New horizons: Spy balloon mania, A-I chatbots and friendly robots
Welcome to a science and tech edition of Midday, with guest host Ashley Sterner sitting in once again for Tom Hall.
The INFORMS Analytics+ Conference showcased how companies are turning advanced analytics and AI into measurable operational results
In most emergency departments, beds are a hot commodity. But some patients don’t actually need a bed for their treatment – and accurately identifying those people is a low-lift but effective way to increase efficiency without sacrificing care quality, finds a study recently published in the journal Management Science.
The researchers developed a simple decision tree, informed by mathematical and machine learning models, to help staff decide whether a patient truly needs a bed or can be routed to a “vertical processing pathway” – that is, an area where they can be treated sitting up. Many hospitals already have such an area but don’t necessarily have a systematic way to decide which patients are treated there.
American teenagers start their school day too early.
Medical experts have been clear for years: sleep cycle changes during puberty make it hard for teenagers to learn in the early morning. Later school start times have been linked to better sleep, improved mental health, stronger academic performance and even safer driving.
Most school district leaders know about this problem and care about fixing it. But changing the schedule can feel operationally impossible.
An audio journey of how data and analytics save lives, save money and solve problems.

Jeff Cohen
Chief Strategy Officer
INFORMS
Catonsville, MD
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Welcome to a science and tech edition of Midday, with guest host Ashley Sterner sitting in once again for Tom Hall.
The Network of Experts is a vetted network of partner organizations and their member scientists, clinicians and engineers who can provide the FDA rapid access to expertise when it is needed to supplement existing knowledge and expertise within the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) and the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER).
BALTIMORE, MD, February 15, 2023 – INFORMS, the largest association for the decision and data sciences, has selected three finalists for the 2023 UPS George D. Smith Prize, which recognizes excellence in preparing students to become practitioners of operations research and analytics.
Last fall, Aaron Perkowitz applied for a job as a technical writer. The hirer asked him to compose a paid test article—and when he finished, requested his banking information, to pay him.Perkowitz asked why so much information was needed—couldn’t they just mail a check? No response. “The article took me three hours,” he says, “but I’m glad I didn’t fall for their scam.”
Propelled by government investment and shareholder demand, manufacturers are pushing to get bio-based products into the marketplace. These new materials — made from plants, fungi, and microbes — aim to replace those that contain toxins and are difficult to recycle or reuse.

OR/MS Today is the INFORMS member magazine that shares the latest research and best practices in operations research, analytics and the management sciences.
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Analytics magazine showcases articles and research reports based on big data, AI, machine learning, data analytics and other new-age technologies.
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