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Initiative for Autonomic Computing Gains Strength

museumpeace writes "Tired of fixing your computer? What if your system broke down two billion miles from the nearest spare part or human? NASA has just held a colloquium where Ulster University computer science researcher Roy Sterritt was invited to present his ideas on Autonomic Computing. In the last few years,the leading system vendors have realized 'There is no less than a crisis today in three areas: cost, availability and user experience.' There has been a fair amount of academic research since customers like NASA see in it the potential to make remotely operated complex systems sustainable. It all makes for some very cool systems design work and there are lots of further research opportunities. Just don't forget what it may do to your job."

11 of 96 comments (clear)

  1. A Crisis! The sky is falling! by EatenByAGrue · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yah the leading system vendors have realized there's a crisis. How else are they going to sell more systems if the ones in place now aren't dangerously unstable? They could probably explode at any minute, are toxic, and will probably delete all my data at any second.

    I better go buy a new computer.

  2. Two words: by bourne_id · · Score: 2, Funny

    Automated nanobots

    Now we need only worry about the whole thing going berserk, killing the crewmembers, and attempting to destroy the Earth.

    JMD

    --
    When all else fails, feel free to panic.
  3. Self-fixing computer? by ralphart · · Score: 4, Funny

    If self-fixing computers become the norm, that means half the phone calls I get from friends will stop.

    Hmmm....bug or feature?

  4. It's ubiquitously useable knowledge by Artifakt · · Score: 3, Funny

    It's just about impossible that a tecnic that makes robotic spacecraft all that much more self sufficient will be confined to just robotic space travel for long. If NASA is successful, we will see widespread robotization here on Earth as a consequence.
    30 years from now, this will be characterized as a 'mere spin off', and instead of bitching about Moonrocks, ignorant people will be saying "We spent billions to send robot probes to Pluto, and all we got was a bunch of contaminated Helium."

    --
    Who is John Cabal?
  5. command line to estimate Autonomic flaws in files by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    grep -c icrosoft *

  6. Obligatory: by Vengeance · · Score: 2, Funny

    I for one welcome our new miniature overlords.

    --
    It was a joke! When you give me that look it was a joke.
  7. computer system of the future... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    .. consists of a dog and a man (and a computer of course).

    the man is there to feed the dog, the dog is there to keep the man away from the computer

  8. they'll just get dumber by Darthmalt · · Score: 3, Funny

    There's a race, Manufactuer's building smarter computers and AOL signing up dumber users.

    So far AOL is winning

  9. lemme guess by ilmdba · · Score: 2, Funny

    code name for this project 'SkyNet' by any chance?

  10. Re:Change how you view yourself and your job... by Baal+Sebub · · Score: 2, Funny
    I don't think we have much to worry about - the costs will be prohibitive for all save the largest organizations

    I predict that within 100 years computers will be twice as powerful, 10,000 times larger, and so expensive that only the five richest kings in Europe will own them.

    --
    120 chars are not enough for a signature. I have discovered a truly remarkable proof which this margin is too small to c
  11. UPS by east+coast · · Score: 2, Funny

    What if your system broke down two billion miles from the nearest spare part or human?

    I think they'll do a one-day deliver on this for a small surcharge.

    --
    Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.