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Higher Prices Sustained Small Business Sales Growth in April, Fiserv Data Shows
Fiserv Small Business Index remands steady at 144; year-over-year sales grew +1.1% MILWAUKEE, May 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of payments and financial services technology, has published the Fiserv Small Business Index for April 2026,
Reggie Fils-Aimé Defends Nintendo’s Full-Price Forever Policy, Pointing to Kyoto Roots Most Gamers Never Consider
The former Nintendo of America president says shipping games "feature complete" (no day-1 patches) justifies prices that don't move for years.
The Cost of Gutting Science Is Invisible Yet Enormous
Intelligence agencies often complain that they are judged unfairly because you hear about their failures, not their successes. It’s hard to evaluate anything based on what didn’t happen — even when that’s really the important thing. The problem is just as salient for those trying to create a better future as trying to avert a worse one. When it comes to research, we can see technologies and industries that exist. We can’t see the ones that were never invented because the science that should have
State Health Sites Send Race, Location, Immigration Data to Meta, TikTok
Some US state healthcare sites sent personal information — location, race, immigration data — to TikTok, Meta and other big tech companies. Experts say existing privacy laws aren’t enough
Resident Evil Requiem Producer Dodges NVIDIA DLSS 5 Question, But Fan Reaction to Her Design Speaks Louder Than Words
Capcom producer reacts to Resident Evil Requiem DLSS 5 backlash and the future of icons like Leon Kennedy
The Venture-Capital Populist
How David Sacks and the new tech right went full MAGA and captured Washington
Microsoft Defender Misidentifies DigiCert Certificates As Malware, Triggering Global Disruptions
A significant technical malfunction in Microsoft Defender has triggered widespread alarm across the global cybersecurity community, after the platform mistakenly identified legitimate digital certificates issued by DigiCert as malicious software. The error, which surfaced in late April, led to false
Global Health & WASH: May 2026 Funding Opportunities (14 new opportunities!)
The May update for Global Health & WASH brings new calls that cluster around three distinct shifts: LMIC research leadership moving from funder encouragement into a hard eligibility constraint, pharmaceutical and corporate-linked funders running structurally independent education and use-inspired research portfolios at substantial scale, and AI adoption shifting decisively from speculative tool to operational capability across health and WASH systems alike. In LMIC Research Leadership as Eligibility, Not Encouragement, Wellcome anchors the dominant signal of the month with three separate major calls that all require or strongly center LMIC leadership in their basic eligibility architecture. Wellcome’s ESIC Hubs (£1.5-£1.9M per hub over 3-5 years) explicitly requires an LMIC-based lead applicant, treating Global South leadership as a design constraint rather than a participation goal. Wellcome’s Infectious Disease Clinical Trial Development Award funds transdisciplinary teams whose lead must be a mid-career or established researcher based at an organization in Africa, South Asia, or Southeast Asia. Wellcome’s larger Infectious Disease Clinical Trial Award (£1M-£8M for optimizing licensed interventions) requires the administering organization to be in eligible LMIC regions and at least 50% of applicants based there. Around Wellcome, the same pattern shows up at smaller scale and across funders: CHINNOVA channels $1M into West and Central African research institutions for climate-health work; IBRO’s Neuroscience Training Grants explicitly tier ceilings by region of residence with Africa receiving the highest amount ($5,000); IHME’s GBD Emerging Researcher Award reserves at least one of its two annual awards for an LMIC researcher; Sidaction’s HIV Cure call funds research teams across France, the Netherlands, and eligible African countries with a minimum two-country collaboration requirement. Taken together, these calls signal a meaningful shift in how research equity is being operationalized — not as encouragement language at the bottom of a call, but as a structural feature of who can lead, where the work must be administered, and what proportion of the team must be regionally rooted. In Pharma-Funded Independent Medical Education and Use-Inspired Research, the lineup this month is unusually deep. Pfizer alone runs four parallel calls under independent education and quality improvement frameworks: a Migraine and Women’s Health RFP (200K x 2-year, $500K pool), Migraine IME ($200K, $1M pool), JAK Inhibitor evidence-based education ($100K), and Maternal Vaccination HCP Education in Saudi Arabia ($75K), plus a separate Pediatric Pneumococcal Surveillance research call in Saudi Arabia ($400K per project). Novo Nordisk Foundation runs four parallel calls of its own at substantial scale: Infectious Diseases Catalyst Grants (DKK 60M pool, up to DKK 7M collaborative), Non-Diabetic Endocrinology Collaborative Grants (DKK 53M pool, DKK 5-10M per project), Pioneer Innovator Grant Health (DKK 1.1M), and Distinguished Innovator Grant Health (DKK 6.8M). LEO Foundation deploys DKK 2-4M per project for dermatology research excellence. Pfizer’s framing across calls deliberately separates the funding from product promotion, emphasizing measurable practice-relevant change and structural distance between scientific outputs and commercial activity. Novo Nordisk’s “use-inspired” hard filter pushes researchers toward a credible translation pathway from mechanism to deployable tool. The pattern: industry-aligned funders are running structurally independent portfolios at meaningful $ that fund implementation evidence, not promotion. In AI as Operational Capability, Not Speculation, several calls this month explicitly treat AI adoption as a near-term operational question with real evidence and governance requirements, rather than a speculative trend to be watched. Wellcome’s ESIC Hubs frames AI as “the accelerator” for evidence synthesis, asking hubs to translate technical innovation into adoption-ready workflows that can match real-world policy timelines. UNICEF Venture Fund’s new Climate Tech for Children’s Health call funds for-profit startups deploying AI, machine learning, and blockchain in low-resource environments, with a strict requirement that solutions must already have a working prototype with promising pilot results. The Water Research Foundation has launched two simultaneous AI calls treating reproducibility, cybersecurity guardrails, and human-in-the-loop deployments as core design constraints rather than nice-to-haves: one on GenAI and Agentic AI in water utilities ($200K), one on alternatives to water shutoffs that explicitly screens for implementation economics evidence. Nordic Innovation’s quantum technology call (NOK 4.5M) extends the same logic into life science and healthcare, demanding consortium-stage projects mature enough to test with real users. TEF-Health offers €300K in subsidized testing infrastructure for European healthcare AI and robotics SMEs. The pattern: funders are converting AI pilots into playbooks, requiring transfer evidence and risk controls before AI can move from experimentation to sector-wide operational practice. For LMIC-based researchers in infectious disease or evidence synthesis, the three Wellcome calls together represent the deepest concentration of LMIC-led research capital in recent memory — pair the Infectious Disease Clinical Trial Development Award (£200K, deadline