There are two questions. One is about computer science vs the rest of math. The other is about computer science vs nuclear energy. I’m going to answer the computer science vs nuclear engineering question.
The reason software advances faster than nuclear power is cost. Nuclear reactors are big, expensive, dangerous and highly-regulated. Digital computers are small, cheap, safe and unregulated.
The reason we need more programmers than nuclear scientists is complexity. Computers must be programmed differently for every application. Nuclear reactors don’t.
Nuclear energy has just one use: energy. Basically all of our machines are powered by electricity. If you build a nuclear reactor that can produce electricity then you’re done. You don’t have to design a special reactor just for farm equipment.
Digital computers are control systems. Different control systems must be programmed differently for each application. The instructions you give to a robot car are different from the instructions you give to a robot surgeon.
There are two questions. One is about computer science vs the rest of math. The other is about computer science vs nuclear energy. I’m going to answer the computer science vs nuclear engineering question.
The reason software advances faster than nuclear power is cost. Nuclear reactors are big, expensive, dangerous and highly-regulated. Digital computers are small, cheap, safe and unregulated.
The reason we need more programmers than nuclear scientists is complexity. Computers must be programmed differently for every application. Nuclear reactors don’t.
Nuclear energy has just one use: energy. Basically all of our machines are powered by electricity. If you build a nuclear reactor that can produce electricity then you’re done. You don’t have to design a special reactor just for farm equipment.
Digital computers are control systems. Different control systems must be programmed differently for each application. The instructions you give to a robot car are different from the instructions you give to a robot surgeon.
Good point, the control system aspect is another side of the universalizability thing.