If the Industrial Revolution
was about extending
the power of human muscle
with inventions like the Steam Engine, then …
the computer revolution is about extending
the power of
the human mind.
… and algorithms are the key.
Algorithms: The Ever-Growing, All-Knowing Way Of The Future by Laura
Sydell. NPR: All Things Considered. May 14, 2012.
Teaching High School
Computer SciencE
As if the Rest of the World Existed:
Applied CS
across the Secondary
STEM, Humanities and
Arts Curriculum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uOxOgm5jQ4
LOW OVERALL ENROLLMENTS
Jan Cuny, who administers CE21 funding at NSF, has repeatedly said that
high school is the crucial piece in boosting enrollment numbers: "Without
the HS piece, anything we do for middle school will be lost " and "anything
we do at the college level will be insufficient."
Result of a survey polling 836 calculus and pre-calc high school students
"showed that High School students are severely lacking in experience with
computing, particularly in formal classroom experience. The vast majority
of students had no concept of what a Computer Science major entails.
The top reasons for not choosing a CS major for both male and female
[students] were the lack of desire to sit in front of a computer all day, and
the fact that they had already chosen another major. The number one
reason to choose a CS major for men was their interest in computer
games, and for women was their desire to use it in another field."
Carter, L., Why Students with an Apparent Aptitude for Computer Science Don’t
Choose to Major in Computer Science. SIGCSE ’06, March 1–5, 2006, Houston,
Texas.
COOL NEW APPROACHES
America’s youth perceive Computer Science to be difficult, tedious,
boring, irrelevant and asocial. Unfortunately, many traditional introductory
Computer Science classes and textbooks do little to improve that image.
In contrast, CONTEXTUALIZED APPROACHES to teaching
introductory Computer Science are very attractive. Instead of writing a leap
year program, students can learn about conditional statements by
programming a robot to follow a light, or by creating an animation to tell a
story, or even by modifying a picture of the college president so that she is
wearing a neon orange jacket instead of a navy blue one.
The arguments in favor of contextualized approaches to attract nonComputer-Science-majors to our classes are very persuasive. But what
about students who then choose to major or minor in Computer Science?
Of course we want to offer them interesting and engaging first courses in
Computer Science, and indeed this may help with our efforts to attract more
students to our programs. But what happens in subsequent semesters?
Kay, Jennifer (Rowan Univ, NJ), Contextualized Approaches to Introductory
Computer Science: The Key to Making Computer Science Relevant or Simply Bait
and Switch? SIGCSE’11, March 9–12, 2011, Dallas, Texas, USA .
Low Overall Enrollments
“Cool” contextualized
approaches
AP EXAM
– 2010 (media, Alice, Scratch) may be
N having
Number
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showing
at the post-secondary level, 14,191
but they
C promise
E&M
US don’t
Students
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Government
& Politics
16,864
These are good
tools,
but they may need to be used differently.
taking
Music
Theory
17,267
tactic might
be to somehow
Computer Science
A
20,120
AP Exams A reasonable
“hitchArt
ourHistory
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21,643
(by
Subject)
12xthey
fewer
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students
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flock to,Cand
whose
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UNDERSTAND.
Mechanics
31,973
took the CS exam than
Economics - Micro
51,601
took Calculus AB.
Physics B
67,312
Human Geography
68,397
Calculus BC
78,998
It’s
safe
to
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that
Economics – Macro
83,146
courses with the
least
Environmental Science
86,650
student participation
European History
102,629
Chemistry
115,077
lack BROAD APPEAL
Statistics
129,899
as academic subjects,
World History
167,789
i.e. they have
an
Biology
172,512
image / P.R. problem.
Psychology
177,708
Government & Politics United States
211,681
Calculus AB
245,867
English Literature
353,781
English Language
374,620
United States History
387,416
COOL NEW APPROACHES
Attempting to address the problems of low enrollments and low
participation rates by females and URMs, CS educators and policy makers
determined that CS education needs to begin in earnest as early as middle
school. Using such innovative programming environments as Robotics,
Alice, Processing and Scratch, and a range of curricula from simple to
sophisticated, educators have sought to introduce students at all K-12
levels to "computational thinking".
One major deficiency, though, is a COHERENT CONTEXT for this material.