May 19) as a strategic pipeline feeder into the larger Infectious Disease Clinical Trial Award (£1-£8M, deadline June 2), since the development award functions explicitly as a track into the larger trial scheme. For Nordic researchers, the four Novo Nordisk Foundation calls plus LEO Foundation and Nordic Innovation Quantum represent ~$30M in regional research capital this cycle, all with deadlines clustered in May-August. For WASH practitioners, the three Water Research Foundation calls together (each up to $200K) are a cluster worth reading across — one on AI deployment, one on shutoff alternatives, one rewarding applied innovation — and the strongest applicants will articulate how their work bridges utility operations to policy-relevant evidence. For US-based clinical researchers and educators, the four Pfizer calls plus the APF Portfolio’s 80+ programs form an unusually accessible recurring pipeline; APF’s prohibition on indirect costs is a meaningful structural feature for early-career applicants whose institutions might otherwise absorb significant overhead. Snapshot of New Opportunities Total Estimated Funding Pool: $100 Million+ USD The grants are organized into three categories: Open Calls: Current grant and opportunities with a deadline. Grants are listed by closing date. 39 open opportunities- 14 new! Rolling Applications: current grant and opportunities with rolling applications (but it’s still best to submit as early as possible). 14 rolling opportunities- 1 new opportunity! Long term planning: Grants that have closed their current rounds, but are expected to open new windows. 4 long term opportunities! A quick tip for returning readers: if you want to jump straight to the newest additions, use CTRL F to search for “New!” and navigate quickly to the latest funding opportunities This post is for paid subscribers. This helps support the time and effort it takes to curate and organize these opportunities. Subscribe To keep this accessible to everyone who needs it, we’re happy to offer pay what you can rates. You can find more details here. Open Calls: Migraine Competitive Grant Program: Migraine and Women’s Health (Quality Improvement and/or Research RFP), Pfizer.*Closing soon!* Pfizer, in collaboration with the American Headache Society, is seeking independent quality improvement and research projects that close persistent gaps in migraine care for women across the United States. The funding logic centers on measurable, practice-relevant change: proposals should generate actionable evidence, tools, or system improvements that can be shared and used widely, not just within a single site. Priority areas span menstrual migraine and screening in women’s health settings, the role of hormonal fluctuations across the lifespan, sex-specific risk factors, comorbidities and quality-of-life burden, and disparities in outcomes by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. The call is structured as a two-step competitive process with an initial Letter of Intent, with the strongest concepts expected to translate scientific insight into implementable improvements in diagnosis, management, and equity. Geographies: United States. Who can apply: U.S.-based organizations (not individuals), including professional schools, healthcare institutions, professional organizations, and other entities focused on healthcare improvement. Funding amount: Up to USD $200,000 total over 2 years; total pool USD $500,000. Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Health; Focus areas: migraine, women’s health, quality improvement, clinical research, menstrual migraine, health disparities. Deadline: LOI: May 5, 2026; Full proposal (by invitation): August 28, 2026. Learn more and apply here. This RFP rewards “shareable impact”: the most competitive submissions will pair rigorous methods with a clear plan for system uptake and dissemination beyond the originating institution. ReSSARC: Strengthening the Health Sector and Food Security in the Central African Republic (AID 013381/01/0) Call for Proposals, Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). *Closing soon!* AICS is seeking a limited set of high-capacity humanitarian partners to deliver an integrated package that stabilizes essential health services while reducing acute malnutrition and strengthening food security resilience in priority areas of the Central African Republic. The funder’s logic is explicitly nexus-based: proposals should meet urgent, life-saving needs while reinforcing local systems, coordination mechanisms, and community-level capacity so results persist beyond the emergency window. AICS emphasizes inclusion and protection outcomes, expecting gender-sensitive design and explicit measures for groups facing compounded vulnerability, including women, children under five, internally displaced people, and people with disabilities. The call also signals a localization pathway, encouraging stronger collaboration with national NGOs and balanced partnerships, alongside clear coordination with existing cluster and humanitarian actors to minimize duplication and improve coverage. Geographies: Central African Republic (Bangui, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Lim-Pende, Lobaye). Who can apply: Non-profit organizations registered with AICS, plus eligible non-profits without an office in Italy that have a pre-existing collaboration agreement with an AICS-listed organization. Funding amount: Total pool EUR €1,800,000; max EUR €800,000 (single applicant) or EUR €1,000,000 (ATS). Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Health; Focus areas: malnutrition prevention and treatment, maternal and child health, community health services, food security and resilience, localization partnerships Deadline: May 5, 2026. Learn more and apply here. This call is structured to reward partners who can link frontline service delivery to system durability and localization, not just short-term coverage gains. Contracts for Innovation in drug and alcohol addiction healthcare, Innovate UK. *Closing soon!* Innovate UK, on behalf of the Office for Life Sciences Addiction Healthcare Goals program, is procuring R&D to accelerate innovations that can improve treatment outcomes, strengthen recovery, and reduce harm and deaths linked to drug and alcohol addiction. The competition is positioned as a market-facing readiness push: selected projects are expected to advance solutions toward later-stage validation, generate evidence of user acceptability and UK market fit, and map credible routes through regulatory and certification requirements. Innovate UK signals a preference for innovations that can be field-tested in relevant UK settings and progressed to TRL 6 or 7, with practical plans for commercialization after contract completion. This structure favors applicants that can execute most work in-house, co-develop with service providers and people with lived experience, and translate technical progress into deployable tools for addiction healthcare delivery. Geographies: United Kingdom. Who can apply: Single organizations of any size (including EU, EEA, or international) leading delivery, with most work and key deliverables carried out in the UK; subcontractors for specialist skills only. Funding amount: GBP £200,000–1.5 million per project (inclusive of VAT); Total pool: GBP £20 million (across two strands). Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Health; Focus areas: Mental Health, Health Systems Strengthening, Research & Development, Technology Access. Deadline: May 6, 2026 (11:00am). Learn more and apply here. This call uses procurement to pull near-market addiction innovations toward operational proof and adoption pathways in UK services.
