We are drowning in numbers, and we no longer understand what they mean. Every day, headlines bombard us with figures meant to inform: billions in spending, trillions in debt, percentages signaling growth or decline. But for most of us, these numbers blur together. They register as “large” or “small,” but almost never as real. And that is more than a math problem. It is a civic one.
INFORMS has awarded Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) its 2026 Franz Edelman Award for Achievement in Advanced Analytics, Operations Research and Management Science, for reengineering how global cloud infrastructure is planned and delivered, applying advanced analytics and AI to orchestrate complex fulfillment decisions across its rapidly expanding data center network.
In the rush to adopt artificial intelligence, many employers are now requiring that employees use AI tools. As you’re using AI, be intentional and selective. It’s critical that you know yourself. Research published in Management Science found that AI is most valuable for people who understand their own abilities and limitations. Assess yourself, so you can factor this into your process for incorporating AI into your work.
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Even a one-week delay in the implementation of social distancing measures would have had a major effect on the total number of Covid-19 infections over time in several regions of the United States, especially New York City, a modeling study of 3 regions in the U.S. has shown.
In 1999, Disneyland became a pioneer of the virtual queue. That’s the year the company introduced its FastPass system, which allowed customers to hold their place in line virtually while enjoying attractions elsewhere in the park. Virtual queues have since become common in restaurants, call centers, rideshare platforms, and other businesses — and the Covid-19 pandemic has only accelerated this trend. But not all virtual queues are created equal. What can businesses do to optimize the customer experience when implementing a virtual queuing system?
Kenya is among countries that will be required to improve cold chain networks to meet the storage demands of a Covid-19 vaccine. Experts say refrigeration requirements have cast doubt on the ability to access the vaccine to more than three billion people. As a result, the poor who are among the hardest hit by Covid-19 are likely to be the last to be reached by the vaccine.
During the coronavirus pandemic, the world has become reliant on personal protective equipment, or PPE. Most of this essential gear, from masks to gowns to goggles, comes from China -- and experts in the U.S. say this foreign dependence is problematic. Bur for now, the country where the virus originated is producing much of what's needed to fight it off. Special correspondent Patrick Fok reports.
States have been working hard on developing COVID-19 vaccine distribution plans. By the time the vaccine becomes available, about 1 in 4 people in the country may have recovered from COVID-19 and therefore be partially immune, and others who need the vaccine most may avoid it. The distribution plans should therefore address both possible immunity and vaccine reluctance as demand-side issues.
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