December
So far in the month of December, Carnegie Mellon Media Relations has counted hundreds of references to the university in worldwide publications. Here is a sample.Privacy by the Numbers: A New Approach to Safeguarding Data | Scientific American
December 31
Differential privacy preserves “plausible deniability,” as Avrim Blum of Carnegie Mellon University likes to put it. “If I want to pretend that my private information is different from what it really is, I can,” he said. “The output of a differentially private mechanism is going to be almost exactly the same whether it includes the real me or the pretend me, so I can plausibly deny anything I want.”
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=privacy-by-the-numbers-a-new-approach-to-safeguarding-data
Differential privacy preserves “plausible deniability,” as Avrim Blum of Carnegie Mellon University likes to put it. “If I want to pretend that my private information is different from what it really is, I can,” he said. “The output of a differentially private mechanism is going to be almost exactly the same whether it includes the real me or the pretend me, so I can plausibly deny anything I want.”
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=privacy-by-the-numbers-a-new-approach-to-safeguarding-data
Hurricane Sandy Alters Utilities' Calculus on Upgrades | The New York Times
December 28
"It was pretty widely understood that things like subway tunnels and underground facilities, including substations and junction boxes, were all very vulnerable," said M. Granger Morgan, director of the Center for Climate and Energy Decision Making at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. "The difficulty is it's a low-probability event, and they're operating with pretty limited budgets."
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/29/business/hurricane-sandy-alters-utilities-calculus-on-upgrades.html?pagewanted=all
"It was pretty widely understood that things like subway tunnels and underground facilities, including substations and junction boxes, were all very vulnerable," said M. Granger Morgan, director of the Center for Climate and Energy Decision Making at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. "The difficulty is it's a low-probability event, and they're operating with pretty limited budgets."
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/29/business/hurricane-sandy-alters-utilities-calculus-on-upgrades.html?pagewanted=all
N.Y. news site stirs outrage after publishing gun owners' names | Los Angeles Times
December 26
But that may not happen, according to a study by researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that examined the aftermath of a similar gun-ownership data dump by a newspaper.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-newspaper-gun-owners-20121226,0,2883615.story
But that may not happen, according to a study by researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that examined the aftermath of a similar gun-ownership data dump by a newspaper.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-newspaper-gun-owners-20121226,0,2883615.story
Smartphone snoops? How your phone data is being shared | CBS News
December 26
Jason Hong, a mobile privacy specialist at Carnegie Mellon's Human Computer Interaction institute told CBS News' Sharyl Attkisson, "We looked at the top 100 apps and it turns out about half of them had some kind of privacy concerns, in that they were collecting or using some kind of sensitive information."
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57560825/smartphone-snoops-how-your-phone-data-is-being-shared/
Jason Hong, a mobile privacy specialist at Carnegie Mellon's Human Computer Interaction institute told CBS News' Sharyl Attkisson, "We looked at the top 100 apps and it turns out about half of them had some kind of privacy concerns, in that they were collecting or using some kind of sensitive information."
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57560825/smartphone-snoops-how-your-phone-data-is-being-shared/
Gifts That Keep Giving (if Not Exploding) | The New York Times
December 24
"Admittedly, I have blown some things up in my time," said William L. Whittaker, 64, a robotics professor at Carnegie Mellon University who unearthed his first chemistry set, an A. C. Gilbert, in a junkyard around age 8. By 16, he was dabbling in advanced explosives. "There's no question that I burned some skin off my face," he recalled.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/25/science/science-toys-gifts-that-keep-giving-if-not-exploding.html?ref=science&_r=1&
"Admittedly, I have blown some things up in my time," said William L. Whittaker, 64, a robotics professor at Carnegie Mellon University who unearthed his first chemistry set, an A. C. Gilbert, in a junkyard around age 8. By 16, he was dabbling in advanced explosives. "There's no question that I burned some skin off my face," he recalled.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/25/science/science-toys-gifts-that-keep-giving-if-not-exploding.html?ref=science&_r=1&
Obituary: Jack Klugman, Actor of Everyman Integrity, Dies at 90 | The New York Times
December 24
After two years at Carnegie he left for New York, where he led the poverty-stricken life of an aspiring actor, taking bit parts in summer stock and hole-in-the-wall New York productions, occasionally selling pints of blood to pay the rent. He roomed for a while with Charles Bronson, who introduced him to vigorous exercise.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/25/arts/television/jack-klugman-stage-and-screen-actor-is-dead-at-90.html?pagewanted=all
After two years at Carnegie he left for New York, where he led the poverty-stricken life of an aspiring actor, taking bit parts in summer stock and hole-in-the-wall New York productions, occasionally selling pints of blood to pay the rent. He roomed for a while with Charles Bronson, who introduced him to vigorous exercise.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/25/arts/television/jack-klugman-stage-and-screen-actor-is-dead-at-90.html?pagewanted=all
All the World's a Game, and Business Is a Player | The New York Times
December 23
Jesse Schell, a game designer and assistant professor of entertainment technology at Carnegie Mellon University, said game ideas were creeping into "every nook and cranny of everything" because reward systems are satisfying. "Our affluence has allowed us to move to a place where we tend to make things pleasurable, as opposed to efficient," he said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/24/technology/all-the-worlds-a-game-and-business-is-a-player.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1356647256-8p9BNjkUnvkcETgn3Un1cw
Jesse Schell, a game designer and assistant professor of entertainment technology at Carnegie Mellon University, said game ideas were creeping into "every nook and cranny of everything" because reward systems are satisfying. "Our affluence has allowed us to move to a place where we tend to make things pleasurable, as opposed to efficient," he said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/24/technology/all-the-worlds-a-game-and-business-is-a-player.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1356647256-8p9BNjkUnvkcETgn3Un1cw
Rebounding in Pittsburgh | The New York Times
December 23
Since February, the Carnegie Mellon professor Richard Pell has dedicated this space to the complicated relationship between nature and biotechnology. Highlights include a menagerie of taxidermied lab creatures and an "organism of the month."