Africa CDC Launches the African Strategic Advisory Group on Genomics
I’m today announced the launch of the African Strategic Advisory Group on Genomics (ASAG), a new continental advisory mechanism established to provide independent, multidisciplinary, and trusted technical guidance on the strategic governance and implementation of genomics across Africa. The launch of ASAG marks a pivotal step in advancing Africa CDC’s vision to democratize access to […]
Las Vegas science and technology expo wraps 15th year
Thousands explore robotics and VR at World Market Center expo
Las Vegas science and technology expo wraps 15th year
Las Vegas science and technology expo wraps 15th year
Las Vegas science and technology expo wraps 15th year
Las Vegas science and technology expo wraps 15th year
Las Vegas science and technology expo wraps 15th year
Las Vegas science and technology expo wraps 15th year
Las Vegas science and technology expo wraps 15th year
Las Vegas science and technology expo wraps 15th year
Las Vegas science and technology expo wraps 15th year
Las Vegas science and technology expo wraps 15th year
Apple Held The Line On MacBook Pricing While Microsoft Hiked Surface Prices, But The iPhone 18 Is Where The Streak Reportedly Breaks
Apple's dreams of eschewing price hikes have finally hit an uncompromising wall of memory-led cost inflation.
Week In Review: Inside the ‘science of math’ and teacher salaries
We’re rounding up last week’s news, from STEM teacher shortages to ed tech pushback.
Direct air capture has substantial health and climate opportunity costs
Communications Sustainability - Renewable energy remains more cost effective for climate and health outcomes than direct air capture except under highly optimistic technology improvements,...
4 Seasons Golf unveils Top Tracer range in Rothschild
New facility offers 20 outdoor bays with technology for golfers and entertainment for families
Plan to Increase Role of Spanish in AI and Science
The University of Panama and the Panamanian Academy of Language have been invited to sign the Granada Declaration on the Development, Communication, and Dissemination of Science in Spanish. As part of its Spanish Strategy (2025–2031), the University of Granada (UGR) is collaborating with Hispano-American institutions to create standardized scientific corpora, consolidate language policies to boost the global reach of Spanish, and develop technological resources to foster the use of Spanish in academia and specialized digital environments. While in Panama, UGR’s president Pedro Mercado discussed the role of Spanish as an academic and scientific language in the new ecosystem shaped by
Instructure confirms data breach, ShinyHunters claims attack
Educational tech giant Instructure has confirmed that data was stolen in a cyberattack, with the ShinyHunters extortion gang claiming responsibility.
Scientists Just Built a Quantum Battery That Charges Almost Instantly
Scientists have built a quantum battery that could make charging almost instant.
AMD Ryzen AI MAX+ 495 “Gorgon Halo” Leak Smokes Strix Halo by 10%, Packs 192GB Memory and Radeon 8065S
AMD's next-generation Halo flagship, the Ryzen AI MAX+ 495, has leaked out, featuring a 10% bump in performance & a new Radeon 8065 iGPU.
Why Almost No One Needs An RFID Blocking Wallet Anymore
One of the more common wallet types you'll see are ones with RFID blocking technology, but it may not be as effective as deterring theft as you think.
Key Starmer adviser held 16 undisclosed meetings with top US tech bosses
Exclusive: Varun Chandra’s talks with Google, Meta, Apple and others raise fears of ‘lobbying behind closed doors’
This tiny, magnetic e-reader could stop you from doomscrolling
The Xteink X3 is a delightfully tiny, MagSafe-compatible e-ink reader that attaches to the back of your phone like a Pop Socket.
Motorola Beats Apple And Samsung: The Razr Ultra 2026 Debuts Innovative Battery Tech
Motorola’s latest is the first major U.S.-focused smartphone brand to use a carbon-silicon battery.
Backed by tech money, a moderate Democrat from Silicon Valley mounts a bid for California governor
The race to lead the country’s biggest blue state has been defined by voter concerns about their quality of life in California and the influence of special interests in Sacramento.
Have West Ham given Tottenham an escape route?
When Tomas Soucek's effort grazed the post in the final stages of West Ham United's defeat at Brentford on Saturday afternoon, their supporters could've been forgiven for exchanging exasperated looks. The 3-0 scoreline at Gtech Community Stadium may point to a comfortable victory for Keith Andrews' Europe-chasing side, but it tells only half the story. Victory would have lifted West Ham five points clear of the bottom three, but instead they have left the door ajar for Tottenham to leapfrog them with victory at Aston Villa on Sunday night.
