TORONTO, March 19, 2003 -- York University launches a public lecture series this Sunday, Mar. 23 that offers a rare public glimpse into the philosophical ideas driving advancement in modern computer science and engineering, demystifying the technology and restoring the human dimension of computing for the lay person.
The topics profile advanced research at York and range from virtual reality environments and the creation of robots with vision, to the latest advances in digital multimedia and Artificial Intelligence. Hosted by the department of computer science and engineering in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science, the lectures will convene in the new ‘green’ Computer Science & Engineering Building, which won the Governor General’s medal in architecture last year and World Architecture Magazine’s "Green Building of the Year" award for its environmental breakthroughs and modernist style uncharacteristic of the computer science field.
"York is certainly shaping a new approach to computer sciences," said Peter Cribb, chair of the computer science department. "These lectures will not only benefit young people interested in the science, but also provide a glimpse of the future of computing for adults." They may also provide useful teaching tools to high school educators where computerization is increasingly integrated into the daily curriculum but little understood at a philosophical level.
"This is where the excitement for the science originates as young people and older generations alike are able to make sense of it in real-life terms," said Cribb. A lecture on theory will demonstrate the often simple logic of problem solving in abstract mathematics and the discussion of databases and data mining will shed light on the increasing value of this sector to creating profits and competitive edge in business.
The lectures are every Sunday, at 3 p.m. from Mar. 23 to May 18 in the ‘smart’ lecture hall C in the Computer Science & Engineering Building. They will be delivered by York scholars who are making significant breakthroughs in computer science research. For a complete program and details of each lecture, visit the computer science Web site: www.cs.yorku.ca/publicSeminars. They will be one hour in length followed by a question and answer session on computer science and computer engineering programs at York.
-30-
For further information, please contact:
| Prof. Peter Cribb | Susan Bigelow |
| Chair, Department of Computer Science | Media Relations |
| Faculty of Pure and Applied Science (FPAS) | York University |
| York University | 416-736-2100, ext. 22091 |
| 416-736-2100, ext. 33977 | sbigelow@yorku.ca |
| peterc@cs.yorku.ca |
YU/031/03
