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Tech News
The University of Illinois is highlighting its Master of Computer Science degree, aimed at computing professionals and recent graduates who want deeper expertise in building and adapting AI-driven systems, not just using them. The program is being marketed through IEEE Computer Society as a pathway for advancing computing careers amid rapid industry change.
A significant Kelvin wave, a type of planetary wave, has recently impacted South America and is now heading toward California. This wave transports warm water eastward, leading to rising sea levels along vulnerable coastlines, but it does not cause violent surf or breaking waves. Experts emphasize that such waves are common and usually subtle, resembling slow sloshing in a bathtub rather than dramatic phenomena.
Researchers are increasingly using cell-free protein synthesis platforms to produce proteins without relying on living cells. This approach involves extracting cellular machinery and using it as a molecular factory, allowing for faster and more flexible protein production. The technology has roots in early genetic research and continues to evolve with various systems available, including bacterial, eukaryotic, and purified component-based methods.
The number of international students in China increased by 15% in the 2024–25 academic year, reaching 380,000, with a significant portion coming from Asian and African countries. Many of these students are pursuing master's and doctoral degrees, attracted by China's investments in development and educational opportunities. Despite the growth, international students still represent less than 1% of China's total higher education population.
Researchers have identified Elias 2-24b as the youngest confirmed exoplanet, located within a protoplanetary disk around star Elias 2-24. The discovery was made by analyzing data from the W.M. Keck Observatory, focusing on a gap in the disk where the planet likely formed. This marks a significant step in observing planetary formation in its early stages.
In an interview, Christa Acampora, dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences at the University of Virginia, discussed mounting scrutiny of liberal arts degrees as entry-level jobs shrink, tuition rises, and AI reshapes work. She addressed job prospects for liberal arts graduates and made the case for why humanities education remains significant in an AI-driven world.
Safeworld, founded by Carnegie Mellon's Dr. Ding Zhao, Kyle Wong, and Simo Rachidi, has emerged from stealth with a seed round exceeding $12 million led by Shine Capital and a16z Speedrun. The company evaluates robotic control systems using simulations populated with realistic human models, aiming to assess risk in generative AI-driven robots before deployment.
A new study by University of Oklahoma sociologist Samuel Perry, published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, analyzed decades of General Social Survey data from 1989 to 2024. It found that Americans who scored lower on a cognitive vocabulary test were more likely to say being Christian is important to being 'truly American' and more likely to oppose the Supreme Court's ban on school prayer.
Physicists led by Arun Paramekanti at the University of Toronto devised a technique using rotating light to detect atomic vibrations tied to electron spin, revealing a hidden magnetic state called octupolar order that behaves as if it has eight poles instead of the usual two. The findings, published in Physical Review Letters, provide the first direct optical evidence of this exotic quantum magnetic state in crystalline materials.
The University of Washington has moved its Global Innovation Exchange (GIX) institute, which offers a Master's in Technology Innovation, into a 48,500-square-foot space inside Microsoft's Building 92 under a rent-free lease. Microsoft contributed a $42 million in-kind donation to build out the space, marking the first time a UW program has established full-time operations on Microsoft's campus. GIX previously operated in Bellevue's Steve Ballmer Building after launching in 2015 with Tsinghua University and roughly $70 million in Microsoft backing.
A University of Massachusetts professor argues that generative AI is used more productively when it is asked to challenge or critique a person's work rather than simply complete tasks for them. The recommendation centers on creating deliberate 'friction' between AI and user, with each questioning the other's output.
HEYDUDE, the Crocs-owned shoe brand, posted an Instagram and TikTok collaboration with the University of Florida's Theta Chi fraternity promoting branded sneakers. The posts drew criticism online after it emerged that two former Theta Chi members face sexual cyberharassment charges for allegedly distributing a nonconsensual intimate video of a former UF student, identifying her by name.