May
From May 1-31, Carnegie Mellon Media Relations counted more than 2,415 references to the university in worldwide publications. Here is a sample.Hard times, fewer crimes | The Wall Street Journal - The Saturday Essay
May 28
This article discusses criminologists' reactions to the FBI announcement last week that violent crime in the U.S. had reached a 40-year low in 2010. It cites a study by Carnegie Mellon's Heinz College faculty member Jonathan Caulkins, who found that the total demand for cocaine dropped between 1988 and 2010, with a sharp decline among both light and heavy users.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304066504576345553135009870.html?KEYWORDS=%22Carnegie+Mellon%22
This article discusses criminologists' reactions to the FBI announcement last week that violent crime in the U.S. had reached a 40-year low in 2010. It cites a study by Carnegie Mellon's Heinz College faculty member Jonathan Caulkins, who found that the total demand for cocaine dropped between 1988 and 2010, with a sharp decline among both light and heavy users.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304066504576345553135009870.html?KEYWORDS=%22Carnegie+Mellon%22
Academics, in new move, begin to work with Wikipedia | The Chronicle of Higher Education - Wired Campus Blog
May 28
She contacted Robert E. Kraut, a psychologist and specialist in human-computer interaction at Carnegie Mellon University (and brother of the psychology group's executive director). Mr. Kraut and one of his graduate students, Rosta Farzan, designed the new portal. It matches volunteer writers with others who share interests in particular topics, gives professors sample syllabi for assignments, and adds software that makes it easier to insert more-sophisticated content.
http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/academics-in-new-move-begin-to-work-with-wikipedia/31523
She contacted Robert E. Kraut, a psychologist and specialist in human-computer interaction at Carnegie Mellon University (and brother of the psychology group's executive director). Mr. Kraut and one of his graduate students, Rosta Farzan, designed the new portal. It matches volunteer writers with others who share interests in particular topics, gives professors sample syllabi for assignments, and adds software that makes it easier to insert more-sophisticated content.
http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/academics-in-new-move-begin-to-work-with-wikipedia/31523
Lockheed network hit by major disruption-sources | Reuters/China Daily
May 27
Lockheed teamed up this month with Carnegie Mellon University to open a new cyber laboratory in Pittsburgh. At the time, Rick Ambrose, president of Lockheed's information systems division, said potential cyber attackers were "getting smarter, faster, and more sophisticated every day." The company has been working to help accelerate response times, protect smartphones, and pinpoint potential vulnerabilities in government and corporate networks.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2011-05/27/content_12590419.htm
Lockheed teamed up this month with Carnegie Mellon University to open a new cyber laboratory in Pittsburgh. At the time, Rick Ambrose, president of Lockheed's information systems division, said potential cyber attackers were "getting smarter, faster, and more sophisticated every day." The company has been working to help accelerate response times, protect smartphones, and pinpoint potential vulnerabilities in government and corporate networks.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2011-05/27/content_12590419.htm
The season of the supernatural | The Wall Street Journal
May 27
Daniel Wilson chatted with booksellers about his futuristic thriller "Robopocalypse," Doubleday's planned summer blockbuster. The novel has already been optioned by Steven Spielberg. Its chaotic, fast-paced narrative unfolds from multiple perspectives as survivors of a violent robot revolution fight a shadowy artificial intelligence called "Archos." Mr. Wilson, 33, who has a PhD in robotics from Carnegie Mellon, says his monsters have an advantage over other fictional creations. "Unlike werewolves or vampires, robots are here," he says.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304520804576343310420118894.html?KEYWORDS=%22Carnegie+Mellon%22
Daniel Wilson chatted with booksellers about his futuristic thriller "Robopocalypse," Doubleday's planned summer blockbuster. The novel has already been optioned by Steven Spielberg. Its chaotic, fast-paced narrative unfolds from multiple perspectives as survivors of a violent robot revolution fight a shadowy artificial intelligence called "Archos." Mr. Wilson, 33, who has a PhD in robotics from Carnegie Mellon, says his monsters have an advantage over other fictional creations. "Unlike werewolves or vampires, robots are here," he says.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304520804576343310420118894.html?KEYWORDS=%22Carnegie+Mellon%22
Sunlight worsens jet pollution | Science News
May 25
"If you're number 46 in line awaiting takeoff, you could spend an hour idling," Allen Robinson told Science News. Robinson is a mechanical engineer at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He recently worked with other scientists on an experiment that measured the particles coming from idling jets.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/74771/title/FOR_KIDS_Sunlight_worsens_jet_pollution__
"If you're number 46 in line awaiting takeoff, you could spend an hour idling," Allen Robinson told Science News. Robinson is a mechanical engineer at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He recently worked with other scientists on an experiment that measured the particles coming from idling jets.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/74771/title/FOR_KIDS_Sunlight_worsens_jet_pollution__
Robots gone wild in Daniel H. Wilson's 'Robopocalypse' | USA Today
May 25
Wilson, 33, lives in Portland, Ore., with his wife, Anna, and 11-month-old daughter Cora. He earned a PhD in robotics from Carnegie Mellon University. He has written six other books, including A Boy and His Bot, a young-adult novel, and the non-fiction How to Survive a Robot Uprising.
