Computer science is the science of the automatic processing of information. Computers are machines that help us perform a number of operations to transform the data into useful information. We provide data to the computer; she processes them and gives us the results. Computing is supported by computers and peripheral devices (which work together around the computer) for the automatic processing of information.

Automating processes requires a broad knowledge of the problem that is to be solved. Computer science provides us with tools to carry out actions that would take us a lot of time and effort to do manually.

Throughout its history, humanity has produced tools to cover its basic needs. Computer science helps us in many areas of knowledge to produce better solutions to our problems. In education, computers can help us understand issues that are difficult to understand or that would take us a long time to reach conclusions similar to those achieved with their help.

Computer science aids many other areas of human knowledge. In the sciences, Computer Science helps to carry out research using the scientific method. The scientific method has allowed to verify the hypothesis that researchers make about the phenomena of nature. Computers can help, if we adapt them as measuring instruments, checking data and ordering them. The advantage to perform various activities throughout the resolution of a problem.

To solve a problem using the computer, we must take into account the algorithm to be used. An algorithm is the series of steps we take to respond to a problem. In an algorithm we try to use the least number of possible steps to obtain the result we are looking for.

If we want to obtain an average of the statures of your classmates, we can follow the following algorithm:

Computer science can help us to learn our teaching subjects. In chemistry it is necessary to work with substances that require special handling, because they are caustic and abrasive. Some educational programs help us to know the periodic system of the elements. In a database you can obtain the name, physical and atomic characteristics of each element.

The computerized databases have very precise characteristics: they are faster to locate a particulate data, you can locate a record (particular data set) based on any element as a selection criterion and you can print or only consult through the monitor.

In a file called elements we can store all the data. Each card with the data relating to each element are called registers and the independent elements are called fields.

There are programs that support our learning of the Spanish language. Some programs help us to review the bases of accentuation. Computer programs that present information similar to a book are called tutorials. The tutorial programs are assisted by some evaluation exercise that allows knowing the degree of comprehension of the reading made.

The Accents program teaches us to identify the tonic syllables, to classify words according to the tonic syllable and to apply the accentuation rules. If you use this program and you do not have any errors, you will go to a game module. In the game you can assemble the puzzles you select.

The influence of Computer Science in other areas of knowledge is such that it has generated technical branches such as Agronics. Agronics is a recent concept that you will find it difficult to find its meaning in a dictionary. Agronics is an application of Computer Science to agriculture and livestock to improve the quality and quantity of its products.

Farmers, for many centuries, have put their knowledge at the service of their communities to feed them. Since the Industrial Revolution, they have assisted machines that automate their work, implemented crop rotation and improved their techniques.

The sector with the greatest demand for Agriculture is the production of milk, meat and eggs.

In the future, Computer Science, together with genetic engineering, will achieve quantitative and qualitative changes in food production, to meet our growing demographic needs.

Computing is an excellent support for Medicine. The first doctors based their treatment on the observation of the symptoms that the patient manifested. The problem of the doctor was that he did not know the nature of what caused the symptoms, which led to sometimes erroneous treatment. Computers and technology derived from it, have managed to provide much of the tools to establish accurate diagnoses.

In the intensive care units of the hospital centers, the computers maintain a very complete control of the main functions of the patient, alerting the doctors about the dangerous variations for the life of the patient. Blood pressure, temperature and general data are provided by computer equipment.

It is remarkable the fact that the Second World War produced war technology that subsequently served to improve the living conditions of patients of all ages, and that a death industry has given way to great expectations of life.

The development of new and more powerful computers is mainly due to the assembly of more electronic components in the brain of the computer: the microprocessor. The microprocessor can be programmed for very different tasks at the same time.

The microcontrollers are also electronic circuits but with specialized functions. Some home appliances used microcontrollers for their functions.

The microprocessor is the heart of a microcomputer; it is also known together with the main card as CPU or Central Process Unit.

The manufacturers of microprocessors have named them according to a number. The first personal computers worked with the 8088 processor in about 1980. The 8026 AT (Advanced Technology) improved the speed of its predecessor and increased its memory capacity. The 80386 marked a period of higher performance at lower prices and with easier-to-use programs. The 80486 is a processor of the nineties, capable of handling several million instructions per second and is the most used today. The Pentium (80586) represents a processor 70% faster than the 486 and with speeds of up to 300 million instructions per second.

Computer science provides us with very valuable learning elements. We can learn Computing as a subject in itself: programming, systems analysis, data capture, etcetera. Computer science is also used as a support for the learning of other teaching subjects: mathematics, physics, chemistry, Spanish, among others.

There are numerous computer packages that help us understand the topics of your subject curriculum. If you look in a catalog of educational programs (software) you will find that they require certain features in your computers to work. In the next article we will discuss the types of computers and their differences in performance.

The computer programs of support for the subjects come from several countries; some are produced in Mexico, others in Spain, Chile, Israel, the United States, England, etc. Did you know that years ago in Mexico the Ministry of Public Education implemented a project in some primary and secondary schools for the use of microcomputers? The project is called Microsep.