery!

Re: Ask HN: What is the Holy Grail for Software Engineering?

#28

Post by alnayyir » Sat, Dec 04, 2010, 2:34 AM UTC

Here's a real holy grail of software engineering that might actually be attainable without getting Strong AI.

Significant code reuse without using a lot of hacks. I think Lisp and Ruby made great strides towards this, but I don't think we're quite there yet.

Re: Ask HN: What is the Holy Grail for Software Engineering?

#29

Post by RK » Sat, Dec 04, 2010, 2:35 AM UTC

Provably secure, stable, error free code.

Re: Ask HN: What is the Holy Grail for Software Engineering?

#30

Post by binaryfinery » Sat, Dec 04, 2010, 2:40 AM UTC

evanrmurphy wrote: post #26

binaryfinery wrote: post #23

The Singularity. http://mindstalk.net/vinge/vinge-sing.html I think Vinge explains it better than Kurzweil.

Vinge's "superhuman intelligence" rhetoric bothers me because it suggests that intelligence is a one-dimensional quantity. I don't think this makes sense except in the context of specific domains. For example, a basic calculator has superhuman intelligence when it comes to arithmetic, because it can evaluate arbitrary expressions much faster than a human can and doesn't make mistakes. But it's dumb about everything e…

FTFA: "Let an ultraintelligent machine be defined as a machine that can far surpass all the intellectual activities of any any man however clever"