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2011-05-24-summer-books-daniel-wilson-robocalypse_n.htm
Wilson, 33, lives in Portland, Ore., with his wife, Anna, and 11-month-old daughter Cora. He earned a PhD in robotics from Carnegie Mellon University. He has written six other books, including A Boy and His Bot, a young-adult novel, and the non-fiction How to Survive a Robot Uprising.
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2011-05-24-summer-books-daniel-wilson-robocalypse_n.htm
40% of firms have experienced lost or stolen mobile devices | PCAdvisor.com
May 24
Four in ten firms have admitted mobile devices containing critical business data have been lost or stolen from the organizations, says McAfee. According to the security firm's 'Mobility and Security: Dazzling Opportunities, Profound Challenges' report, which was produced by Carnegie Mellon's CyLab, also revealed more than a third of these losses or thefts have had a financial impact on the firm, while two thirds of companies claimed that increasing device security after a loss or theft, they subsequently saw more devices being lost or stolen.
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/small-business/3281734/40-of-firms-have-experienced-lost-or-stolen-mobile-devices/
Four in ten firms have admitted mobile devices containing critical business data have been lost or stolen from the organizations, says McAfee. According to the security firm's 'Mobility and Security: Dazzling Opportunities, Profound Challenges' report, which was produced by Carnegie Mellon's CyLab, also revealed more than a third of these losses or thefts have had a financial impact on the firm, while two thirds of companies claimed that increasing device security after a loss or theft, they subsequently saw more devices being lost or stolen.
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/small-business/3281734/40-of-firms-have-experienced-lost-or-stolen-mobile-devices/
Steady decline in major crime baffles experts | The New York Times
May 23
"Striking," said Alfred Blumstein, a professor and a criminologist at the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University, because it came "at a time when everyone anticipated it could be going up because of the recession." Nationally, murder fell 4.4 percent last year. Forcible rape — which excludes statutory rape and other sex offenses — fell 4.2 percent. Aggravated assault fell 3.6 percent. Property crimes — including burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and arson — fell 2.8 percent, after a 4.6 percent drop the year before.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/24/us/24crime.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=%22Carnegie%20Mellon%22&st=cse
"Striking," said Alfred Blumstein, a professor and a criminologist at the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University, because it came "at a time when everyone anticipated it could be going up because of the recession." Nationally, murder fell 4.4 percent last year. Forcible rape — which excludes statutory rape and other sex offenses — fell 4.2 percent. Aggravated assault fell 3.6 percent. Property crimes — including burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and arson — fell 2.8 percent, after a 4.6 percent drop the year before.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/24/us/24crime.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=%22Carnegie%20Mellon%22&st=cse
Privacy on social networks: American, Chinese, and Indian perspectives | IEEE Spectrum
May 23
To start to get an understanding of these cultural variations, a team of researchers from Carnegie Mellon University's CyLab collected opinions about privacy on social networking sites from users in the United States, China, and India. The resulting paper, which the team will present at the International Conference on Trust and Trustworthy Computing in June, breaks new ground. "To the best of our knowledge, this is the first empirical study that investigates users' attitudes about SNS privacy across countries," the researchers write.
http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/telecom/internet/privacy-on-social-networks-american-chinese-and-indian-perspectives
To start to get an understanding of these cultural variations, a team of researchers from Carnegie Mellon University's CyLab collected opinions about privacy on social networking sites from users in the United States, China, and India. The resulting paper, which the team will present at the International Conference on Trust and Trustworthy Computing in June, breaks new ground. "To the best of our knowledge, this is the first empirical study that investigates users' attitudes about SNS privacy across countries," the researchers write.
http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/telecom/internet/privacy-on-social-networks-american-chinese-and-indian-perspectives
Our data, ourselves | The Boston Globe
May 22
"If you look at the kinds of concerns that we have as a society, they involve questions about health and our economy, and these are all issues which, if they're to be addressed from an empirical point of view, require actual data on individuals and organizations," said George T. Duncan, a professor emeritus at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College, who has written about the tension between privacy and the social benefits of data. "Privacy advocates are so locked into their own ideological viewpoint...that they fail to appreciate the value of the data."
http://articles.boston.com/2011-05-22/bostonglobe/29571858_1_data-privacy-public-health
"If you look at the kinds of concerns that we have as a society, they involve questions about health and our economy, and these are all issues which, if they're to be addressed from an empirical point of view, require actual data on individuals and organizations," said George T. Duncan, a professor emeritus at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College, who has written about the tension between privacy and the social benefits of data. "Privacy advocates are so locked into their own ideological viewpoint...that they fail to appreciate the value of the data."
