gistfile1.txt

Our next PL/SE Lunch will be:

Day: Tuesday, October 30
Time: Noon to 1:30
Place: 32-D463 (Star)

The speaker is Xipeng Shen.

Title: Do Computer Programs Have to Be As Dumb As They Are?

Looking around this world, we see that a fledgling can fly faster and
faster, a pupil can calculate quicker and quicker, and a graduate
student can write papers better and better.  But since the birth of
computers, it has been the case that after the release of a software package,
the one millionth run of the program is typically not a bit better
than its first-time run. Do programs have to be this dumb? In this
talk, I will discuss the barriers that cause such dumbness, our
efforts in creating a more intelligent paradigm, and some open
challenges that you may be able to help address.