My Biz: Marion auto repair business finds a European niche
The staff at EuroCare auto repair shop in Marion, Iowa, includes 6 factory-certified technicians who stay current with the needs of imported cars that tend to be more expensive but have expired warranties.
Fargo physicist says Bluetooth headphones pose no health risk
Whether hitting the gym, walking the dog, or hopping on a bike, many people are wearing headphones. But with Bluetooth technology more popular than ever, some are asking if wireless headphones are actually safe.
‘The reality, for better or worse’: Columbia comp sci students and faculty grapple with AI’s disruption of the field
‘The reality, for better or worse’: Columbia comp sci students and faculty grapple with AI’s disruption of the field ‘The reality, for better or worse’: Columbia comp sci students and faculty grapple with AI’s disruption of the field A field that once seemed like a direct path to stable, lucrative work is becoming less certain under AI, students and faculty told Spectator. By Ria Vasishtha and Arjun Menon May 3, 2026 Shanying Liu / Deputy Illustrations Editor Asia Genawi, SEAS ’29, first encountered artificial intelligence during her sophomore year at her high school in Indiana. Back in 2023, policies on AI varied widely—even within the same district—and some schools had no guidance at all. As Genawi began to see the effects of AI trickle into her classroom, she turned to guidance from her home state’s Department of Education, which she said she found “outdated and inaccessible.” Genawi spent the rest of her high school career dedicated to the issue, including writing a 15-page memo exploring varying AI policies across Indiana schools, which she sent to every Indiana state senator and representative whose contact information she was able to find. She later helped draft a bill that would have required public high schools to establish and share their own AI policies with students in an accessible format. But with so many other bills already awaiting referral, hers never made it to committee. When Genawi arrived at Columbia to study computer science, she found that the gaps she had spent years trying to address in Indiana had followed her there. Many students and professors were also grappling with what AI meant for the field. Across Columbia’s undergraduate schools, computer science has become the most popular major—accounting for around 11 percent of degrees awarded in Columbia College, 32 percent in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and 12 percent in the School of General Studies in 2024. While the number of computer science majors in SEAS grew from 166 to 173 during the 2024-25 academic year, the total number across the three schools fell around 4.5 percent from 393 to 375, driven by declines at Columbia College and General Studies. At Barnard, it has grown to become the second most popular major as of 2025, up from third the year prior. The number of degrees awarded have grown fivefold since 2016. Faculty members and students in the department told Spectator that the surge in the major’s popularity has been driven in large part by its apparent promise of a secure, well-paid career path. However, they noted that the recent rise of generative AI has compromised the sense of stability that once defined the field, even as interest in technical skills among students persists. According to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in 2024, out of 74 majors tracked, computer science had the fifth highest unemployment rate among majors at 7 percent, while computer engineering had the second highest at 7.8 percent. “Anecdotally, people are moving away from CS as a major,” Daniel Bauer, a senior lecturer in the computer science department, said. “They’re still taking some of our classes, right, because they think they need that, but they’re instead majoring in other things.” Bauer described a field that had shifted from what he called a “nerdy outlier discipline” to one that “everyone needs,” a sign that technical skills have become a baseline expectation across industries with the emergence of AI. “A lot of people thought, ‘Oh, it’s a guaranteed path to a stable income. You get a six-figure job right out of your undergrad,’” Bauer said. Now, companies may see AI as a way to reduce demand for entry-level programmers, especially in what he calls “code monkey jobs,” roles where a large number of employees are “just writing out code nine-to-five.” Chris Murphy, a senior lecturer in the computer science department, described the current moment as the convergence of two forces: the downturn of the job market and generative AI coming onto the scene. “Things kind of started to really pick up in 2014, 16,” he said, recalling the years after the weaker 2010 market. Murphy added that this was also a period where “students were getting more experience outside of class than they were inside of class” through internships, jobs, and side projects. Murphy suggested that the earlier momentum helped make computer science feel like both an academic program and a reliable pathway into work. That feeling is harder to sustain now as the industry reconfigures, which is a shift that students are seeing firsthand. Rebecca Yu, SEAS ’27, said that during a recent internship in Big Tech, she saw that “every single tech company was racing to integrate” large language models. She added that her manager said her intern class was the first to complete their assigned projects, which she attributed to the increased efficiency that comes with AI. Frank Liu, SEAS ’29, said that with AI lowering the barrier to coding, companies now expect everyone to write code. “A lot of companies outright say if you’re not using coding in your job, you might get fired for not being productive enough,” Liu said. Yu similarly expressed that students increasingly have to accept AI being a part of industry workflow, adding that many also “make use of it to maximize their productivity.” Richard Li, CC ’28, described a “franticness” among his peers as the pace of change accelerates. He explained how “some new tool” is released regularly, noting that tools rise and fall in prominence within weeks. He has come to believe that he doesn’t need to “match that speed all the time” and keep up with every development. Li has learned that AI tools allow him to “take a breath” and “get back into the loop much easier than before” when he needs to. While some companies specifically target Columbia when hiring, sending representatives to campus career fairs and recruiting large numbers from Columbia, a computer science degree cannot be treated as a static credential, Yu described. “You can’t just get your degree and stop learning after that. You have to always be learning,” Yu said. “That is something you basically have to expect for your job.” AI has not only affected students’ decisions to major in computer science, but also reshaped how the subject is taught. Across departments, faculty members no longer treat work done outside the classroom as a reliable measure of understanding, shifting instead toward in-person exams, quizzes, and attendance checks. While homework once made up as much as 60 to 70 percent of a student’s grade in computer science classes, Murphy said that breakdown has since flipped, with exams and quizzes now accounting for the majority. “The assumption—especially among pessimists—is that they’re using it to do their homework,” Murphy said. “They take the homework assignment. They put it into generative AI. Out comes the solution. Submit solution. The end.” Murphy said that faculty members ranged in their responses from fully prohibiting AI use to actively teaching students how to effectively work with AI. He said he shifted his approach this year after his teaching assistants called his belief that