Though this was a problem before the introduction of these tools,
students after such courses are still left with little to no idea how they can
use the concepts they’ve learned in REAL-WORLD APPLICATIONS and
CONTEXTS. No matter how engaged students may be, if the contexts for
the problems they work on are short, game-related or make-believe, the
message teachers send is that CS has no real world applications of any
consequence or value beyond entertainment, self-expression or theory.
Such curricula tend to trivialize CS in pursuit of a perceived trade-off for a
rise in engagement at the expense of real world connections (and rigor).
COOL NEW APPROACHES
Such curricula typically focus exclusively on concepts that have
traditionally been part and parcel of lower level college CS courses for the
last two or three decades – for all intents and purposes unchanged
Additionally, they do nothing to counter the popular misconception
pigeonholing CS as a field whose principal applications are limited to
Gaming, Social Media, the Internet and Mobile Devices.
During those same decades, however, the applications of CS have
expanded to encompass a hugely diverse range of academic, scientific,
commercial and social fields. K-12 CS educators have failed to
incorporate or even reference these CONNECTIONS in their curricula in
any serious or comprehensive way.
An apt comparison might be teaching the fingerings of a musical
instrument using only practice exercises, with no attempt to play real
music compositions, even simplified ones. By not staying current vis-à-vis
the reach of CS across academic fields, educators have acquiesced in a
curriculum that is by default TRUNCATED.
INTERDISCIPLINARY
A review of recent literature regarding interdisciplinary approaches
to teaching CS found the following programs at the college level:
1. Bioinformatics / Computational Biology: 157 undergraduate
programs [majors/minors] in North America
2. Mathematical Biology: Mathematical Modeling of Biological
Systems (Truman State Univ)
3. Design of Intelligent Spacecraft (UNCC)
4. Music (Univ of Massachusetts, Lowell / Computing and Music
Committee of SIGCSE 2010)
5. Computational Linguistics (NACLO, Univ of Michigan, CMU)
6. Mathematics : math games, graph theory, heuristics
(Kingsborough Community College of the City Univ of New York)
7. Computational Journalism (College of New Jersey)
UNCC offered "a highly interdisciplinary course to students during
the Spring 2007 semester: DESIGN OF INTELLIGENT SPACECRAFT.
The course integrates concepts from mathematics, physics,
engineering and computer science for the purpose of educating 4th
year undergraduate and introductory masters-level students on the
design of intelligent spacecraft. Course content is divided into two
pedagogically separate parts":
1. The historical development of physical models, including
mathematical models for celestial mechanics and
thermodynamics.
2. Application of these models for creating intelligent spacecraft, i.e.,
applications of these models to pattern recognition, computer
vision, and image processing.
Willis, A; Conrad, J.M. Design Of Intelligent Spacecraft: An Interdisciplinary
Engineering Education Course. Proceedings of the 2008 ASEE Conference,
Pittsburgh, PA, June 2008.
DESIGN OF INTELLIGENT SPACECRAFT (cont)
Part 1. Specific classical topics include celestial mechanics and
thermodynamics which are introduced using excerpts from original
works of the scientists that defined and revolutionized our
understandings of these fields. Some scientists considered are
Aristotle, Tycho, Kepler, Newton, Euler, Bernoulli, Fourier and other
scientists relevant to course topics. Historical content is
complemented with discussion on contemporary space missions
relevant to the discussion topic. For example, historical discussions
on the discoveries of Cassini or Galileo includes discussions on the
recent Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn. Further, these discussions
include mission spacecraft type, its relevant design considerations
and mission objectives. Discussion of mission objectives serve to
highlight current boundaries of scientific knowledge and how
specific space missions seek to understand topics at these
boundaries.
DESIGN OF INTELLIGENT SPACECRAFT (cont)
Part 2. Students implemented programs relevant to spacecraft
design. Programs included physical simulations of celestial
mechanics, thermodynamics, and signal processing programs for
image manipulation and signal compression. Project topics reinforce
topics covered in Part 1 of the course. Results for physical
simulations are compared against theoretically perfect results for
thermodynamic simulations and established gold-standards from
NASA’s HORIZONS system in the case of celestial mechanics.
Applications of these mathematical models in electrical engineering
lead to signal processing projects which motivate subsequent course
topics on communication, image processing and image
compression.
