As far as I understood it memory has a strong relationship with intelligence. Working memory (or short term memory) determines how much information you keep in your mind at once and this attribute is very important when it comes to solving complex problems.
I think the more important question is does technology adversely effect our working memory by constantly distracting and filling our head with often unrelated data.
I think the exponential rate of the advancement in technology puts huge demands on current CS programs. Unlike more traditional academia, I feel CS more than any other field is under constant pressure to make sure their students are familiar with the relevant language, design pattern, etc. I feel this causes the programs to drift away from the important foundations of problem solving, mathematical proficiency and ability to break down large problems into manageable pieces. I feel these skills are what I profited most from in pursuing my degree. This also means students will graduate with little practical experience but sharpened analytical skills. There's just not enough time to teach everything!
And now for my rant for you already in the industry:
I feel there is a disconnect between employer expectations and what knowledge a graduating possesses. I see so often in this forum people fuming that a new graduate dosen't know this technology or hasn't heard of this protocol, or their coding style is inferior. It takes time for programming skill to mature and there is no one path to becoming successful with a CS degree. Instead of doing surveys about what books people read why don't you try and convince them of the benefits of reading such a book instead of snickering and feeling superior. (I haven't heard of the K&R white book either)
Maybe I'm just another one of those dumb cs students being churned out by your run of the mill university. Its true I wasn't confronted with pointers until me junior year but I was able to grasp it.
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As far as I understood it memory has a strong relationship with intelligence. Working memory (or short term memory) determines how much information you keep in your mind at once and this attribute is very important when it comes to solving complex problems.
I think the more important question is does technology adversely effect our working memory by constantly distracting and filling our head with often unrelated data.
I think the exponential rate of the advancement in technology puts huge demands on current CS programs. Unlike more traditional academia, I feel CS more than any other field is under constant pressure to make sure their students are familiar with the relevant language, design pattern, etc. I feel this causes the programs to drift away from the important foundations of problem solving, mathematical proficiency and ability to break down large problems into manageable pieces. I feel these skills are what I profited most from in pursuing my degree. This also means students will graduate with little practical experience but sharpened analytical skills. There's just not enough time to teach everything!
And now for my rant for you already in the industry:
I feel there is a disconnect between employer expectations and what knowledge a graduating possesses. I see so often in this forum people fuming that a new graduate dosen't know this technology or hasn't heard of this protocol, or their coding style is inferior. It takes time for programming skill to mature and there is no one path to becoming successful with a CS degree. Instead of doing surveys about what books people read why don't you try and convince them of the benefits of reading such a book instead of snickering and feeling superior. (I haven't heard of the K&R white book either)
Maybe I'm just another one of those dumb cs students being churned out by your run of the mill university. Its true I wasn't confronted with pointers until me junior year but I was able to grasp it.