The Bekey Distinguished Lecture & Munushian Distinguished Lecture Present: Gordon Bell, Microsoft Researcher Emeritus

Speaker: Gordon Bell, Microsoft Researcher Emeritus

Talk Title: Bell's Law of Computer Classes. Why We Have All Kinds of Computers

Abstract: In 1951, a person could walk inside a computer and by 2010 a single computer (or “cluster’) with millions of processors has expanded to building size.  Alternatively, computers are “walking” inside of us. These ends illustrate the vast dynamic range in computing power, size, cost, etc. for early 21st century computer classes.       A computer class is a set of computers in a particular price range with unique or similar programming environments (e.g. Linux, OS/360, Palm, Symbian, Windows) that support a variety of applications that communicate with people and/or other systems. A new computer class forms roughly each decade establishing a new industry. A class may be the consequence and combination of a new platform with a new programming environment, a new network, and new interface with people and/or other information processing systems.  Bell’s Law accounts for the formation, evolution, and death of computer classes based on logic technology evolution beginning with the invention of the computer and the computer industry in the first generation, vacuum tube computers (1950-1960), second generation, transistor computers (1958-1970), through the invention and evolutions of the third generation TTL and ECL bipolar Integrated Circuits (1965-1985), and the fourth generation bipolar, MOS and CMOS ICs enabling the microprocessor, (1971) represents a “break point” in the theory because it eliminated the other early, more slowly evolving technologies. Moore’s Law (Moore 1965, revised in 1975) is an observation about integrated circuit evolution.  In summary, Moore’s Law and Bell’s effectively predict the ensuing fifty years of the computer.  This lecture satisfies requirements for CSCI 591: Research Colloquium.   To register visit: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6If3BkOATE8onTmrYZNSr0pzWF47TedNKMrwnukr0Ue_k8w/viewform

Biography: Gordon Bell is a Microsoft Researcher Emeritus He  spent 23 years at Digital Equipment Corporation as Vice President of R&D, responsible for  the first mini- and time-sharing computers and DEC's VAX, with a 6 year sabbatical at Carnegie Mellon. In 1987, as NSF's first, Ass't Director for Computing (CISE), he led the National Research and Education Network panel that became the Internet. In 1987 he established the Gordon Bell Prize to recognize the extraordinary efforts to exploit modern highly parallel computers. Bell maintains three interests: computers: their evolution and use, technology-based startup companies, and lifelogging. He is a member or Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Association of Computing Machinery, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Science, the Australia Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and received The 1991 National Medal of Technology. He is a founding trustee of the Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA. and lives in San Francisco.  http://gordonbell.azurewebsites.net

Host: Cyrus Shahabi

Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: CS Events