Reed's Ruminations: The Past, Present, and Future

In my recent Computing Research Association (CRA) column, I reflected on the sense of wonder and empowerment that comes from informed curiosity:

• Realizing—for the first time—that you could read
• Standing in the stacks of a great library, marveling at the accumulated knowledge
• As a teacher, seeing enlightenment on students’ faces
• Realizing as a researcher that you knew something never before known
• Holding the galley proof of your first research paper
• Seeing your first program come to life
• Feeling the power of shared thought in a great research team

Each of us became researchers via personal paths. Our stories differ, and each is interesting as an example of computing’s intellectual attraction and vibrancy. Share yours – it matters.