Shtetl-Optimized

Just a quick (but important) announcement: theorist-extraordinaire and friend-since-back-in-undergrad Ryan Williams reports that the Theoretical Computer Science Stack Exchange website is now up in beta!  What is this TCS Stack Exchange?  It’s a place where you can post your questions about theoretical computer science and get informed answers to them—intended as the homegrown CS theory analogue of the wildly-successful Math Overflow site.  From an initial perusal, the TCSSE looks awesome.  Indeed, the only small suggestion I can make is to propose a motto:

The TCS Stack Exchange.  Exponentially better than emailing Scott Aaronson.

Today I interrupt your regularly-scheduled P vs. NP programming to bring you a special message from Dmitry Maslov, the program director at NSF Computing and Communication Foundations (CCF) who handles quantum information science.  Besides paying for my CAREER grant (and thus, arguably, in an indirect sense, for this blog), Dmitry also happens to be one of my favoritest people anywhere: a stand-up guy who’s doing an incredible amount to help quantum computing research in the United States.  So, given that what he wants is for us to send in more proposals, so that he can help us even more, I found it impossible to say no to his request for some advertising space on Shtetl-Optimized.  Announcement follows.

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The Division of Computing and Communication Foundations at the National Science Foundation invites proposal submissions in the area of Quantum Information Science (QIS). NSF’s interest in Science and Engineering Beyond Moore’s Law emphasizes all areas of QIS. The range of topics of interest is broad and includes, but is not limited to, all topics relevant to Computer Science in the areas of quantum computing, quantum information, quantum communication, and quantum information processing. Please note the deadlines:

MEDIUM Projects
Full Proposal Submission Window:  September 1, 2010 - September 15, 2010

LARGE Projects
Full Proposal Submission Window:  November 1, 2010 - November 28, 2010

SMALL Projects
Full Proposal Submission Window:  December 1, 2010 - December 17, 2010

Additional information may be found here: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503220&org=CCF

I’m leaving tomorrow for a grand tour of Banff, then Israel, then Greece, then Princeton.  Blogging may be even lighter than usual.

In the meantime, my friend Michael Vassar has asked me to advertise the 2010 Singularity Summit, to be held August 14-15 in San Francisco.  Register now, because the summit is approaching so rapidly that meaningful extrapolation is all but impossible.

While I’m traveling, here’s a fun Singularity-related topic to discuss in the comments section: have you signed up to have your head (and possibly body) frozen in liquid nitrogen after you die, for possible Futurama-style resuscitation in the not-a-priori-impossible event that technology advances to the point where such things become possible?  Whatever your answer, how do you defend yourself against the charge of irrationality?

I thought the eight people who still read this blog might be interested to know that the FOCS’2010 Call for Papers is now out.

For the female readers of this blog: I thought all eight of you might be interested in the following announcement, which was sent to me by Tal Rabin.

We will be holding the Second Women in Theory Workshop at Princeton on June 19-23, 2010.
To apply please go to: http://intractability.princeton.edu/blog/2009/11/women-in-theory-2010-workshop/
The format will be similar to the WIT 2008 workshop. You can view information on that workshop at:
http://www.cs.princeton.edu/theory/index.php/Main/WIT08
and view a video of WIT08 at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUBzBF2awZU

Anyone who feared that my taking a real job would lead to the slow demise of this blog: your fears were entirely justified.  I barely even read blogs anymore—or Twitters, or whatever the young people use nowadays.  Though come to think of it, maybe I should switch to a Twitter feed, since blogging has become too weighty and substantive for me?

In the meantime, I’ve been asked to post the following.

Simons Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Theoretical Computer Science

The Theory of Computation (TOC) group at the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at MIT is seeking candidates for a post-doctoral position in the general area of the theory of computation. Applicants in all areas of theory are encouraged to apply, including (but not exclusive to) algorithms, complexity theory, combinatorial optimization, cryptography, distributed computing, game theory and computation, geometry, parallel computing, and quantum computing. This fellowship is made possible by a generous gift from the Simons Foundation.

The fellowship is a two year position, starting the summer or fall of 2010. The fellowship stipend is gauged to attract the highest caliber of applicants. Generous funds for scientific travel will be available for use at the fellow’s discretion. Fellows will be assigned a faculty member close to their research interests from the TOC group. Fellows will be encouraged (although not required) to teach a graduate seminar in their area of research.

• Eligibility: Candidates must receive their PhD during the academic year immediately preceding that in which the fellowship would begin.  There are no other restrictions based on nationality or any other basis.

• Application Process: Candidate applications should include a description of professional interests and goals in research. Each application should include a curriculum vitae and the names and addresses of three or more individuals who will provide letters of recommendation. Letter writers should submit their letters directly to MIT to the address below. Please submit complete applications by January 31st, 2010.

• Address to submit application: All application materials and recommendation letters should be sent electronically to theory-postdoc@csail.mit.edu.  The candidates name should be included in the subject line of the email.  Alternatively, the materials can be also sent to the following address:Simons Postdoctoral Fellowship, c/o Joanne Hanley
  MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
  The Stata Center, Building 32 –G682
  32 Vassar Street
  Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.