This paper includes successes, failures and lessons learned in
teaching a course with such diverse content and analyzes how well
the mixture of history / engineering was received by the students.
NACLO (North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad)
includes problems in both TRADITIONAL LINGUISTICS and
COMPUTATIONAL LINGUISTICS. "The traditional problems are in
the style of the International Linguistics Olympiad (ILO) and include
deciphering texts in lesser-known languages (such as Aymara from
Bolivia, Hmong from Cambodia, and Huishu from India), as well as
number, kinship, and calendar systems. We have collaborated
closely with colleagues in linguistics departments to collect original
problems in this genre."
"The computational linguistics problems are the most innovative
component of the contest ... So far, we have included problems in
Parsing, Optical Character Recognition, Text Summarization,
Information Answering, Spelling Correction, Lexical Acquisition,
Speech Processing and Finite State Automata."
Radev, D.; Levin, L. Engaging High School Students in Interdisciplinary Studies:
Expanding the Pipeline. Computing Research News, Vol. 21/No. 4, September
2009.
COMPUTATIONAL JOURNALISM
COMPUTATIONAL JOURNALISM is emerging as a
discipline in its own right, gaining traction in higher education. For
example, Georgia Tech offers a course on computational journalism
and Columbia University recently announced a new dual Master of
Science program in Computer Science and Journalism. At Duke
University, researchers and professors at the DeWitt Wallace
Center for Media & Democracy are examining computational
journalism, and journalists and computer scientists are working
together to create software tools intended to help reporters move
more quickly to produce in-depth, authoritative stories. The Medill
School of Journalism at Northwestern University is offering
scholarships to lure programmers and web developers to their
journalism master’s degree program.
Pulimood, S.M.; Shaw, D.; Lounsberry, E. Gumshoe: A Model for Undergraduate
Computational Journalism Education. SIGCSE’11, March 9–12, 2011, Dallas,
Texas, USA.
COMPUTATIONAL JOURNALISM
Initially, an Excel spreadsheet was created that listed demographic data for each
person arrested for violating 18 Pa. C.S.A. § 6106, carrying a firearm without a
license, in a sample period of January-February 2006. … 613 defendants were
tracked… Using Pennsylvania’s online court dockets, the journalism students
painstakingly created and populated several more columns of data, for example
felony charges like murder, manslaughter, aggravated assault, rape, etc. while in
possession of a firearm that, under Pennsylvania law, theoretically should result in a
convicted gun offender receiving a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five
years.
The goal of the project was defined as developing a CAR (Computer-Assisted
Reporting) system to store, manage, track, and query data on gun crime in the
Philadelphia region.
The project wanted to answer the questions:
1. What happens to defendants arrested for gun-related crimes?
2. How many people serve prison time for committing violent felonies with guns?
3. Are cases regularly being dismissed or bargained down?
COMPUTATIONAL JOURNALISM
However, as the data grew, effective data management and analysis became more
challenging… It was clear that a well-designed database system would go a long way
in helping to analyze the data and find meaningful patterns and information.
Moreover, it would eliminate data redundancy, improve data integrity, improve data
accessibility, and enforce data consistency. The students in the project spent time
analyzing a number of data querying and organization methodologies to determine
which would be most effective for the CAR system.
Based on 859 dockets in a two month sample, the data and results of the analysis
were presented to The Inquirer, which in December 2009 published a four-part
series that documented the widespread failure of violent-crime prosecutions in the
Philadelphia court system.
Taking a broad look at the crimes of murder, rape, robbery and aggravated
assault, the newspaper revealed a dysfunctional system in which defendants had a
better than 50-50 chance of walking free, with dismissal or withdrawal of all
charges.
The series showed that Philadelphia had the nation’s lowest felony conviction rate
even as law-enforcement authorities struggled with crime rates above the national
average.
MUSIC: "Now more than ever, we musicians find ourselves in an age
where technologically almost anything is possible. It is therefore
crucial that we understand what makes computers function and
acquire a strong working knowledge of programs and the coding
behind them. Interdisciplinary collaboration helps cultivate new and
exciting innovations that can bring about the revitalization of CS
education for which Performamatics was conceived. Using music as a
hook, we can create innovative live performances and interesting
visuals in conjunction with “musical live coding” to tap the imagination
of people who might never have considered CS as a possible major.
