Computational astrophysics for the future

Scientific discovery is mediated by ideas that, after being formulated in hypotheses, can be tested, validated, and quantified before they eventually lead to accepted concepts. Computer-mediated discovery in astrophysics is no exception, but antiquated code that is only intelligible to scientists who were involved in writing it is holding up scientific discovery in the field. A bold initiative is needed to modernize astrophysics code and make it transparent and useful beyond a small group of scientists. Scientific software is like a prototype in a laboratory experiment; it must stimulate experimentation. The eventual code is a description of concepts and their relationships, which are imperative for reproducibility and validating the results.