“Need a vacation from 2020? Why not go on an adventure and learn programming at the same time?” asks developer Eric Wastl on Twitter, announcing this year’s edition of the Advent of Code. From the site: Advent of Code is an Advent calendar of small programming puzzles for a variety of skill sets and skill levels that can be solved in…
Tag: computer science
In a Major Scientific Breakthrough, AI Predicts the Exact Shape of Proteins
Researchers have made a major breakthrough using artificial intelligence that could revolutionize the hunt for new medicines. The scientists have created A.I. software that uses a protein’s DNA sequence to predict its three-dimensional structure to within an atomâ(TM)s width of accuracy. weiserfireman shares a report: The achievement, which solves a 50-year-old challenge in molecular biology, was accomplished by a team from…
‘Extremely Aggressive’ Internet Censorship Spreads In the World’s Democracies
Researchers from the University of Michigan used their own automated censorship tracking system to collect more than 21 billion measurements over 20 months in 221 countries. They discovered that citizens in what are considered the world’s freest countries aren’t safe from internet censorship. From a press release: [Roya Ensafi, U-M assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science who led the…
Unlimited access to learning with Coursera Plus, now available worldwide
By Anubhav Chopra, Lead Product Manager When we announced Coursera Plus in February of this year, we were excited to bring you a new subscription plan where you could get unlimited access to 3,000+ courses for one affordable and all-inclusive price. Today, we’re pleased to announce that not only is Coursera Plus available to learners […]
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The Eerie AI World of Deepfake Music
Artificial intelligence is being used to create new songs seemingly performed by Frank Sinatra and other dead stars. ‘Deepfakes’ are cute tricks — but they could change pop for ever. From a report: “It’s Christmas time! It’s hot tub time!” sings Frank Sinatra. At least, it sounds like him. With an easy swing, cheery bonhomie, and understated brass and string flourishes,…
Microsoft: Make 11-Year-Olds ‘Future Ready’ With Minecraft Python Hour of Code
theodp writes: The upcoming “Hack the Classroom: STEM Edition,” Microsoft explains, “is a [3-day] free virtual event series designed for K-12 educators, parents, and guardians. The sessions will feature resources and tutorials to help educators support students in learning future-ready skills. These lessons can be easily incorporated into classroom curriculum while preparing for this year’s Hour of Code event — a…
Should Retraining Programs for Laid-Off Retail Workers Include Computer Programming?
Appearing on ABC, former Chicago Mayor and Obama White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel on Friday volunteered some suggestions for an economic recovery plan that America’s next president could implement. “One of the things we’ve got to do to rebuild, mainly on infrastructure,” he begins, before switching to additional ideas for also offering a more promising future to laid-off retail…
AI Godfather Geoff Hinton: “Deep Learning is Going To Be Able To Do Everything”
An excerpt from MIT Technology Review’s interview with Geoffrey Hinton: You think deep learning will be enough to replicate all of human intelligence. What makes you so sure? I do believe deep learning is going to be able to do everything, but I do think there’s going to have to be quite a few conceptual breakthroughs. For example, in 2017 Ashish…
The No-Code Generation is Arriving
An anonymous reader shares a column: In the distant past, there was a proverbial “digital divide” that bifurcated workers into those who knew how to use computers and those who didn’t. Young Gen Xers and their later millennial companions grew up with Power Macs and Wintel boxes, and that experience made them native users on how to make these technologies do…
Seeing the Invisible Ones: My Journey to Coursera and Grace Hopper
Hi everyone! My name is Nhu. I’m a recent graduate and a Software Engineer at Coursera. I was also a first-time representative at Grace Hopper. This year, we experienced the conference virtually—there were no free shirts, colorful booth displays, or long lines. We did not get to experience the energy of being in a room […]
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