Tuesday, May 21

Tag: computers

Several Hours A Day Of Kids On Their Computers Is OK, Study Suggests
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TECHNOLOGY

Several Hours A Day Of Kids On Their Computers Is OK, Study Suggests

Katie Paulich, University of Colorado Boulder The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea Even when kids spend five hours a day on screen – whether computers, television or text – it doesn’t appear to be harmful. That’s what my colleagues and I at the University of Colorado Boulder discovered after analyzing data taken from nearly 12,000 participants in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study – the largest long-term study of its kind ever in the U.S. The participants included children between the ages of 9 to 10, from diverse backgrounds, income levels and ethnicities. We investigated how screen time was linked to some of the most critical aspects of their lives: sleep, mental health, behavior and friendships. Our results, recently published...
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Algorithms – How Computers Know What To Do With Data
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TECHNOLOGY

Algorithms – How Computers Know What To Do With Data

The world of computing is full of buzzwords: AI, supercomputers, machine learning, the cloud, quantum computing and more. One word in particular is used throughout computing – algorithm. In the most general sense, an algorithm is a series of instructions telling a computer how to transform a set of facts about the world into useful information. The facts are data, and the useful information is knowledge for people, instructions for machines or input for yet another algorithm. There are many common examples of algorithms, from sorting sets of numbers to finding routes through maps to displaying information on a screen. To get a feel for the concept of algorithms, think about getting dressed in the morning. Few people give it a second thought. But how would you write down your process or t...
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Neuronlike Circuits Bring Brainlike Computers A Step Closer
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LIFESTYLE

Neuronlike Circuits Bring Brainlike Computers A Step Closer

For the first time, my colleagues and I have built a single electronic device that is capable of copying the functions of neuron cells in a brain. We then connected 20 of them together to perform a complicated calculation. This work shows that it is scientifically possible to make an advanced computer that does not rely on transistors to calculate and that uses much less electrical power than today’s data centers. Our research, which I began in 2004, was motivated by two questions. Can we build a single electronic element – the equivalent of a transistor or switch – that performs most of the known functions of neurons in a brain? If so, can we use it as a building block to build useful computers? Neurons are very finely tuned, and so are electronic elements that emulate them. I co-authored...
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Not all kids have computers – and they’re being left behind with schools closed by the coronavirus
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IN OTHER NEWS

Not all kids have computers – and they’re being left behind with schools closed by the coronavirus

The big idea Since 2014, the Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research, located at the University of Southern California, has been tracking trends in health economic well-being, attitudes and behaviors through a nationwide survey for its Understanding America Study, asking the same individuals questions over time. The nationally representative survey is now assessing how COVID-19 is affecting U.S. families. This includes their health, economic status and, for the first time, educational experiences. With two other education researchers Amie Rapaport and Marshall Garland, we analyzed the educational experience data that have recently been added to the study. What we did We worked with the broader Understanding America Study team to ask Americans about the effects the pandemic is hav...
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