Science & Technology

‘Bad when it’s inaccurate, but even worse when it’s accurate’

Facial recognition technology can be wildly inaccurate and prone to replicating the racial or gender-based biases inherent in the data that goes into it, says…

by Molly Callahan May 21, 2019

Understanding the destructive power of wind

How will tornadoes, hurricanes, and other wind-related phenomena impact structures and designs around the world? This week, Northeastern will be hosting wind engineering researchers from…

by Laura Castañón May 21, 2019

What do you get a world-renowned physicist for his birthday?

People often receive clothing, books, and gift cards for their birthdays. Northeastern professor Pran Nath is getting a two-day conference focused on the latest research…

by Laura Castañón May 15, 2019

He left his comfort zone to explore the frontiers of engineering and culture

Recent graduate Conor Messer has lived, worked, and studied in Germany, Jordan, and the United States. Now, supported by a Fulbright Scholarship, he’s headed to…

by Khalida Sarwari May 15, 2019

Making the leap from video games to a psychology lab

When Ruiming Wang, who recently graduated from Northeastern’s Game Science and Design program, realized his virtual reality skills could improve people’s lives, he had one…

by Aria Bracci May 13, 2019

She wants to help create the next Venmo

Julia McCarthy, who co-founded Disrupt - The FinTech Initiative, is hoping that the group will serve as a collaborative space for students to investigate and…

by Ian Thomsen May 13, 2019

How do you make an ethical algorithm?

Researchers need to work to eliminate bias in algorithms, more accurately communicate to the public the limitations of machine learning, and build systems that prioritize…

by Laura Castañón May 10, 2019

Does artificial intelligence deserve the same ethical protections we give to animals?

John Basl, an assistant professor of philosophy at Northeastern, proposes that we create oversight committees to carefully evaluate research involving artificial intelligence. “The nightmare scenario,”…

by Molly Callahan May 9, 2019

He discovered that you can make a hybrid icefish

Northeastern professor H. William Detrich set out to study how warming waters might affect how icefish grow and develop. But he wound up demonstrating that…

by Laura Castañón May 7, 2019

They are working to cure cancer, treat back pain, and restore biodiversity

Northeastern students Gina Duronio, Erica Wagner, and Claire Williams have worked at some of the most prestigious research centers around the world. Now they have…

by Khalida Sarwari May 7, 2019