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/12/23/travel/20121223-SURFACING-6.html
Since February, the Carnegie Mellon professor Richard Pell has dedicated this space to the complicated relationship between nature and biotechnology. Highlights include a menagerie of taxidermied lab creatures and an "organism of the month."
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/12/23/travel/20121223-SURFACING-6.html
How Do You Get to Broadway? | The Wall Street Journal
December 20
In "Newsies," both the current male and female leads are Carnegie Mellon University grads. Two of the original leading voices from "The Book of Mormon"—former roommates Josh Gad and Rory O'Malley—are fellow alumni of the Pittsburgh school, as are two stars of NBC's hit show about Broadway, "Smash": Christian Borle, who won a 2012 Tony Award for "Peter and the Starcatcher," and Megan Hilty, formerly of "Wicked."
http://professional.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323401904578157100460419438.html?user=welcome&mg=id-wsj&mg=reno64-wsj
In "Newsies," both the current male and female leads are Carnegie Mellon University grads. Two of the original leading voices from "The Book of Mormon"—former roommates Josh Gad and Rory O'Malley—are fellow alumni of the Pittsburgh school, as are two stars of NBC's hit show about Broadway, "Smash": Christian Borle, who won a 2012 Tony Award for "Peter and the Starcatcher," and Megan Hilty, formerly of "Wicked."
http://professional.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323401904578157100460419438.html?user=welcome&mg=id-wsj&mg=reno64-wsj
Citizen Smart-Kites Check China's Air | WIRED
December 20
The design of the kite sensors is based on Carnegie Mellon’s Air Quality Balloons project, with some changes to make the sensor module simpler and easier to build from parts they could source locally in Beijing. The team worked with kite masters and local citizens, running a series workshops to teach everyone how to build and fly the kites. Participants soldered the components on to a circuit board and then learned how to attach them to the kites so that their weight wouldn’t disrupt their ability to fly.
http://www.wired.com/design/2012/12/chinese-air-quality-kites/
The design of the kite sensors is based on Carnegie Mellon’s Air Quality Balloons project, with some changes to make the sensor module simpler and easier to build from parts they could source locally in Beijing. The team worked with kite masters and local citizens, running a series workshops to teach everyone how to build and fly the kites. Participants soldered the components on to a circuit board and then learned how to attach them to the kites so that their weight wouldn’t disrupt their ability to fly.
http://www.wired.com/design/2012/12/chinese-air-quality-kites/
How to Attack the Gender Wage Gap? Speak Up | The New York Times
December 15
For years, legislators and women’s advocates have been seeking solutions. In many ways, the wage gap is a complicated problem tied to culture, tradition and politics. But one part of it can be traced to a simple fact: many women just don’t negotiate, or are penalized if they do. In fact, they are one-quarter as likely as men to do so, according to statistics from Carnegie Mellon University. So rather than wax academic about the issue, couldn’t we simply teach women some negotiation skills?
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/business/to-solve-the-gender-wage-gap-learn-to-speak-up.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
For years, legislators and women’s advocates have been seeking solutions. In many ways, the wage gap is a complicated problem tied to culture, tradition and politics. But one part of it can be traced to a simple fact: many women just don’t negotiate, or are penalized if they do. In fact, they are one-quarter as likely as men to do so, according to statistics from Carnegie Mellon University. So rather than wax academic about the issue, couldn’t we simply teach women some negotiation skills?