students weren’t using the technology “naïve,” and now permits students to use AI on assignments. His surveys of students in his introductory classes have told a more complicated story than the one so-called pessimists offer: Around 60 to 70 percent of students who reported using AI said they used it to have concepts explained to them, to clarify assignment instructions, to generate test cases, or to create practice questions. “Those are all ways that you might have had a tutor in the past to do that, and now you have this AI essentially as your tutor,” he said. Bauer has taken a different approach, teaching students how to use AI productively without sacrificing the core principles of the discipline. “People who are trained to actually use AI tools productively, while being in charge of designing the overall project, will be very much in demand in the next couple of years,” he said. Over the past year, a working group of computer science faculty has been redesigning the introductory and intermediate programming sequence to integrate generative AI as both a subject and a tool, representatives from SEAS wrote in a statement to Spectator. The effort is “coordinated” across the department, “not course-by-course,” with a systematic assessment of how AI integration is affecting student outcomes underway to shape the next round of changes. The goal, the department explained, is for students to be able to “read, verify, and reason about code, whether they or a model wrote it.” Tony Dear, senior lecturer in the computer science department, is piloting individualized AI feedback in a discrete mathematics course, while a machine learning course is also testing a Socratic AI dialogue system designed to “guide inquiry rather than supply answers,” the statement reads. Beyond individual courses, SEAS funded seven cross-departmental faculty projects in generative AI this past academic year, spanning biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, industrial engineering, and computer science, according to the statement. This phenomenon extends beyond the computer science department. SEAS’ new AI minor, which it announced in November 2025, reflects the University’s attempt to adapt. The minor is specifically designed for noncomputer science majors and aims to provide “essential AI knowledge” while emphasizing practical and responsible use across disciplines, according to the SEAS website. At the center of the minor is AI in Context, a course taught by a team of faculty from the departments of computer science, applied mathematics, philosophy, music, literature, and the Writing Center, the representatives told Spectator. Bauer described it as targeted at students who want to bring AI into fields like economics or biology, rather than as a path into software engineering itself. At the graduate level, SEAS announced a new Master of Science in artificial intelligence in February, with the inaugural cohort starting in the fall. While recognizing how AI has helped them navigate coursework, students also described its rise as isolating, even among members of the Application Development Initiative, one of Columbia’s largest computer science clubs. “As people start to ask AI for questions that they would normally ask students and members, it starts to isolate people” Li said. Alexa Kafka, BC ’27, echoed Li’s sentiment, pointing out that computer science has always been a collaborative discipline with code reviews and pull requests, even as AI makes independent work easier. Despite this, Kafka noted that she hasn’t been to office hours “in at least a year.” Bauer added that faculty are exploring long-term solutions to the assessment problem. “One of the things that we’re trying to do at the department or school level is to maybe move towards computerized testing facilities,” Bauer said, referring to ideas in the department to revitalize computer labs as an alternative to pen-and-paper exams. “We have to accept that this is the reality, for better or worse.” But more exams, students say, does not mean better learning, nor does it reflect how computer science is actually done. “Code is so variable and can be approached in so many directions, there’s never just going to be one correct answer. There can be multiple optimal solutions,” Kafka said. Students also expressed concern that the shift toward exam-heavy grading pulls focus away from the applied, project-based work that better reflects both discipline and industry expectations. ADI has tried to respond more quickly than the curriculum can. Through a vibe coding workshop this past semester, club members said they wanted to help students understand not just that AI exists, but how to use it deliberately. “Vibe coding” refers to the practice of prompting AI to write code for a task or project, and has become widespread enough that ADI felt the gap in formal instruction was worth addressing, according to Sophia Huang, BC ’29. The workshop introduced students to the concept of context engineering, which Shaina Sahu, SEAS ’27, described as not just writing a prompt, but optimizing “the rest of the relevant information that you would feed into the model.” Without that, students said that AI-generated code can fail at scale or introduce difficult-to-detect bugs. Genawi said the shift toward AI has changed what it means to be good at computer science. “I think the shift has kind of gone towards what can you create and what can you do, instead of, what do you know,” she said. Indeed, during ADI DevFest, its annual hackathon, Li said more teams are trying to complete their projects than in years past. While sign-ups have historically outpaced submissions, Li said this is beginning to change because teams “have a tool that completes the vision for them.” While many students see AI as an equalizer that lowers the barrier to entry for coding and technical work, Murphy said it also creates new equity concerns inside the classroom around who can afford stronger tools and who already knows how to use them. “The equity issues I worry about are students who have access to paid versions of things versus free versions of things,” he said. Although popular AI models like ChatGPT and Claude have free versions available, both have paid models that can reach over $100 per month, which output different qualities of code. Murphy also pointed to differences in prior exposure to AI literacy itself. “Students who go to high schools or K-12 education, where they’re taught AI literacy, prompt engineering, context engineering, they understand how to do this, as opposed to students who go to schools who don’t teach that,” he said. “Then they come in, and then they’re somehow expected to know how to use these tools.” For Genawi, those disparities begin long before students arrive on campus. “It’s very interesting to consider how lucky you were geographically,” she said. “To be born where you were is influencing your ability to get access to these spaces.” Students like Yu, though broadly apprehensive about the future of computer science, are not without hope. “I’m optimistic, because I think if you’re truly passionate about CS, there will definitely be a place in the field to do something you want to do,” she said. Senior Staff Writer Ria Vasishtha can be contacted at ria.vasishtha@columbiaspectator.com. Follow Spectator on X @ColumbiaSpec. Staff Writer Arjun Menon can be contacted at arjun.menon@columbiaspectator.com. Follow Spectator on X @ColumbiaSpec. Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter and like Spectator on Facebook. Produced with Spectate by Emily Ta
Facing permanent ban, Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby hires Jeffrey Kessler to fight NCAA gambling investigation
Kessler was the lead attorney in the House v. NCAA case last summer that led to revenue-sharing with players.
