I know this is sometimes a contentious topic, but I'd like to ask the CS profs in my corner of the fediverse:

What are the *core CS topics* that every student should know?

I think data structures & algorithms is indisputably a core topic. Interpreters and compilers—that might just be my bias.

I'm thinking about how to express to people why I think some core CS should be as important to a well-rounded education as, say, algebra. What would you hope every high schooler/undergrad understand?