Many people think computer science is just programming, and see little of intellectual interest in it. This perception prevails at a time when the appreciation of computation and its role is increasingly important across the whole sweep of human enterprise. This talk will argue that computation is best understood as a powerful form of representation. This view clarifies how computer science relates to other disciplines, and provides a basis for reframing its intellectual themes. The talk draws on ideas of computer pioneer Peter Naur, as well as theoretical work on the theory of measurement and representations.

Clayton Lewis is Professor of Computer Science, Fellow of the Institute of Cognitive Science, and Scientist in Residence at the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He is well known for his research on evaluation methods in user interface design. He earned an AB in mathematics from Princeton University, an MS from MIT, for interdisciplinary study in mathematics and linguistics, and a PhD from the University of Michigan in experimental psychology.