http://articles.boston.com/2011-05-22/bostonglobe/29571858_1_data-privacy-public-health
Talk about pay today, or suffer tomorrow | The New York Times
May 21
Many job seekers would be thrilled to be offered a job at all. How ungrateful and even risky, they may feel, to haggle over salary when the unemployment rate is so high. And research shows that even when economic conditions are good, women tend to be more reluctant than men to negotiate for a salary higher than the one initially offered. But failing to negotiate can be a mistake that reverberates for years, says Linda C. Babcock, an economics professor at Carnegie Mellon University who specializes in negotiation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/jobs/22search.html
Many job seekers would be thrilled to be offered a job at all. How ungrateful and even risky, they may feel, to haggle over salary when the unemployment rate is so high. And research shows that even when economic conditions are good, women tend to be more reluctant than men to negotiate for a salary higher than the one initially offered. But failing to negotiate can be a mistake that reverberates for years, says Linda C. Babcock, an economics professor at Carnegie Mellon University who specializes in negotiation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/jobs/22search.html
Private sector lifts grads' job outlook | The Wall Street Journal
May 21
Carnegie Mellon graduate Michelle Burroughs, 21, a computer-science major, fielded offers from six companies, including Amazon.com Inc. and Facebook Inc., before accepting a job at Google Inc. in its Pittsburgh office. Since signing with Google in December, Ms. Burroughs has been contacted about 40 times by recruiters at other companies, she says. Last week, a headhunter tried to reach her by calling her mother's home.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704083904576335363503861474.html?KEYWORDS=%22Carnegie+Mellon%22
Carnegie Mellon graduate Michelle Burroughs, 21, a computer-science major, fielded offers from six companies, including Amazon.com Inc. and Facebook Inc., before accepting a job at Google Inc. in its Pittsburgh office. Since signing with Google in December, Ms. Burroughs has been contacted about 40 times by recruiters at other companies, she says. Last week, a headhunter tried to reach her by calling her mother's home.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704083904576335363503861474.html?KEYWORDS=%22Carnegie+Mellon%22
Treats without calories? Imagine that | The New York Times
May 17
But note that the number 165 is rendered in heterosexual pounds. In gay pounds, I'm Precious. So when I hit 170 this winter, I knew it was time to test-drive a Carnegie Mellon study I'd read about. Scientists there discovered that when you repeatedly imagine eating a certain food, your craving for that food (but not others) is reduced.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/18/dining/treats-without-calories-imagine-that.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=%22Carnegie%20Mellon%22&st=cse
But note that the number 165 is rendered in heterosexual pounds. In gay pounds, I'm Precious. So when I hit 170 this winter, I knew it was time to test-drive a Carnegie Mellon study I'd read about. Scientists there discovered that when you repeatedly imagine eating a certain food, your craving for that food (but not others) is reduced.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/18/dining/treats-without-calories-imagine-that.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=%22Carnegie%20Mellon%22&st=cse
Why wind intermittency is not a big deal | Simply Green
May 17
Are there rolling blackouts in Europe due to their reliance on wind energy? No, far from it. The reliability of European grids is far better than US grids. In fact, according to Jay Apt, Executive Director of the Electricity Industry Center at Carnegie Mellon: "The United States ranks toward the bottom among developed nations in terms of the reliability of its electricity service... The average U.S. customer loses power for 214 minutes per year. That compares to 70 in the UK, 53 in France, 29 in the Netherlands, 6 in Japan, and 2 minutes per year in Singapore."
http://www.simplygreen.co.za/articles/articles/why-wind-intermittency-is-not-a-big-deal.html
Are there rolling blackouts in Europe due to their reliance on wind energy? No, far from it. The reliability of European grids is far better than US grids. In fact, according to Jay Apt, Executive Director of the Electricity Industry Center at Carnegie Mellon: "The United States ranks toward the bottom among developed nations in terms of the reliability of its electricity service... The average U.S. customer loses power for 214 minutes per year. That compares to 70 in the UK, 53 in France, 29 in the Netherlands, 6 in Japan, and 2 minutes per year in Singapore."
http://www.simplygreen.co.za/articles/articles/why-wind-intermittency-is-not-a-big-deal.html
Retracted climate critics' study panned by expert | USAToday.com
May 17
But how good was the study? We asked network analysis expert Kathleen Carley of Carnegie Mellon to take a look at whether the CSDA study, a "bibliometric" critique of publishing links between climate scientists, was any good in the first place. "I see this paper as more of an opinion piece," Carley says, by email.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2011/05/retracted-climate-critics-study-panned-by-expert-/1
But how good was the study? We asked network analysis expert Kathleen Carley of Carnegie Mellon to take a look at whether the CSDA study, a "bibliometric" critique of publishing links between climate scientists, was any good in the first place. "I see this paper as more of an opinion piece," Carley says, by email.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2011/05/retracted-climate-critics-study-panned-by-expert-/1
Carnegie Mellon's classroom salon encourages collaborative critique | CampusTechnology.com
May 16
Faculty members at Carnegie Mellon University testing a social networking site designed to spur readers' participation in discussions on articles and papers will be taking their experiment into classrooms of a Baltimore university to see how it can help students. So far, thousands of high school and university students have tried out Classroom Salon, which allows a reader to add comments, annotations, and tags to passages in text that can be read by others.
http://campustechnology.com/articles/2011/05/16/carnegie-mellons-classroom-salon-encourages-collaborative-critique.aspx
Faculty members at Carnegie Mellon University testing a social networking site designed to spur readers' participation in discussions on articles and papers will be taking their experiment into classrooms of a Baltimore university to see how it can help students. So far, thousands of high school and university students have tried out Classroom Salon, which allows a reader to add comments, annotations, and tags to passages in text that can be read by others.
