It began with Babbage

As a field, computer science occupies a unique scientific space, in that its subject matter can exist in both physical and abstract realms. An artifact such as software is both tangible and not, and must be classified as something in between, or 'liminal.' The study and production of liminal artifacts allows for creative possibilities that are, and have been, possible only in computer science. In this volume, Subrata Dasgupta examines the unique history of computer science in terms of its creative innovations, spanning back to Charles Babbage in 1819.