Why do we teach Computer Science at a liberal arts college? Paul Cantrell's team built a “Make a Bonsai†interactive kiosk for The Como Conservatory. The goal was to engage and educate, and to keep kids occupied. This was not a traditional math modeling problem: we needed a virtual tree that was not necessarily predictively accurate, but rather perceptually and emotionally engaging. What makes a tree seem like a tree? What makes a tree seem like a bonsai? What makes trimming a tree engaging enough that kids don’t walk away from it? This type of software work â€" work whose goal is not scientific, but aesthetic â€" is of widespread and rapidly growing importance. And its work intimately tied to the liberal arts philosophy of education. Paul '98 is a software development freelancer and processor of Computer Science at Macalester. He has created software for clients ranging from tech startups to Fortune 500s to arts nonprofits, and is passionate about sharing the creative joy of software with others. In this talk, using the example of the "Make a Bonsai" app he built with Bust Out Solutions for the Como Zoo & Conservatory, he asks, "Why do we teach computer science at a liberal arts college?" This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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