http://campustechnology.com/articles/2011/05/16/carnegie-mellons-classroom-salon-encourages-collaborative-critique.aspx
The quiet revolution in open learning | The Chronicle of Higher Education
May 15
The open-resource movement has been under way since the 1990s, with free content distributed by institutions including Carnegie Mellon and Yale Universities, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But there has never been an effort to promulgate OER's on a $2-billion scale.
http://chronicle.com/article/The-Quiet-Revolution-in-Open/127545/
The open-resource movement has been under way since the 1990s, with free content distributed by institutions including Carnegie Mellon and Yale Universities, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But there has never been an effort to promulgate OER's on a $2-billion scale.
http://chronicle.com/article/The-Quiet-Revolution-in-Open/127545/
Rochester and Pittsburgh offer plenty of housing bargains | ABC News
May 14
The housing recession in places like Pittsburgh was relatively mild, helping to land Pittsburgh second on the list of best places to purchase a home. Like Rochester, Pittsburgh depends on major university employers such as the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon. It also has a robust health care sector, including the UPMC and Allegheny General hospital systems. The former Steel City's median home price is an inexpensive $103,900.
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/housing-bargains/story?id=13597424
The housing recession in places like Pittsburgh was relatively mild, helping to land Pittsburgh second on the list of best places to purchase a home. Like Rochester, Pittsburgh depends on major university employers such as the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon. It also has a robust health care sector, including the UPMC and Allegheny General hospital systems. The former Steel City's median home price is an inexpensive $103,900.
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/housing-bargains/story?id=13597424
The rise Of The robo-waiter | NPR
May 13
Human waiters will actually prove quite resilient, says Illah Nourbakhsh, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute. The advantage is personality, among the hardest assets to replicate in robotics. "The robot can't do banter or upsell or say, 'You've got to get this dessert because I had it last week and you're gonna love it,' " Nourbakhsh said.
http://www.npr.org/2011/05/13/136282554/the-rise-of-the-robo-waiter
Human waiters will actually prove quite resilient, says Illah Nourbakhsh, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute. The advantage is personality, among the hardest assets to replicate in robotics. "The robot can't do banter or upsell or say, 'You've got to get this dessert because I had it last week and you're gonna love it,' " Nourbakhsh said.
http://www.npr.org/2011/05/13/136282554/the-rise-of-the-robo-waiter
Jet pollution can penetrate the brain and lungs study reveals | The Telegraph
May 13
Allen Robinson of Carnegie Mellon University said the results were "unbelievable." "It sort of blew our minds," Mr Robinson said. The impact of sunlight on the larger particles emitted from jets at higher engine loads was not as significant. The research is a step further in understanding how aircraft emissions can impact air quality.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/travel/news/new-airport-health-concern-exposed/story-e6frezi0-1226054761768
Allen Robinson of Carnegie Mellon University said the results were "unbelievable." "It sort of blew our minds," Mr Robinson said. The impact of sunlight on the larger particles emitted from jets at higher engine loads was not as significant. The research is a step further in understanding how aircraft emissions can impact air quality.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/travel/news/new-airport-health-concern-exposed/story-e6frezi0-1226054761768
Women at work | Business Standard, India
May 12
You've been offered your dream job but you are also unhappy with the contract terms. Negotiating for more might risk galling your future boss. But men still ask. Women traditionally don't - simply because being "pushy" could result in negative social consequences, which, for women, tend to be about as important as the material benefits at stake, according to Linda Babcock, a professor of economics at Carnegie Mellon University.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/women-at-work/435279/
You've been offered your dream job but you are also unhappy with the contract terms. Negotiating for more might risk galling your future boss. But men still ask. Women traditionally don't - simply because being "pushy" could result in negative social consequences, which, for women, tend to be about as important as the material benefits at stake, according to Linda Babcock, a professor of economics at Carnegie Mellon University.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/women-at-work/435279/
Together, patron and artist endure a live-in, week-long performance art project | The Washington Post
May 12
For a week-long art project that ended Sunday, D.C. collector and patron Philippa Hughes hosted Agnes Bolt, a Pittsburgh-based artist and graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University, in her home. The visit, an art performance, was meant to test the boundaries of the artist-collector relationship.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/together-patron-and-artist-endure-a-live-in-week-long-performance-art-project/2011/05/12/AFEFbQ4G_story.html?wprss=rss_homepage
For a week-long art project that ended Sunday, D.C. collector and patron Philippa Hughes hosted Agnes Bolt, a Pittsburgh-based artist and graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University, in her home. The visit, an art performance, was meant to test the boundaries of the artist-collector relationship.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/together-patron-and-artist-endure-a-live-in-week-long-performance-art-project/2011/05/12/AFEFbQ4G_story.html?wprss=rss_homepage
Don't open that email! How to reduce the threat of phishing | NetworkWorld.com
May 12
Carnegie Mellon University CyLab Usable Privacy and Security Laboratory (CMU CUPS) launched the world's largest research project on phishing attacks. Based on the research findings, CUPS developed filtering technology and training services that utilize scientific learning principles. In 2008, the university created a spin-off company, Wombat Security Technologies, to bring these products to market. Today, Wombat offers some very effective solutions that greatly reduce the likelihood of end users falling victim to phishing attacks.
