Having grown up surrounded by computers (his father used to be a software engineer), Dr Soghoian says he slid into computer science without even considering other disciplines.

ECONOMIST: Brain scan

The Indiana study attempted to farm 9.7 million tweets posted over ten months in 2008 by 2.7 million twitter users, measured them using the GPOMS and a few other computer science methods, and checked the closing movement of the Dow Jones industrial average for each day.

FORBES: Can Twitter Predict the Stock Market?

Other students are turning toward computer science because of a change in social mores: A backlash against Wall Street bailouts means careers in the financial sector may now carry a negative stigma, said Adam Cannon, associate chair for undergraduate education in Columbia's department of computer science.

WSJ: Students Shift to Computer Science

Over the next week, Khan Academy will be adding other tutorials and materials to its computer science platform.

FORBES: Forget Comp Sci 101: Learn To Code With A Click Of Your Mouse

These and other special projects, such as Havana's biotechnology complex and computer-science university, have been transferred to relevant ministries.

ECONOMIST: Cuba and the United States

Other smaller booksellers, such as Fatbrain.com, which specializes in computer, science and business books, want do-it-yourself, too.

FORBES: Beleaguered brother

Other schools, like Carnegie Mellon, do a breakdown of salaries for various departments including computer science and technology.

FORBES: 25 College Diplomas With the Highest Pay

Several companies are already seeking to take advantage of the new field, called synthetic biology, which combines chemistry, computer science, molecular biology, genetics and cell biology to breed industrial life forms that can secrete fuels, vaccines or other commercial products.

WSJ: Scientists Create First Synthetic Cell