People (like myself) tend to be intimidated by the mystifying technical
jargon. However, with more exposure to interesting multi-disciplinary
projects, students can start thinking computationally and actively using
that new way of thinking in a hands-on way without even realizing they
are doing so."
Ruthmann, A.; Heines, J.M.; Greher, G.R.; Laidler, P.; Saulters, C. Teaching
Computational Thinking through Musical Live Coding in Scratch. SIGCSE’10,
March 10-3, 2010, Milwaukee, WI
PEDAGOGY
In CS Education, new student software tools appear at a relatively
fast clip, e.g. Processing, Alice, Scratch, BYOB/Snap, but little
collective thought is focused on how best to use these tools. In
high school educational settings, these tools are primarily used to
engage students using story-telling or games, and lesson content is
often shallow.
Moreover, curricula fail to explore and fully exploit in new ways
the possibilities that these tools offer. The strength of Alice and
BYOB, and Processing is their ability to visually model problems
and clarify the algorithms used for their solution.
For example, using Alice, students can build a simplified replica of
the solar system (and contemplate calculating the trajectory of a space mission
to Mars); they can use Processing to construct biologically important
molecules to elucidate disease or drug mechanisms. That is, they
can use these IDEs to build on ACADEMIC knowledge they
already have.
Curricula centered around tasks such as skaters performing
pirouettes around holes in the ice tend to trivialize CS in pursuit of a
perceived trade-off for engagement at the expense of real-world
connections and rigor (though this instructor found students
quickly losing patience with make-believe scenarios).
PEDAGOGY
An alternative to a CS-concepts-first curriculum is one whose units
revolve around a CENTRAL PROBLEM which students solve over a
period of several weeks using whatever CS tools are needed.
In mathematics, IMP1 (Interactive Mathematics Program), created
with the support of NSF in the 1990s, is such a curriculum. IMP is
a 4-year program of problem-based mathematics that replaces the
traditional Algebra I-Geometry-Algebra II/TrigonometryPrecalculus sequence.
"IMP units are generally structured around a complex central
problem. Although each unit has a specific mathematical focus,
other topics are brought in as needed to solve the central problem,
rather than narrowly restricting the mathematical content. Ideas
that are developed in one unit are usually revisited and deepened in
one or more later units."
For example, although the real-world application is a stretch, the
complex problem posited by IMP’s High Dive (Year 3) unit has
students calculate at what point a circus performer on a turning Ferris
wheel should dive so as to land in a tub of water on a moving cart.
1
http://www.mathimp.org/general_info/intro.html
http://www.mathimp.org/curriculum/AppendixA.html (Unit Summary)
IMP: Interactive Mathematics Program
The HIGH DIVE problem. Students extend right-triangle trigonometric
functions to the circular functions, learn about the graphs of the sine and
cosine functions, study polar coordinates, inverse trigonometric
functions, and the Pythagorean identity, and study the physics of falling
objects.
Guidelines for Interdisciplinary Problem-Based CS Units
1. Software Engineering Approach. Computer Science’s natural
relationship to other disciplines is Software Engineering, a field which uses
programming and CS concepts, along with expert knowledge of specific
target topics, to model and solve societal problems and needs. The vast
majority of topic areas lie outside the field of CS proper.
2. A Multi-Week Central Problem. Each unit lasts several weeks and
revolves around solving a central problem in the target topic area. A
software solution evolves in a scaffolded way, utilizing whatever CS
concepts and control structures may be required. Various strategies are
attempted at each step in a problem’s solution, and students examine the
advantages and disadvantages.
3. Modeled After Real Applications. One way instructors can foster
connections is by having students create small scale versions of engaging
and complex real world applications. With little imagination, students
should be able to envision logical extensions of their projects to the already
existing and more complex programs from which student exercises were
inspired.
Guidelines for Interdisciplinary Problem-Based CS Curricula
4. Interdisciplinary Knowledge Provides Context. To solve a unit’s central
problem, students will need to become familiar with relevant concepts in
geometry, trigonometry, biology, physics and so forth. This reflects typical
considerations that software engineers encounter in their day-to-day work, i.e.
programmers must not only be proficient in their own field, but must have
knowledge of the specific non-CS systems they are modeling in order to write
accurate, robust and logically organized programs. Pedagogically, this gives
students multiple CONTEXTS for recalling and integrating what they learn.