http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/techexec/2011/051311bestpractices.html
Carnegie Mellon University CyLab Usable Privacy and Security Laboratory (CMU CUPS) launched the world's largest research project on phishing attacks. Based on the research findings, CUPS developed filtering technology and training services that utilize scientific learning principles. In 2008, the university created a spin-off company, Wombat Security Technologies, to bring these products to market. Today, Wombat offers some very effective solutions that greatly reduce the likelihood of end users falling victim to phishing attacks.
http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/techexec/2011/051311bestpractices.html
Most nuclear plans on track outside Japan, Germany | Associated Press/CBSNews.com
May 11
Samuels and Granger Morgan, head of the engineering and public policy program at Carnegie Mellon University, predicted that the Fukushima accident could slow but not stop the nuclear energy renaissance. "I just don't see how the world continues without nuclear as part of the portfolio," Morgan said. "It looks like a few years until we get back on an even keel as a result of this." In Mexico, Japan's crisis has not put a halt to plans being studied to add six new reactors to the two it has, said Ricardo Cordoba, deputy director of nuclear security at the Federal Electricity Commission. Nuclear energy should still be considered a clean source of power, he said.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/11/ap/asia/main20062098.shtml
Samuels and Granger Morgan, head of the engineering and public policy program at Carnegie Mellon University, predicted that the Fukushima accident could slow but not stop the nuclear energy renaissance. "I just don't see how the world continues without nuclear as part of the portfolio," Morgan said. "It looks like a few years until we get back on an even keel as a result of this." In Mexico, Japan's crisis has not put a halt to plans being studied to add six new reactors to the two it has, said Ricardo Cordoba, deputy director of nuclear security at the Federal Electricity Commission. Nuclear energy should still be considered a clean source of power, he said.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/11/ap/asia/main20062098.shtml
Virtual possessions are more valuable to teens | ANI/Times of India
May 10
A new study has found that virtual possessions - digital imagery, Facebook updates, online music collections, e-mail threads and other immaterial artifacts of today's online world - have a powerful hold on teenagers. In a study of 21 teenagers, researchers at Carnegie Mellon's Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) and School of Design discovered that the very fact that virtual possessions don't have a physical form may actually enhance their value.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/relationships/parenting/Virtual-possessions-are-more-valuable-to-teens/articleshow/8221129.cms
A new study has found that virtual possessions - digital imagery, Facebook updates, online music collections, e-mail threads and other immaterial artifacts of today's online world - have a powerful hold on teenagers. In a study of 21 teenagers, researchers at Carnegie Mellon's Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) and School of Design discovered that the very fact that virtual possessions don't have a physical form may actually enhance their value.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/relationships/parenting/Virtual-possessions-are-more-valuable-to-teens/articleshow/8221129.cms
7.5 million Facebook users are under 13: study | Agence France-Presse/MSN Philippines
May 10
A separate study published last month by Richard Power of Carnegie Mellon University's CyLab cybersecurity research center, found that 10 percent of children in the United States have had their social security numbers stolen and used to apply for driver's licenses and loans to buy cars or even houses. The rate of identity theft among children was 51 times higher than for adults, Power said in his study. "The online experience has changed childhood, for both better and worse.
http://news.ph.msn.com/top-stories/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4832866
A separate study published last month by Richard Power of Carnegie Mellon University's CyLab cybersecurity research center, found that 10 percent of children in the United States have had their social security numbers stolen and used to apply for driver's licenses and loans to buy cars or even houses. The rate of identity theft among children was 51 times higher than for adults, Power said in his study. "The online experience has changed childhood, for both better and worse.
http://news.ph.msn.com/top-stories/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4832866
Jet exhaust, sunlight can create pollution | United Press International
May 10
Idling jet aircraft engines and sunlight can combine to make airports a far bigger threat to local air quality than previously recognized, U.S. researchers say. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh have found oil droplets emitted by idling jet engines can turn into particles tiny enough to readily penetrate the lungs and brain, ScienceNews.org reported Tuesday.
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2011/05/10/Jet-exhaust-sunlight-can-create-pollution/UPI-22301305081340/#ixzz1M2jbWDrY
Idling jet aircraft engines and sunlight can combine to make airports a far bigger threat to local air quality than previously recognized, U.S. researchers say. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh have found oil droplets emitted by idling jet engines can turn into particles tiny enough to readily penetrate the lungs and brain, ScienceNews.org reported Tuesday.
