Workshop on Computation

The workshop on the Origins and Nature of Computation is over. It was an amazing experience: many of the best computability theorists and computer scientists, philosophers of computation, and historians of computation discussing together.

One of the presenters, Stewart Shapiro, has a new book on Vagueness in Context (OUP, 2006), which looks very interesting, especially for philosophers interested in concepts.

Another presenter, Saul Kripke, gave a provocative talk arguing that the best argument for the Church-Turing thesis is based on the idea that computation is a form of valid mathematical reasoning, plus the principle that all forms of valid mathematical reasoning can be formalised in first order logic, the completeness of first order logic, and the fact that first order logic is recursive. Something to think about.

I wish I had time to write more on the workshop but I don't. I invite everyone to look up the presenters and their published works.