5. Social / Historical Context. Units also place the central problem within a
SOCIAL or HISTORICAL CONTEXT. This provides students an explanation why
solving the central problem is important in the first place. These so-called
back-stories may utilize Literature, Theatre, History, Social Studies, Economics,
Film and Art in making those connections. This is NOT done in a tokenistic way.
This part of the unit may take up to several days and in some cases more than a
week of class time. Students are assessed on this material in a serious way, such
as writing an essay in response to a choice of several prompts.
6. Connections to Other Academic Fields. Units should make CREDIBLE connections to topics students have already studied in other ACADEMIC courses.
Units written (1st draft) and taught (2011) 1
1. Around the World in 24 Days (Geography).
Relativity of Time Perception when Circumnavigating the Globe
Excerpts from Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days.
2. Joshua at Giv’on, Commanding the Sun to Stand Still: Galileo's Revolution (Astronomy).
Modeling the Copernican and Ptolemeic Planetary Systems to illustrate the phases
of Venus and retrograde planetary motion (using Alice). The Inquisition and
Galileo's Recanting of the Copernican Model. Bertolt Brecht's play Life of Galileo.
3. The Right to Vote (History).
Optical Scan Technology and Voting Machines. Democracy in the context of both
the women's suffrage movement and the contested 2000 Florida Presidential
election (Bush vs Gore).
Films: Recount and Iron-Jawed Angels.
4. The Discovery of the DNA Double Helix (Biology / Biophysics / History of Science)
Computer Graphics and Molecular Modeling Software as applied to the
Hydrogen Bonding of bases between the two anti-parallel strands of a DNA
molecule. Using this structural model to explain point mutations. History of
the complex interactions/clashes between the discoverers of the structure of
DNA: Rosalind Franklin, Maurice Wilkins, Frances Crick and James Watson.
BBC Film: Life Story / Double Helix.
1
Moodle Course: http://dmhsport.mdl.gnomio.com/course/view.php?id=2
Click on the Login as a guest button.
Enrollment Key: portnoffBYOB
Units in the planning stages
5. Computer Science Ethics: IBM's Strategic Contribution to the Efficiency of Nazi
Germany's Final Solution (History)
Before the invention of computers, PUNCH CARD TECHNOLOGY was used to solve databaserelated problems. The sorting and tallying algorithms used by Hollerith machines to process
these cards were precursors of methods used for present-day databases. IBM and its German
subsidiary were active participants in the processing of census data used to identify, transport
and exterminate the Disabled, Jews, Gypsies, Homosexuals and Communists throughout
Europe from 1933 through 1945. Excerpts from the book: IBM and the Holocaust. Films:
Diary of Anne Frank, A Film Unfinished.
6. Evolution and Social Reaction (Evolution, Genetics, Bioinformatics).
Using Genomic Databases to Align DNA/Protein sequences from related species
and Build Phylogenetic (Evolutionary) Trees. Play: Inherit the Wind.
7. The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple (Environmental Science)
Predator-Prey Population Simulation Software, and the unintended
consequences of human activity, such as overfishing.
8. On the Road (Geometry / Math) GPS and Routing Programs
- A GPS program based upon triangulation of satellite data, equations for
calculating longitude and latitude on a sphere, and a geographic database.
- A routing program using Dijkstra's shortest path algorithm (like MapQuest).
9. Music (Electronic Music and Music Visualization Software)
Simulations of Music Animation Machine and/or Synthesia.