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2011/05/10/Jet-exhaust-sunlight-can-create-pollution/UPI-22301305081340/#ixzz1M2jbWDrY
MotionBeam lets you control games with a projector | PCWorld.com
May 10
Students at Carnegie Mellon University worked alongside Disney Research as part of a project called MotionBeam. The MotionBeam project combines iPhones with handheld projectors, and turns them into the most unique gaming system we've ever seen.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/227552/motionbeam_lets_you_control_games_with_a_projector.html
Students at Carnegie Mellon University worked alongside Disney Research as part of a project called MotionBeam. The MotionBeam project combines iPhones with handheld projectors, and turns them into the most unique gaming system we've ever seen.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/227552/motionbeam_lets_you_control_games_with_a_projector.html
Environmental impacts force changes in fracking | Research and Development Magazine
May 10
Over the past year and a half, a handful of researchers, including Jeanne VanBriesen, a professor of civil engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, and Stanley States, director of water quality at the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, have been collecting evidence on an increase in bromide in rivers that were being used for gas wastewater disposal.
http://www.rdmag.com/News/2011/05/Energy-Natural-gas-Environmental-impacts-force-changes-in-fracking/
Over the past year and a half, a handful of researchers, including Jeanne VanBriesen, a professor of civil engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, and Stanley States, director of water quality at the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, have been collecting evidence on an increase in bromide in rivers that were being used for gas wastewater disposal.
http://www.rdmag.com/News/2011/05/Energy-Natural-gas-Environmental-impacts-force-changes-in-fracking/
The best places to buy a home right now | Forbes.com
May 9
The housing recession in places like Pittsburgh was relatively mild, helping to land Pittsburgh second on the list of best places to purchase a home. Like Rochester, Pittsburgh depends on major university employers such as the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon. It also has a robust health care sector, including the UPMC and Allegheny General hospital systems. The former Steel City's median home price is an inexpensive $103,900.
http://www.forbes.com/2011/05/09/best-places-to-buy-a-home-now.html
The housing recession in places like Pittsburgh was relatively mild, helping to land Pittsburgh second on the list of best places to purchase a home. Like Rochester, Pittsburgh depends on major university employers such as the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon. It also has a robust health care sector, including the UPMC and Allegheny General hospital systems. The former Steel City's median home price is an inexpensive $103,900.
http://www.forbes.com/2011/05/09/best-places-to-buy-a-home-now.html
The Rise of Teaching Machines | The Chronicle of Higher Education
May 8
Courses can be offered online or blended with face-to-face instruction. "We're talking, with the best of these programs, about very personal computer tutors," says Ira H. Fuchs, executive director of Next Generation Learning Challenges, a nonprofit project that recently gave $10.6-million in grants to 29 colleges and organizations to develop programs that frequently feature this kind of technology. Carnegie Mellon University's Open Learning Initiative already offers adaptive-learning courses in 12 subjects, including statistics and French.
http://chronicle.com/article/The-Rise-of-Teaching-Machines/127389/
Courses can be offered online or blended with face-to-face instruction. "We're talking, with the best of these programs, about very personal computer tutors," says Ira H. Fuchs, executive director of Next Generation Learning Challenges, a nonprofit project that recently gave $10.6-million in grants to 29 colleges and organizations to develop programs that frequently feature this kind of technology. Carnegie Mellon University's Open Learning Initiative already offers adaptive-learning courses in 12 subjects, including statistics and French.
http://chronicle.com/article/The-Rise-of-Teaching-Machines/127389/
Kitchen chemistry | Ivanhoe Broadcast News/KFMB-TV News - San Diego CBS affiliate
May 6
In a separate report, Carnegie Mellon's Subha Das, a biochemist and cook explains that cooking is all about chemistry and knowing some facts can help chefs understand why recipes go wrong. Because cooking is essentially a series of chemical reactions, it is helpful to know some basics. For example, plunging asparagus into boiling water causes the cells to pop and results in a brighter green. Longer cooking, however, causes the plant's cell walls to shrink and releases an acid. This turns the asparagus an unappetizing shade of grey.
http://www.cbs8.com/story/14589093/kitchen-chemistry
In a separate report, Carnegie Mellon's Subha Das, a biochemist and cook explains that cooking is all about chemistry and knowing some facts can help chefs understand why recipes go wrong. Because cooking is essentially a series of chemical reactions, it is helpful to know some basics. For example, plunging asparagus into boiling water causes the cells to pop and results in a brighter green. Longer cooking, however, causes the plant's cell walls to shrink and releases an acid. This turns the asparagus an unappetizing shade of grey.
http://www.cbs8.com/story/14589093/kitchen-chemistry
Hello, world: Finch robot designed to be portable, rugged and affordable | Innovations Report, Germany
May 6
Learning how to program a computer to display the words "Hello World" once may have excited students, but that hoary chestnut of a lesson doesn't cut it in a world of videogames, smartphones and Twitter. One option to take its place and engage a new generation of students in computer programming is a Carnegie Mellon University developed robot called Finch.
http://www.innovations-report.de/html/berichte/informationstechnologie/world_finch_robot_designed_portable_rugged_174856.html
Learning how to program a computer to display the words "Hello World" once may have excited students, but that hoary chestnut of a lesson doesn't cut it in a world of videogames, smartphones and Twitter. One option to take its place and engage a new generation of students in computer programming is a Carnegie Mellon University developed robot called Finch.
http://www.innovations-report.de/html/berichte/informationstechnologie/world_finch_robot_designed_portable_rugged_174856.html
Unlocking the gates: How and why leading universities are opening up access to their courses | Times Higher Education
May 5
Carnegie Mellon University's Open Learning Initiative has limited its offerings to 14 introductory courses. With the help of technical experts, lecturers redesign their course materials, embedding interactive features. The effectiveness of these classes is assessed vis-a-vis the same courses in traditional settings. No other institution has engaged in such extensive, and expensive, analysis or feedback.