MIT Sloan Management Review to Cease Publication. Up Next?
The venerable business magazine and website, a key chronicler of tech and management insights, is shutting down after 67 years. Future outlets include social media and podcasts.
Farewell, Jeeves: Ask.com shuts down
Owner IAC says it's discontinuing its search business.
Las Vegas Science & Technology Festival marks 15th year with giant free expo
The Las Vegas Science & Technology Festival marked the end of its 15th year Saturday with its signature event, the Giant Science & Technology Expo, a free, full
Motorola Beats Apple And Samsung: The Razr Ultra 2026 Debuts Innovative Battery Tech
Motorola’s latest is the first major U.S.-focused smartphone brand to use a carbon-silicon battery.
The best AI dictation apps, tested and ranked
AI-powered dictation apps are useful for replying to emails, taking notes, and even coding through your voice
Research roundup: 6 cool science stories we almost missed
Crushing soda cans for science, why dolphins swim so fast, how urine helps mushrooms communicate...
Crimson Desert Patch 1.5 Lets You Refight All 69 Bosses, as Pearl Abyss Doubles Down After 5M Sales
Crimson Desert's biggest patch yet adds a boss rematch system, re-blockades, legendary creature pets, and NVIDIA DLSS MFG support.
Reverse Collapse: F announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PC, iOS, and Android
Publisher Sunborn Network Technology and in-house developer MICA Team have announced Reverse Collapse: F, a science-fiction cooperative third-person shooter. It will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox …
LG Japan Drops Pre-Order Pricing For Its 5K2K UltraGear OLED, Slashing 21% Off The $2,099 Flagship Before Launch
LG Japan opens pre-orders for the 45GX950B-B 5K OLED at $1,653 and 32GX870B-B 4K at $1,081, featuring advanced specs and discounts.
Xi Jinping: Advancing China's strength in science and technology
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday urged greater efforts and more concrete measures to strengthen basic research, enhance China's capacity for original innovation, and further solidify the foundation for building the country's strength in science
Bruce Blakeman's attorneys make case for campaign matching funds in court
Blakeman sued the state Public Campaign Finance Board last month for denying his campaign millions of dollars of public matching funds over a technicality concerning the filing of paperwork.
Study: AI models that consider user's feeling are more likely to make errors
Overtuning can cause models to "prioritize user satisfaction over truthfulness.”...
The RAMpocalypse has bought Microsoft valuable time in the fight against SteamOS
Op-ed: Valve has made a dent in Windows' gaming share, but can it keep going?
Business Lookahead: Eyeing oil, US jobs, and European earnings
STORY: From high oil prices and the conflict in the Middle East to U.S. jobs data and corporate earnings, here’s what you need to watch in business and finance in the week ahead.:: Crude and currencyOil prices briefly topped $120 a barrel this week to hit their highest level since 2022 as the war with Iran enters a third month.While the U.S. and Iran face pressure to end a conflict that has shut the Strait of Hormuz, the world watches anxiously as the biggest-ever disruption to energy supplies unfolds.For each week the Strait is closed, keeping oil elevated, the greater the economic risks via higher inflation or weak growth or, for some, both. Oil importer Japan just intervened to prop up a yen that has been weakened by the conflict.A new month is now underway and some traders will be mindful of that old adage, "Sell in May and go away.":: Jobs gyrationsAs the U.S. economy grapples with fallout from the Middle East war, Wall Street's radar turns to Friday's April monthly payrolls report.The U.S. economy likely created 73,000 new jobs, economists polled by Reuters forecast. In March, payrolls increased by 178,000, the most since December 2024, but that followed a sharp decline in February.The U.S. employment data comes amid signs of hawkishness at the Federal Reserve, as Donald Trump pick Kevin Warsh prepares to take over as chair with the U.S. president keen on rate cuts.:: Starmer’s statusThursday's local elections in Britain, usually a non-event for investors, could move markets in a big way, with opinion polls pointing to a heavy defeat for Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour Party.A heavy defeat could spark more widespread demands for his dismissal among his own lawmakers and stoke expectations of a successor more willing to run looser budgets. That would bring more bad news for British bonds.::European earningsIt's a big week for European earnings with Shell and Commerzbank among those reporting.On aggregate, profits are expected to grow 3.2% in Q1, according to LSEG I/B/E/S. Under the surface, it's a little bit more complicated. Growth is expected to be driven by just three sectors: financials, tech and energy. The latter is seen as the biggest beneficiary of the Iran war due to higher oil and gas prices.But if the war, and energy surge, persist, the overall outlook for Europe's earnings could turn.
Science news: Return of the river-herring run, Musk vs. Altman and new pancreatic cancer drugs
Under the Radar breaks down the latest science and technology headlines, including communities fighting back against data centers, overheated sharks and more
Maine nurses demand Maine Health cancel its contract with Palantir Technologies
Maine Medical Center Nurses are demanding that Maine Health cancel its contract with Palantir Technologies, the tech company powering ICE surveillance.
