People have a mental model of shopping that is based on experiences from brick-and-mortar stores. We intuitively understand how this process works: all available products are displayed around the store and the prices are clearly marked. Many stores offer deals via coupons, membership cards, or to special classes of people such as students or AARP […]

Northeastern University researchers use computers to simulate 20 million virtual Ebola outbreaks each week. Yale scientists are building three models that project the spread of the deadly disease. And a team at Boston Children’s Hospital is combing through data to gauge whether medical interventions are working. These researchers may not be on West Africa’s front […]

People have a mental model of shopping that is based on experiences from brick-and-mortar stores. We intuitively understand how this process works: All available products are displayed around the store and the prices are clearly marked. Many stores offer deals via coupons, membership cards or to special classes of people such as students or AARP […]

Crowdsourcing ideas that capture the interest of sports fans can be effective because the most important thing about the process is that the crowd is engaged, said Jeff Howe, an assistant journalism professor and coordinator of the media innovations program at Northeastern University in Boston. “When you have that level of motivation, that’s what crowdsourcing […]

As a result, Massachusetts court proceedings have an almost uniquely retro look. The US Supreme Court publishes its opinions in neat, literary Century type. The State Department defected from Courier a decade ago in favor of Times New Roman. Even middle-school students can print their papers in high-toned Bodoni or Garamond. “If the court asked, […]

In a second simulation, Northeastern University professor Alessandro Vespignani projected between one case — the most likely scenario — and a slim chance of as many as eight cases though the end of November. “I’m always trying to tell people to keep calm and keep thinking rationally,” said Vespignani, who projects the spread of infectious […]

John Coley, an associate professor of psychology at Northeastern University, took particular interest in the media’s doubts about the fisherman story because it fits into research on memory and cognition. “Memory is not like a video camera,” Coley told Boston.com. “What’s making this look like a problem is that people don’t understand how memory works.” […]

Until recently, Google Flu Trends was the poster child for the promise of big data as a tool for social good. Companies from Nielsen to large telcos are offering up their customer data to experts who can mine it for clues about public health and social unrest. The Flu Trends algorithm uses data derived from […]

The same survey indicates this latest generation surpasses previous ones in more than narcissism. They rank high in skills such as creativity, openness to change, and technological aptitude. Though recent graduates may Snapchat from their desks, they also crank through Excel more efficiently than other employees. This aptitude could help 2014-ers gain employment, as many […]

The lesson seems to be that in fields like public health and economics, where there are long-standing information-gathering systems, the smart move is to marry the new data with the old. The new breed of data from the web, cellphones and sensors can be a powerful, knowledge-enhancing asset. But it is a signal, not thesignal. […]

Patagonia’s investment comes through its $20 Million & Change fund, which they launched in 2013 to help innovative, like-minded startups bring about solutions to the environmental crisis and other positive change through business. Patagonia actually helped Bureo get started: the director of Patagonia Chile wrote a letter of recommendation to help them receive a $40,000 […]

The US government has limited authority to quarantine or override a state’s decision to impose one. While federal officials can isolate people entering the country or traveling between states, few cases exist. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesn’t have a presence in all 50 states all the time,” said Wendy Parmet, a professor […]