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=416007&c=1
Carnegie Mellon University's Open Learning Initiative has limited its offerings to 14 introductory courses. With the help of technical experts, lecturers redesign their course materials, embedding interactive features. The effectiveness of these classes is assessed vis-a-vis the same courses in traditional settings. No other institution has engaged in such extensive, and expensive, analysis or feedback.
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=416007&c=1
Student activist fights to end sex trafficking in massage parlors | Change.org
May 5
An ordinance that would strengthen regulations on massage parlors in Pittsburgh will be voted on within the next couple weeks. If this bill passes, it has the potential to seriously curb sex trafficking in Pittsburgh and provide a model to the rest of the country. Change.org spoke with Jessica Dickinson Goodman, a student activist at Carnegie Mellon University who is doing research on anti-trafficking issues and helping rally support for this proposal.
https://news.change.org/stories/student-activist-fights-to-end-sex-trafficking-in-massage-parlors
An ordinance that would strengthen regulations on massage parlors in Pittsburgh will be voted on within the next couple weeks. If this bill passes, it has the potential to seriously curb sex trafficking in Pittsburgh and provide a model to the rest of the country. Change.org spoke with Jessica Dickinson Goodman, a student activist at Carnegie Mellon University who is doing research on anti-trafficking issues and helping rally support for this proposal.
https://news.change.org/stories/student-activist-fights-to-end-sex-trafficking-in-massage-parlors
Congress looks at Sony's data security | Marketplace
May 4
Some lawmakers want to make companies use the latest technology to keep hackers out. But Carnegie Mellon computer science professor David Farber says laws can't keep up with technology. David Farber: I'd hate to see the Congress dabbling, saying that you must encrypt files. What do I encrypt it in? Strong encryption? What's strong encryption? Farber says Congress should direct companies that lose sensitive data to automatically contact credit rating agencies. But Larry Ponemon doesn't think regulation is the answer. He runs an online security research firm. He says consumers have choices beyond Sony.
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/05/04/am-congress-looks-at-sonys-data-security/?refid=0
Some lawmakers want to make companies use the latest technology to keep hackers out. But Carnegie Mellon computer science professor David Farber says laws can't keep up with technology. David Farber: I'd hate to see the Congress dabbling, saying that you must encrypt files. What do I encrypt it in? Strong encryption? What's strong encryption? Farber says Congress should direct companies that lose sensitive data to automatically contact credit rating agencies. But Larry Ponemon doesn't think regulation is the answer. He runs an online security research firm. He says consumers have choices beyond Sony.
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/05/04/am-congress-looks-at-sonys-data-security/?refid=0
Aron Ralston, Carnegie Mellon alumnus and subject of film "127 Hours," to give keynote address at Carnegie Mellon commencement, May 15 | Reuters
May 4
Aron Ralston (E'97), whose amazing and heroic story of survival is the subject of the film "127 Hours," will be the keynote speaker at Carnegie Mellon University's 114th commencement, Sunday, May 15. Pinned by a half-ton boulder in a Utah canyon for nearly a week, Ralston had to choose between his hand and his life. He chose survival - amputating his own limb, rappelling 65 feet and hiking seven miles to rescue.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/04/idUS220968+04-May-2011+PRN20110504
Aron Ralston (E'97), whose amazing and heroic story of survival is the subject of the film "127 Hours," will be the keynote speaker at Carnegie Mellon University's 114th commencement, Sunday, May 15. Pinned by a half-ton boulder in a Utah canyon for nearly a week, Ralston had to choose between his hand and his life. He chose survival - amputating his own limb, rappelling 65 feet and hiking seven miles to rescue.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/04/idUS220968+04-May-2011+PRN20110504
Sheikha Al Mayasa attends graduation of 48 Carnegie Mellon Qatar students | Qatar News Agency
May 3
In the Scottish tradition of Carnegie Mellon University, bagpiper John Gasper, dressed in full regalia, led the formal procession of graduating students, faculty and dignitaries. This was followed by a declaration by faculty marshal, Selma Limam Mansar, who led the procession carrying the ceremonial Arabic sword. The Qatari National Anthem and the United States National Anthem were played by a string quartet. Thirty-six students in business administration, three in computer science and nine in information systems were dressed in traditional academic regalia, with their caps bearing a red tassel and 2011 pendant.
http://www.qnaol.net/QNAEn/News_bulletin/News/Pages/11-05-03-0050_237_0081.aspx
In the Scottish tradition of Carnegie Mellon University, bagpiper John Gasper, dressed in full regalia, led the formal procession of graduating students, faculty and dignitaries. This was followed by a declaration by faculty marshal, Selma Limam Mansar, who led the procession carrying the ceremonial Arabic sword. The Qatari National Anthem and the United States National Anthem were played by a string quartet. Thirty-six students in business administration, three in computer science and nine in information systems were dressed in traditional academic regalia, with their caps bearing a red tassel and 2011 pendant.
