Science

Cornell Researchers Train Physical Systems, Revolutionize Machine Learning

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A Cornell research group led by Prof. Peter McMahon, applied and engineering physics,has successfully trained various physical systems to perform machine learning computations in the same way as a computer. The researchers have achieved this by turning physical systems, such as an electrical circuit or a Bluetooth speaker, into a physical neural network — a series of algorithms similar to the human brain, allowing computers to recognize patterns in artificial intelligence. Machine learning is at the forefront of scientific endeavors today. It is used for a host of real-life applications, from Siri to search optimization to Google translate. However, chip energy consumption constitutes a major issue in this field, since the execution of neural networks, forming the basis of machine learning, uses an immense amount of energy.

Columns

CHEN | Stop Catfishing Computer Science Majors

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While bugs in my code seemed impossible despite my line-by-line dissection, having a program finally run correctly would mitigate all the head-wracking hours that led up to the triumph. Every problem had its reason — if something wasn’t running correctly, you could pinpoint the exact line where values were being incorrectly set.

Columns

CHEN | Put Computer Science in the Common Core

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I could easily have gone through high school without writing a single line of code. 

The one computer science course I did take was selected on a whim, a simple space-filler for my senior year schedule. Science and math were enjoyable enough, and tech seemed like the next unexplored realm. But I was also on the edge of taking a random biotechnology elective, zoology class or just leaving the space free to take extra naps. There was little to no initiative — or requirement — to learn about computing other than the fact that I found phone apps addictive and played around with Scratch when I was a kid. AP Computer Science had the same weight as my elective journalism or strings classes, not AP Chemistry or AP Language and Composition.

Science

Why Early Childhood Development Matters

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The U.S. is far behind other nations in investment in early childhood, citing both China and Scandinavia as regions that have seen success in educating and funding programs for early childhood. He said that early childhood is not just important on an individual level but should be a matter of national importance.

app

Turning ‘IDKs’ into Choices: Students Launch New App

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Indecisiveness is a universal plague. ‘Should I wear my parka or my light jacket?’ ‘Should I go to sleep early or stay up to study more?’ ‘Should I go out or stay in?’ Realizing this problem, a team of Cornell students from developed an app to help streamline and consolidate that process: the IDK App.