Computer Science at the Center of the Universe

I was just watching the keynote for Google I/O in which Google’s CEO, Eric Schmidt said, “I’m one of these people who believes Computer Science is at the center of the Universe.” I think this is one of my new favorite quotes. Quote at 4:34 in the video below.

It’s very exciting to read about the latest and greatest technology. Sometimes, however, I stop and wonder if all this technology really for the better? I was reading a blog post by Michael Zimmer titled Amusing Ourselves to Death: The Comic. His posts are mostly about online privacy, however, this particular post brought attention to a comparison between Orwell’s 1984, which I’ve started reading, and Huxley’s Brave New World, which I’ve now added to my reading list. I don’t have time to provide my thoughts on the matter, nonetheless I thought it was worth sharing. I’ll end by saying that if this technology wasn’t for the better, then I’d be out of a job :)