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/business/to-solve-the-gender-wage-gap-learn-to-speak-up.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
For Lesser Crimes, Rethinking Life Behind Bars | The New York Times
December 11
The number of drug offenders behind bars has gone from fewer than 50,000 in 1980 to more than 500,000 today, but that still leaves more than two million people on the street who sell drugs at least occasionally, according to calculations by Peter H. Reuter, a criminologist at the University of Maryland. He and Jonathan P. Caulkins of Carnegie Mellon University say there is no way to lock up enough low-level dealers and couriers to make a significant impact on supply, and that is why cocaine, heroin and other illegal drugs are as readily available today as in 1980, and generally at lower prices.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/12/science/mandatory-prison-sentences-face-growing-skepticism.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&pagewanted=all&adxnnlx=1355317659-7AaH5PU0W0oenY5oVJRKug
The number of drug offenders behind bars has gone from fewer than 50,000 in 1980 to more than 500,000 today, but that still leaves more than two million people on the street who sell drugs at least occasionally, according to calculations by Peter H. Reuter, a criminologist at the University of Maryland. He and Jonathan P. Caulkins of Carnegie Mellon University say there is no way to lock up enough low-level dealers and couriers to make a significant impact on supply, and that is why cocaine, heroin and other illegal drugs are as readily available today as in 1980, and generally at lower prices.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/12/science/mandatory-prison-sentences-face-growing-skepticism.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&pagewanted=all&adxnnlx=1355317659-7AaH5PU0W0oenY5oVJRKug
Learning from the best | Los Angeles Times
December 9
Carnegie-Mellon University's Open Learning Initiative, a private Pittsburgh university, offers 16 free online courses, including French, anatomy, psychology, biology, chemistry and statistics. The classes include practice activities, self-assessments and graded exercises, and can be completed at your own pace.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-five-courses-20121209,0,7435413.story
2013 10 Best: 10 Most Promising Technologies | Car and Driver magazine
December 6
Driving through a heavy downpour or snowfall can be agonizing, in part because precipitation can cause light from your headlamps to reflect back at you. To part the curtain of impaired vision, Carnegie Mellon University researchers invented headlamps capable of looking between individual drops or flakes. In sync with a camera tracking the motion of falling particles, multiple LED light sources flash on and off to cut reflection by 70 percent. The flickering is so rapid that the driver perceives a continuous beam of light. At this stage of development, lab systems can vary the illumination 77 times per second, but quicker flashes will be necessary for these headlamps to be effective at highway speeds.
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/2013-10best-10-most-promising-technologies-feature
Driving through a heavy downpour or snowfall can be agonizing, in part because precipitation can cause light from your headlamps to reflect back at you. To part the curtain of impaired vision, Carnegie Mellon University researchers invented headlamps capable of looking between individual drops or flakes. In sync with a camera tracking the motion of falling particles, multiple LED light sources flash on and off to cut reflection by 70 percent. The flickering is so rapid that the driver perceives a continuous beam of light. At this stage of development, lab systems can vary the illumination 77 times per second, but quicker flashes will be necessary for these headlamps to be effective at highway speeds.
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/2013-10best-10-most-promising-technologies-feature
What can Canada learn from tiny Qatar? | The Globe and Mail, Canada
December 6
Qatar and its neighbours seem to be hearing the message. But Dr. Hejazi is skeptical about whether they can attract the calibre of faculty and students to provide the quality of education delivered in North America and Europe. Qatar has established satellite campuses of leading universities such as Cornell University, Texas A&M, Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown and the University of Calgary, which offer degrees to locals that claim the same standards as those delivered at home campuses.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/canada-competes/what-can-canada-learn-from-tiny-qatar/article6029349/
Qatar and its neighbours seem to be hearing the message. But Dr. Hejazi is skeptical about whether they can attract the calibre of faculty and students to provide the quality of education delivered in North America and Europe. Qatar has established satellite campuses of leading universities such as Cornell University, Texas A&M, Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown and the University of Calgary, which offer degrees to locals that claim the same standards as those delivered at home campuses.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/canada-competes/what-can-canada-learn-from-tiny-qatar/article6029349/
Setting Up Shop on the West Coast | The Wall Street Journal
December 6
The newest Bay Area import, Pittsburgh-based Tepper, will begin classes in August for its FlexMBA part-time program, which combines online instruction and in-person sessions. It will operate a portion of the program out of Carnegie Mellon's decade-old campus at Moffett Field, a former U.S. Navy air station, where the school offers a handful of graduate engineering programs.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324020804578149401469861448.html?KEYWORDS="Carnegie+Mellon"
