Blockchain, though no one on hn really understands it. :D
Why do you think so? The math behind blockchain is pretty easy and well explained.
Ask HN: What are the most interesting emerging fields in computer science?
21–30 of 183 posts
Re: Ask HN: What are the most interesting emerging fields in computer science?
#22Internet of Things. It is still in development and there are lots of stuff to work on.
Re: Ask HN: What are the most interesting emerging fields in computer science?
#23Internet of Things. It is still in development and there are lots of stuff to work on.
Currently there are a lot of noise in the field, but this is practically how data driven approach is applied to real world with all the sensor data collected. It is ripe for a lot of innovation.
Re: Ask HN: What are the most interesting emerging fields in computer science?
#24AI, machine learning, and neural networks are, of courwe, booming, but I consider them to be hyped. I consider type theory and formal verification to be more promising (but more academic). Distributed systems and everything having to do with parallel and/or high-performance systems is a good midway between what the industry likes and what's interesting from an academic point of view.
Haha.
Formal verification has been around for 40/50 years and we can't say it is a wide success from a industrial point of view. It has some achievements in terms of results/methods and projects checked, but on a daily basis, pretty much no one uses it. We are ages away of having every programmer understanding formal verification and having all programs verified/proved.
Type theory is in a similar situation. Many issues in code could be solved with basic typing algorithms but people and companies favor languages with poor/no typing (python, Javascript).
Re: Ask HN: What are the most interesting emerging fields in computer science?
#25Quantum computing?
Yes. Once we build a scale-able quantum computer it will revolutionize so many fields. Simulating chemistry suddenly would become practical. We could broaden our understanding of biochemistry and materials science without designing fickle experiments, just by simulating things. This would be a real game changer and will probably lead to a bunch of breakthroughs on the way to protein-based nanotechnology.
Re: Ask HN: What are the most interesting emerging fields in computer science?
#26AI, machine learning, and neural networks are, of courwe, booming, but I consider them to be hyped. I consider type theory and formal verification to be more promising (but more academic). Distributed systems and everything having to do with parallel and/or high-performance systems is a good midway between what the industry likes and what's interesting from an academic point of view.
Haha. Formal verification has been around for 40/50 years and we can't say it is a wide success from a industrial point of view. It has some achievements in terms of results/methods and projects checked, but on a daily basis, pretty much no one uses it. We are ages away of having every programmer understanding formal verification and having all programs verified/proved. Type theory is in a similar situation. Many iss…
Not so long ago the same could be said about AI.
Re: Ask HN: What are the most interesting emerging fields in computer science?
#27Homomorphic encryption is a mind-blower. But I fear that we may never see it in it's fullest glory. It's going to be computationally too expensive or too impractical for reason or another. One can still hope.
Aren't ring confidential transactions (RingCT), used in some cryptocurrencies a form of homomorphic encryption which is being applied now?
Re: Ask HN: What are the most interesting emerging fields in computer science?
#28Swarm Computing. The hardware and networking to make it practical and useful exist now, but the field is still in its infancy. There‘s some discussion about its use in autonomous driving, construction, warfare.
Re: Ask HN: What are the most interesting emerging fields in computer science?
#29AI, machine learning, and neural networks are, of courwe, booming, but I consider them to be hyped. I consider type theory and formal verification to be more promising (but more academic). Distributed systems and everything having to do with parallel and/or high-performance systems is a good midway between what the industry likes and what's interesting from an academic point of view.
Funny, distributed systems supervisors often warn their students that there is a huge disconnect between theory and practice and if they really want to be in the field.
I was amazed when I took a distributed systems class what exists or is known about but is almost never used. Still, an expert there is probably pretty industry friendly, and someone somewhere must have a distributed objects/CORBA system that can't be dismantled.
Re: Ask HN: What are the most interesting emerging fields in computer science?
#30Just as an angle to answering the question (I don't have answers of my own)....
What was the most interesting CS field(s) in 2008, 98, 88, etc?