Case Study: Wendy Carlos: Electronically Synthesized Music
IBM’s Role in the Holocaust
IBM and the Holocaust http://www.ibmandtheholocaust.com/
Bioinformatics Resources
Teacher Seminar on Bioinformatics:
Computer Science in a Biological Context
Location: Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA (85 miles west of Philadelphia)
Dates: Last Week in June, 2½ Day Workshop, Application, Stipend
Contact: Prof. Ellie Rice (erice@fandm.edu)
http://www.fandm.edu/bioinformatics/high-school-teacher-opportunities
Databases, Online Resources
NCBI: National Center for Biotechnology Information
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
ENSEMBL (west): Joint project of Welcome Trust Sanger Institute & EMBL-EBI
http://uswest.ensembl.org/index.html
PDB: Protein Data Bank
http://www.pdb.org/pdb
Bioinformatics Activity Bank
http://teachingbioinformatics.fandm.edu/
The Clinic for Special Children, Strasburg, PA
Studying and Treating Genetic Diseases of the Old Amish & Mennonite Communities
http://www.clinicforspecialchildren.org
Through My Window – Remarks at the 125th Year Celebration of Children’s Hospital of Boston:
http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/22042890/334253992/name/Holmes+Morton+Through+My+Wi
ndow.pdf
Books on Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics for Dummies
Authors: Jean-Michel Claverie Ph.D., Cedric Notredame Ph.D.
http://www.dummies.com/extras/bioinformatics_fd/
An Introduction to Bioinformatics Algorithms
Authors: Neil C. Jones & Pavel A. Pevzner
http://bix.ucsd.edu/bioalgorithms/
Exploring Bioinformatics: A Project-Based Approach
Authors: Caroline St. Clair & Jonathan E. Visick
http://biology.jbpub.com/bioinformatics/
CS Careers
(
www.dotdiva.org)
Advertising
Augmented reality ads that virtually bring products to life.
A digital fashion show with customizable models that match the
consumer's clothing size and body type.
Video billboards that let advertisers change their messages daily.
Archaeology & Anthropology
Software that helps archaeologists determine the age of ancient
Mayan jewelry.
An online oral history project that collects songs and stories from
Native American cultures.
A 3-D virtual museum of religious objects from indigenous
communities around the world.
Art & Art History
A database to preserve images of fragile paintings and sculpture.
A virtual tour of an ancient Greek or Chinese temple.
A 3-D drawing and painting program that lets an artist simulate
mixed media.
Astronomy & Space Exploration
Powerful telescopes that offer high resolution imaging of our earliest
galaxies.
Sophisticated explorer robots that collect samples on other planets.
A GPS-enabled sky chart app to easily locate stars, planets, and
constellations.
Business
High-definition videoconferencing that makes it feel as if everyone is
in the same room.
A cloud computing platform that hosts a company's technology
infrastructure, saving huge amounts of time and money.
A data visualizer that transforms dull spreadsheets into interactive
graphics.
Communications
A communications device with voice synthesis and a touch screen
that enables speech-impaired stroke patients to carry on
conversations.
Software that allows military and government agencies to instantly
share classified data about potential terrorist attacks.
Computer Graphics & Media
A 3-D simulation of the rise in sea levels around the world from
global warming.
Crowd flow models to ensure the safety of cars and pedestrians
during parades, concerts, and sporting events.
Cooking
Internet-enabled refrigerators and cabinets that monitor your food
supplies and organize your shopping list based on the recipes
you select.
A digital cookbook that guides you from the beginning of a recipe to
the end, and includes a question-and-answer capability.
A sensor that lines the bottom of a cake pan and notifies you when
your cake is done to perfection.
Disabilities
A program that helps people with physical disabilities create art,
even though they may no longer be able to hold a paintbrush.
A computer chip that enables people who are paralyzed to move their
limbs.
GPS systems for people who are blind.
Education
Interactive whiteboards that are even more interactive.
Software for medical schools that features 3-D virtual patients.
Digital research labs that link international scientists virtually,
allowing them to collaborate on pressing global issues.
Engineering
Software that can predict the durability of bridges during earthquakes.
A "smart" wheelchair with a GPS navigator for severely handicapped
people.
Solar design software that analyzes the type of solar panels that
would work the best in a green building.
Environment
Software that can monitor the spread of pollution through the Great
Lakes.
Wireless sensors that can track endangered polar bears in the
Arctic.
Environmental forecasting that allows scientists to collect and analyze
climate change data from every corner of the world.
Fashion & Design
A shopping app that helps you choose styles—and then recommends
matching accessories, and where to buy them.
A home design program that records a room's parameters and helps
the user redesign realistically and within budget.
Film, TV & Theatre
A digital set design program that lets you add virtual actors to the set
and visualize how all the elements interact.
Internet TV that lets you talk to your friends, browse web sites, and
update social media, all while watching the program of your
choice.