2026 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Awards & Honorable Mentions
Congratulations to our current graduate and undergraduate students and alumni who have received prestigious 2026 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships (GRFP) and Honorable Mentions. The National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions. The five-year fellowship includes three years of financial support including an annual stipend and a cost of education allowance to the institution. Left to right: Row 1 – 2026 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship recipients: Jasmin Bioteau, Kasey Chung, Daniel Cohn, Michael Eng, Tyler Martinez. Row 2 – Henry Shavel, Breanna Sprague, Abigail Wilson, ofia Ando, Daniel Kendall. Row 3 – Rebecca Lee, Lauren Van Auken, Tim Duong. NSF Honorable Mention recipients: Evan Baerg, Isaac Hendrix. Row 4 – Nathan Palmer, Paul Saucedo, Helen Elmer and Maximilian Floridia. 2026 NSF Graduate Research Fellowships (GRFP) were awarded to current graduate students Jasmin Bioteau (Kwon), Kasey Chung (Garg), Daniel Cohn (Kappel), Michael Eng (Doyle), Tyler Martinez (Barber), Henry Shavel (Alexandrova), Breanna Sprague (Garg), Abigail Wilson (Garg); undergraduate researchers Sofia Ando (Shafaat, headed to Princeton for graduate school), Daniel Kendall (Barber, headed to MIT for graduate school), Rebecca Lee (Chen, headed to Stanford for graduate school) and Lauren Van Auken (Garg, headed to the Caltech for graduate school). Former undergraduate researcher Tim Duong ’25 (Neuhauser/Caram, now a graduate student at Princeton) also received the fellowship. 2026 Honorable Mentions by NSF, also a significant national academic achievement, were accorded to current graduate students Evan Baerg, Isaac Hendrix (Tinoco Valencia), Nathan Palmer (Conway),and Paul Saucedo (Doyle). Also receiving Honorable Mentions are former undergraduate researchers Helen Elmer ’25 (Gelbart/Knobler, now a graduate student at the Stanford University School of Medicine), and Maximilian Floridia ‘25 (P. Weiss, now a graduate student at Caltech). Congratulations again to all the recipients! Penny Jennings, UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, penjen@g.ucla.edu.
Subnautica 2’s System Requirements Could Have You Diving for a Little Extra RAM Just to Reach 30FPS at 1080p
Unknown Worlds has revealed Subnautica 2's PC system requirements, and they may have players with older PCs diving for more RAM.
iPhone Fold: 3 technologies Apple is reportedly using to (finally) kill the crease
It's not reinventing the wheel, but rather, making it better
Scientists Uncover “Astonishing” Hidden Property of Light
A newly uncovered property of light suggests it may be far more self-sufficient than previously believed.
Ubuntu infrastructure has been down for more than a day
The outage has hampered communication concerning a critical vulnerability that gives root.
Building useful quantum computers ‘in our direct line of sight’
Researchers say creation of startups suggests game-changing tech may be developing at faster pace than expected.
Scientists Discover Stem Cells That Could Regrow Teeth and Bone
Scientists just uncovered the cellular “blueprint” that could one day let us regrow real teeth.
Forget Big Tech: Small businesses will hire nearly 1 million grads in 2026—and some of the hottest roles are gloriously AI-proof
While financial analysts and software engineers have suffered the biggest decline in share of the new grad job market, AI engineers and service technicians are at the top.
Ubuntu services hit by outages after DDoS attack
A group of hacktivists have claimed responsibility for a distributed denial-of-service attack, which has affected several Ubuntu and Canonical websites, and prevented users from updating the Linux-based operating system.
Asha Sharma Comments On AI Use As Upscaling Tech Rolls Out To ROG Xbox Ally
"We are refocusing our AI efforts..."
Apple may take "several months" to catch up to Mac mini and Studio demand
Chip shortages and demand from AI enthusiasts are both playing a part.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle reveals Nintendo Switch 2 frame rate, resolution, and DLSS usage
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Nintendo Switch 2 tech specs released, and the developer promises good things for this version.
Iterative Health banks $77m to level up AI-driven clinical research tech
Google Ventures-backed Iterative will now expand its platform into burgeoning therapeutic areas like cardiology and obesity.
ECU Health has performed a North Carolina first: a new type of colorectal robotic surgery
A da Vinci SP system was used for two successful surgeries at ECU Health. The technology is less invasive and used one single incision instead of multiple.
Exclusive: Startup Fun raises $72 million for the serious business of converting crypto and cash
The crypto investor Multicoin Capital and the tech VC SignalFire led the Series A fundraise.
A Scientist Says Humans Will Stop Aging by 2029, Here's the Technology That Could Make It Real
A futurist l predicts humanity could reach "longevity escape velocity", the point where life expectancy grows faster than we age. But is it realistic?
Athletes Turned Entrepreneurs: Building Impact
See how athletes like CJ McCollum are turning sports success into thriving businesses across tech, media, and community development—creating jobs and lasting economic impact.
Timken to Sell Belts Business to Gates
/PRNewswire/ -- The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR; www.timken.com), a global technology leader in engineered bearings and industrial motion, today announced that...
DAZN targets local sports and US expansion with ‘US$100m’ ViewLift takeover
Broadcaster DAZN can offer end-to-end technical and distribution support to major league teams swapping cable for streaming.
Business–labour cooperation and long-term competitiveness in the age of AI
Modern economic competitiveness depends on how effectively industries and workers collaborate to adopt new technologies.
Microsoft admits Windows 11 lost its way, Nadella pledges to "win back fans"
During Microsoft's fiscal Q3 2026 earnings call, Nadella put consumer Windows front and center. As part of Microsoft's broader push to reconnect with users across its platforms,...
Inexpensive seafloor-hopping submersibles could stoke deep-sea science—and mining
A company called Orpheus Ocean wants to go “deep for cheap.”
Tuscaloosa students prepare for tech jobs in new lab
Tuscaloosa City Schools opened a new Computer Science Innovation Lab, preparing students for high-demand tech jobs.
