Computer Science Is Not Just Coding

Computer science professor Robert Calderbank says its value is in reasoning and judgement

Robert Calderbank

The following is a story that originally appeared on the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences website. 

Spend enough time on a college campus and you will hear the usual stereotypes about computer science students. People assume they are “tech people” who code in dark rooms. Others claim the field is fading because AI can write code. In 2026, those ideas fall apart once you look at what computer science actually is and what students are doing with it.

Computer science is not just coding. Coding is to computer science what writing is to history or philosophy. It is important, but it is only part of a much larger world. Students study how systems behave, how algorithms treat people and how to design technology that supports real human needs. Many projects begin with discussion, prototypes and teamwork long before any code appears.

Robert Calderbank, Charles S. Sydnor Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, points out that “the value is in judgment and reasoning, not in typing syntax.” And while AI can help, students must still understand what the code does.

“CS opens new doors in places people don’t expect,” said Calderbank, explaining that computing talent is in demand across more sectors than ever: healthcare, climate science, media, finance, education, research, government and even the arts. 

Students in the major are also diverse. Some arrive interested in robotics or cybersecurity. Others come for digital art, biotech or public policy. Many combine CS with psychology, economics, biology, music or political science. They want to use computational thinking to solve meaningful problems in every part of society.

The job market tells a similar story. Despite headlines about layoffs, computing talent is needed in healthcare, climate science, media, finance, government and education. Fields that once had little connection to computing now rely on it.

Calderbank believes the heart of CS is curiosity. “Computer science isn’t really about computers. It’s about questions.” And those questions now reach into every discipline.

For more information about Duke’s computer science major, see the full interview with Robert Calderbank.