Forensics & Detective Work
A DNA scanner that can instantly sift through the files of crime
suspects.
A mobile forensics lab for on-the-spot analysis of evidence at crime
scenes.
Software that can create a 3-D visualization of blood spatter based on
the type of weapon used and the proposed orientation of the
murderer and victim.
Gaming
Video games that rely more on a teen's brainpower than finger
dexterity.
Games that speak to the interests and experiences of girls and
women.
Computer games designed to address the social and educational
needs of autistic children.
Health & Fitness
A wearable device that calculates how many calories a person burns
each day.
Interactive simulations that demonstrate yoga sequences—and
modify the poses according to one's level of experience.
A pharmaceutical app that helps you identify thousands of
drug interactions and potential side effects.
Human Rights
A secure database to record human rights abuses that shields the
identity of victims or witnesses.
Online petition software that can instantly collect signatures about
urgent causes.
A mobile toolkit that allows human rights workers to discreetly video
and document abuses in remote or dangerous areas.
Humanitarian & Disaster Relief
Proximity-location devices to keep relief workers and
separated families connected during disasters.
A camera phone microscope that can diagnose diseases in remote
areas without access to hospitals.
Internet Technology
A single interface that gathers and streams together all the social
media we use.
A personalized search engine so accurate it seems to be reading our
minds.
Journalism
A mobile device that lets reporters research and fact-check stories as
they write them, without having to open a separate search
engine.
A real-time news feed that provides updates in five, ten, or twentyminute intervals for news-hungry readers.
A recording device that picks up an interviewee's voice even when
there's lots of ambient noise—and provides a highly accurate
transcription.
Languages
Audio language translators that sound like a native speaker instead of
a robot.
A smart recorder that translates your question into another language,
and then translates the response of a native speaker into
English.
A wearable computer for people who are deaf that translates
American Sign Language.
Law
A web portal with a database of pro bono lawyers and other legal
services for low-income people.
A mobile app that puts all state and federal laws at a lawyer's
fingertips.
An online small claims court site that helps people prepare, file, and
serve a claim quickly and cheaply.
Literature
E-readers that hold an entire library of books.
Children's e-books with animated illustrations.
A cyber bookstore that's "device neutral," and lets users download
content to any smart phone.
Math
Software that analyzes DNA sequencing in plant and animal
genomes.
Global climate models to predict how Earth's climate is
changing.
A data mining tool that measures poverty and income inequality
around the world.
Medicine
Video-conferencing allowing for a real-time consultation among
doctors in different parts of the world.
A smartphone-based fetal monitor for rural areas.
Music
A cloud computing storage platform for your entire music collection,
so you can play anything anytime from any device.
On-line guitar instructor that lets you know when you’re out of tune
or if your rhythm is off.
Politics
A news app that collects and organizes articles and videos about the
political issues you care about.
A mobile tool allowing urban dwellers to report potholes, trash, and
other local annoyances directly to city hall.
Virtual political communities that mobilize people to meet and organize
in real life.
Poverty & Social Justice
A program that identifies available shelter space for the homeless
within a city.
A web-based tool to monitor the safety of blood supplies in
developing countries.
Psychology
A phone app that helps people deal with stress and reinforces basic
cognitive therapy techniques.
Brain imaging software that helps analyze schizophrenia.
An interactive program that teaches psychologists how to have effective
conversations with their patients for short-term therapy.
Public Safety
An airline accident simulator that can pinpoint a plane crash and help
rescue people faster.
An early emergency warning system in your car that can anticipate a
collision.
Robotics & Artificial Intelligence
Security systems with face, speech, and handwriting recognition.
A robot than can perform brain surgery while a patient is in an
MRI machine, making impossible operations possible.
Science
Software that evaluates the genetic make-up of individuals with
predispositions to disease.
Simulations that can predict the strength, velocity, & path of a tornado.
Undersea vehicles that are capable of exploring the depths of the
ocean floor.
Social Networking
Group texting that's easy and fast, so you can form new groups
instantly.
A charity network that lets you team up with others to support a cause.
Sports
An app that offers real-time updating on scoring, stats, and other
info for baseball.
A wearable monitor that provides verbal feedback on your skiing
technique.
A marathon app that provides you with a customizable training
program, records your progress, and gives you a daily pep talk.