With mass firing, Trump deals a fresh blow to American science
Ambitious research is on the chopping block following yet more cuts at the National Science Foundation.
Common-sense guardrails for new data center development benefit people, the planet
By Joe Antus Colorado’s business leaders are right about one thing: Colorado is at an inflection point. In a recent letter to Gov. Jared Polis, members of the technology and business community argued Colorado’s innovation economy must not only grow, but “serve the long-term prosperity and well-being of the people and communities of Colorado.” Signal […]
Roma add a new name to sporting director casting list
Roma has begun the search for a new sporting director to plan the club’s technical future. With Ricky Massara set to leave following Claudio Ranieri’s departure, the Giallorossi owners are looking...
Angel to business startups and civic causes is 2026 Tri-Citian of the Year
The successful tech entrepreneur is winner of the top community honor.
ChatGPT Images 2.0 is a hit in India, but not a big winner elsewhere, yet
Users in India are embracing ChatGPT Images 2.0 for creative, personal visuals — from avatars to cinematic portraits.
Medicare portal database exposed health providers’ Social Security numbers
It is the latest technical problem related to the Trump administration’s push to create a national directory of health providers.
As Tim Cook steps down, Apple hit record sales — but a chip shortage looms
Cook warned that Apple is facing supply chain headwinds from RAMaggedon that could impact its business.
Apple was surprised by AI-driven demand for Macs
Apple said it will be supply-constrained on Mac mini, Studio, and Neo in the next quarter, too.
Disney cuts some tech employees' stock-based compensation
Disney is cutting some employees' maximum stock awards to 25% of their base salaries, from 35%.
UK advances plan for Kroger Field entertainment district; BCTC building to be vacated
Bluegrass Community and Technical College will vacate the school’s original home on Cooper Drive by the end of 2026.
UK advances plan for Kroger Field entertainment district; BCTC building to be vacated
Bluegrass Community and Technical College will vacate the school’s original home on Cooper Drive by the end of 2026.
Scientists Print Artificial Neurons That Can Talk to the Brain
Artificial neurons that can “talk” to the brain could reshape medicine and computing.
Johnson & Johnson to acquire Atraverse Medical
The move, once finalized, helps Johnson & Johnson add multiple FDA-approved technologies to its EP portfolio.
The most severe Linux threat to surface in years catches the world flat-footed
CopyFail threatens multi-tenant servers, CI/CD work flows, Kubernetes containers, and more.
Microsoft Rolls Out Xbox Mode to All Windows 11 PCs, Blurring the Line Between Console and Desktop Gaming
Microsoft has just commenced the rollout of its Gaming-Focused "Xbox Mode" across all Windows 11 PCs and devices.
Live Nation Entertainment To Participate In MoffettNathanson's Media, Internet & Communications Conference And J.P. Morgan's 2026 Global Technology, Media And Communications Conference
/PRNewswire/ -- Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: LYV), the world's leading live entertainment company, announced today that management will be presenting...
Live Nation Entertainment To Participate In MoffettNathanson's Media, Internet & Communications Conference And J.P. Morgan's 2026 Global Technology, Media And Communications Conference
Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: LYV), the world's leading live entertainment company, announced today that management will be presenting at MoffettNathanson's Media, Internet & Communications Conference on Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 8:15 a.m. PT, and at J.P. Morgan's 2026 Global Technology, Media and Communications Conference on Wednesday, May 20, 2026 at 7:00 a.m. PT.
Hackers are actively exploiting a bug in cPanel, used by millions of websites
Web hosts are scrambling to fix the bug under active attack by hackers. One company said hackers have been abusing the bug for months.
Registered nurses, allies to demand Maine Health cancel contract with Palantir Technologies
Maine Medical Center registered nurses will hold a press conference on Friday, May 1 in Portland to demand Maine Health cancel its contract with Palantir Technologies. Joined by their allies in the Purge Palantir campaign, nurses will detail why leaders of Maine’s public institutions and health care organizations should refuse collaborations with the surveillance software giant.
AI & Tech brief: States regulate AI in health care
Plus, what the Musk vs. Altman court battle says about AI governance
West Coast tech firm eyes big Chicago office expansion
San Francisco-based Databricks is poised to lease about 50,000 square feet in the Franklin office building at 227 W. Monroe St., expanding from its current co-working space.
At the heart of the Science and Engineering Complex, a library named for a trailblazing alumna
Gift from the Troper Wojcicki Foundation honors the late technology executive and Harvard alumna.
Google’s Gemini AI assistant is hitting the road in millions of vehicles
The move signals Google’s push to bring more advanced, conversational AI into the driving experience.
“Win Back Fans”: Microsoft Stock (NASDAQ:MSFT) Plunges as Microsoft Admits It Is Losing
Tech giant Microsoft ($MSFT) has not exactly made a lot of friends lately with some of its moves, and Microsoft is apparently starting to feel the impact in the bot...
2026 Fellows Advancing Women's Health Research in Africa
Fellows from 11 countries represent a diverse group of researchers, clinicians, biotechnologists, and innovators committed to women's health research in Africa.
Hinge has a new FDA-cleared migraine device
In this edition of STAT Health Tech: FDA's plan to use AI to speed up trials, Hinge's new migraine device, and boosting cancer screening with texts.
Fermilab teams up with NIU to launch quantum science program
Fermilab and Northern Illinois University are joining forces to offer a unique Master of Science in Physics program specializing in quantum science and technology. This innovative graduate program combines the expertise of a DOE national laboratory quantum center and a prominent state university to prepare the next generation of quantum experts.
Birds in Cities Fear Women More Than Men and Scientists Don’t Know Why
A small but consistent difference in how birds respond to approaching humans hints at hidden cues shaping animal behavior.