Point spreads — the number of points by which a strong team can be expected to defeat a weaker team — are supposed to reflect the “wisdom of crowds.” But a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research found that crowds don’t have a clue.
“Point…
PITTSBURGH — Computer scientists at Carnegie Mellon University have devised an innovative and elegantly concise algorithm that can efficiently solve systems of linear equations that are critical to such important computer applications as image proc…
Mobile phone-based games could provide a new way to teach basic knowledge of Chinese language characters that might be particularly helpful in underdeveloped rural areas of China, say researchers in Carnegie Mellon University’s Mobile & Immersive Le…
A set of studies released in this month’s special issue of The Elementary School Journal reveals the powerful effect that the coaching of teachers can have on both teachers and students.
“Many in the field have trusted that intuitive feeling that …
As children in Western cultures grow, they learn to place numbers on a mental number line, with smaller numbers to the left and spaced further apart than the larger numbers on the right. Then the number line changes to become more linear, with small…
PITTSBURGH — Computer vision systems can struggle to make sense of a single image, but a new method devised by computer scientists at Carnegie Mellon University enables computers to gain a deeper understanding of an image by reasoning about t…
PITTSBURGH — Much like snowflakes, no two neurons are exactly alike. But it’s not the size or shape that sets one neuron apart from another, it’s the way it responds to incoming stimuli. Carnegie Mellon University researchers have discovered …
Many consumers need help recognizing when their privacy is compromised,
according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.
“How can we make sense of the contradictory attitudes that individuals display toward privacy — from the seemin…
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have completed the first survey of the entire human genome for genes that affect the susceptibility of individuals to developing clinical depression. George S. Zubenko, M.D., Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and adjunct professor of biological sciences at Carnegie Mellon University and his team have located a number of chromosomal regions they say hold the genetic keys to a variety of mental illnesses, including major depression and certain addictions. The survey was done in 81 families identified by individuals with recurrent, early-onset, major depressive disorder (RE-MDD), a severe form of depression that runs in families. The Pitt team’s findings are published today in the American Journal of Medical Genetics.
Building upon its leadership position in robotics research and development, and in recognition of the increasing benefits robots are bringing to society, Carnegie Mellon University has established “The Robot Hall of Fame” to honor noteworthy robots, both real and fictional, along with their creators.
The most critical networks in any organization are not necessarily those carrying Internet traffic, but the social networks among persons and groups that define an organization’s process and knowledge flow. Kathleen Carley’s goal is to estimate the size, shape and weaknesses of those social networks to help managers predict how an organization is likely to respond to anticipated and unanticipated changes. Ray Levitt wants to design, from the ground up, organizations without any weaknesses at all.
Researchers have developed a new system to improve the delivery of genes, which could have the potential cure for several genetically transmitted diseases. Under the direction of Prashant Kumta, a professor of materials science, engineering and biomedical engineering, researchers are creating nano-particles capable of delivering DNA-based therapies for potential use in a variety of cancers and several genetic diseases. “We have developed a new system that will help physicians deliver their genetic life-saving payloads into enough cells to do some good,” said Kumta, who has applied for a patent on the non-viral gene delivery system.