http://www.qnaol.net/QNAEn/News_bulletin/News/Pages/11-05-03-0050_237_0081.aspx
Can social networking save students from failing in school? | Network World
May 3
Carnegie Mellon University educators have created an app inspired by social network sites like Twitter and Facebook that is designed to bring students together to improve learning. The Classroom Salon app has been used by thousands of high school and college students this past year (see video below of some users talking about it) and will be extended to students at the University of Baltimore this year in an effort to see if it can help prevent students from failing introductory courses and eventually dropping out of school.
http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/73444
Carnegie Mellon University educators have created an app inspired by social network sites like Twitter and Facebook that is designed to bring students together to improve learning. The Classroom Salon app has been used by thousands of high school and college students this past year (see video below of some users talking about it) and will be extended to students at the University of Baltimore this year in an effort to see if it can help prevent students from failing introductory courses and eventually dropping out of school.
http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/73444
2011 Tony Nominations Announced; Book of Mormon Earns 14 Nominations | Playbill.com
May 3
Two Carnegie Mellon grads working in The Book of Mormon did well: Rory O'Malley, who plays the repressed but tap-happy missionary Elder McKinley, was nominated in the Featured Actor category, and Josh Gad was nominated as Best Actor for playing loudmouth Elder Cunningham. Andrew Rannells (as Elder Price) was also nommed as Best Actor, and Nikki M. James (Nabulungi) was nommed as Best Featured Actress.
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/150483-2011-Tony-Nominations-Announced-Book-of-Mormon-Earns-14-Nominations
Two Carnegie Mellon grads working in The Book of Mormon did well: Rory O'Malley, who plays the repressed but tap-happy missionary Elder McKinley, was nominated in the Featured Actor category, and Josh Gad was nominated as Best Actor for playing loudmouth Elder Cunningham. Andrew Rannells (as Elder Price) was also nommed as Best Actor, and Nikki M. James (Nabulungi) was nommed as Best Featured Actress.
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/150483-2011-Tony-Nominations-Announced-Book-of-Mormon-Earns-14-Nominations
Customers stay despite high-profile data breaches | ABC News
May 1
Consumers are at a disadvantage because companies often leave their privacy policies intentionally vague, yet lengthy with legalese. In any case, few people bother to read them at all. Carnegie Mellon University researchers found it would take the average person 40 minutes per day to read through all the privacy policies that person encounters online.
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=13503565&page=1
Consumers are at a disadvantage because companies often leave their privacy policies intentionally vague, yet lengthy with legalese. In any case, few people bother to read them at all. Carnegie Mellon University researchers found it would take the average person 40 minutes per day to read through all the privacy policies that person encounters online.
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=13503565&page=1
Food for thought: How energy is squandered in food industry | USA Today
May 1
"The production and distribution of food has long been known to be a major source of green house gas and other environmental emissions, and, for many reasons, it is seen by many environmental advocates as one of the major ways concerned consumers can reduce their carbon footprints," writes Christopher Weber, an environmental engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University, in a 2008 paper called "Food-Miles and the Relative Climate Impacts of Food Choices in the Unites States" that he co-authored with H. Scott Mathews. According to the report, the average household's climate impact related to food is estimated to be 8.1 t CO2/yr, or tonnes of CO2 equivalent a year, a common measure for determining how much global warming a type of greenhouse gas may cause.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2011-05-01-cnbc-us-squanders-energy-in-food-chain_n.htm
"The production and distribution of food has long been known to be a major source of green house gas and other environmental emissions, and, for many reasons, it is seen by many environmental advocates as one of the major ways concerned consumers can reduce their carbon footprints," writes Christopher Weber, an environmental engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University, in a 2008 paper called "Food-Miles and the Relative Climate Impacts of Food Choices in the Unites States" that he co-authored with H. Scott Mathews. According to the report, the average household's climate impact related to food is estimated to be 8.1 t CO2/yr, or tonnes of CO2 equivalent a year, a common measure for determining how much global warming a type of greenhouse gas may cause.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2011-05-01-cnbc-us-squanders-energy-in-food-chain_n.htm
A thinking person's diet | Scientific American
May Edition
Dieters take note: thinking in detail about eating can reduce actual food consumption, according to a study in the December 10, 2010, issue of Science. Imagining an experience is known to evoke the same physiological responses as the real experience, so researchers at Carnegie Mellon University tested whether imagining chowing down could simulate the experience enough to satisfy people's cravings. Study participants thought about eating a food-M&M's or cubes of cheese-one morsel at a time and then afterward were offered the same food to eat. Those who imagined eating 30 M&M's ate half as many candies as those who pictured putting 30 quarters into a laundry machine.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=a-thinking-persons-diet
Dieters take note: thinking in detail about eating can reduce actual food consumption, according to a study in the December 10, 2010, issue of Science. Imagining an experience is known to evoke the same physiological responses as the real experience, so researchers at Carnegie Mellon University tested whether imagining chowing down could simulate the experience enough to satisfy people's cravings. Study participants thought about eating a food-M&M's or cubes of cheese-one morsel at a time and then afterward were offered the same food to eat. Those who imagined eating 30 M&M's ate half as many candies as those who pictured putting 30 quarters into a laundry machine.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=a-thinking-persons-diet