The newest Bay Area import, Pittsburgh-based Tepper, will begin classes in August for its FlexMBA part-time program, which combines online instruction and in-person sessions. It will operate a portion of the program out of Carnegie Mellon's decade-old campus at Moffett Field, a former U.S. Navy air station, where the school offers a handful of graduate engineering programs.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324020804578149401469861448.html?KEYWORDS="Carnegie+Mellon"
How can an entire country be taken offline? | The Washington Post
December 5
"You plug things together and when you're done, you end up with the Internet," said Marty Lindner, principle engineer with the CERT computer security program at Carnegie Mellon University.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/how-can-an-entire-country-be-taken-offline/2012/12/05/495974a4-3f3a-11e2-bca3-aadc9b7e29c5_graphic.html
"You plug things together and when you're done, you end up with the Internet," said Marty Lindner, principle engineer with the CERT computer security program at Carnegie Mellon University.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/how-can-an-entire-country-be-taken-offline/2012/12/05/495974a4-3f3a-11e2-bca3-aadc9b7e29c5_graphic.html
Medical advice from the Dalai Lama's doctor | CNN.com
December 5
And a study this year from Carnegie Mellon University showed mindfulness-based meditation has a far-reaching influence on both psychological and physical health. Mindfulness means being present and in the moment, and observing in a nonjudgmental way.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/05/health/dalai-lama-doctor/?hpt=hp_bn12
And a study this year from Carnegie Mellon University showed mindfulness-based meditation has a far-reaching influence on both psychological and physical health. Mindfulness means being present and in the moment, and observing in a nonjudgmental way.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/05/health/dalai-lama-doctor/?hpt=hp_bn12
The Biggest Cybersecurity Threats of 2013 | Forbes.com
December 5
In a study funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the CERT Insider Threat Center at Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute and the U.S. Secret Service, researchers found malicious insiders within the financial industry typically get away with their fraud for nearly 32 months before being detected. Trust, as they say, is a precious commodity – but too much trust can leave you vulnerable.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ciocentral/2012/12/05/the-biggest-cybersecurity-threats-of-2013-2/
In a study funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the CERT Insider Threat Center at Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute and the U.S. Secret Service, researchers found malicious insiders within the financial industry typically get away with their fraud for nearly 32 months before being detected. Trust, as they say, is a precious commodity – but too much trust can leave you vulnerable.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ciocentral/2012/12/05/the-biggest-cybersecurity-threats-of-2013-2/
Smoke signals: Legal marijuana on its way in some states | Chicago Tribune
December 5
While overall marijuana use would probably rise if we could buy a few joints at the corner store, it's hard to say how much social harm would ensue. Co-author Jonathan Caulkins, a Carnegie Mellon University researcher, said most pot aficionados light up only occasionally, and even those who are dependent on the drug tend to manage their lives better than people hooked on alcohol or harder substances.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-x-1205-keilman-column-20121205,0,5539504.story
While overall marijuana use would probably rise if we could buy a few joints at the corner store, it's hard to say how much social harm would ensue. Co-author Jonathan Caulkins, a Carnegie Mellon University researcher, said most pot aficionados light up only occasionally, and even those who are dependent on the drug tend to manage their lives better than people hooked on alcohol or harder substances.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-x-1205-keilman-column-20121205,0,5539504.story
New York's $100 million competition for a 'genius' school yields more winners than expected | The New York Daily News
December 4
Although Cornell took the top prize, NYU, Carnegie Mellon University, the Polytechnic Institute of New York and the City University of New York will benefit as members of CUSP, a program that will address challenges facing cities, such as infrastructure, tech integration and energy efficiency.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/winners-abound-new-york-competition-genius-school-article-1.1213486 - ixzz2EBbwoTKx
Although Cornell took the top prize, NYU, Carnegie Mellon University, the Polytechnic Institute of New York and the City University of New York will benefit as members of CUSP, a program that will address challenges facing cities, such as infrastructure, tech integration and energy efficiency.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/winners-abound-new-york-competition-genius-school-article-1.1213486 - ixzz2EBbwoTKx
NIH gives $9.3 million to a Pittsburgh-based computing team | The Baltimore Sun, Maryland
December 1
The initiative will establish a center for biotechnology research focused on filling in the gaps between molecular, cellular and tissue-level modeling tools, with the results applied toward better understanding of neurotransmitters, according to CMU materials.
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-12-01/health/bal-national-institutes-of-health-pittsburgh-computing-grant-20121201_1_cmu-nih-endowment
The initiative will establish a center for biotechnology research focused on filling in the gaps between molecular, cellular and tissue-level modeling tools, with the results applied toward better understanding of neurotransmitters, according to CMU materials.
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-12-01/health/bal-national-institutes-of-health-pittsburgh-computing-grant-20121201_1_cmu-nih-endowment