Who says science and engineering is for nerds? Not rock star will.i.am. The technology-loving Black Eyed Peas singer thinks computer coding is so cool, he’s enrolled in a programming course at the California Institute for the Arts this fall. You can take it with him: it’s a free, massive open online course known as a MOOC.
Searching for the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs? Look around your classroom. Or rather, check out Sydney, Australia, where students – many of them computer science and engineering majors – from every continent competed to solve the world’s toughest problems at Microsoft’s 10th annual Imagine Cup.
Just because humans have fingers doesn’t mean that robots need to have them too.
Researchers have developed a new type of robotic hand – a soft gripping mechanism that stiffens when air is sucked out.
The hand is essentially a latex balloon filled with ground coffee (because the grounds are both lightweight and pliable). Its softness allows the robot hand to conform to the shape of hard objects.
The EPGY Summer Institutes are 2-to-4-week residential programs for academically talented and motivated middle and high-school students. The Summer Institutes provide an opportunity for students to pursue their intellectual curiosity and meet others who share their interests and abilities. Participants are enrolled in a single intensive-study course, taught by a Stanford instructor, and covering topics not typically presented at their grade level. Costs range from $5,900 to $3,175, with limited financial aid. $40 Application fee waived for application submitted by Jan. 13, 2010.
