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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When you’re flying along in seat 11C, midway through your flight, rarely do you think about what’s in the cargo hold below. In addition to luggage, mail, and pallets of freight, human organs are sometimes on the manifest. If a human organ needs to cover a significant distance in the quickest possible time, regular commercial flights are often the best way to do this.
We are now on the cusp of flu season, and Americans this year are being strongly encouraged to get the influenza vaccine to avoid what doctors are calling the twin-demic. The collision of flu season with the COVID-19 pandemic is putting healthcare's infrastructure to the test. “We really need to be aware when flu and COVID hit at the same time which they will do this fall and winter, that we need to be prepared to respond in real-time,” health systems expert Dr. Julie Swann said.
The United States has just passed the dark milestone of 200,000 COVID-19 deaths, with many experts warning of the possibility of hundreds of thousands more dead and gravely ill in the months ahead. The country has also experienced enormous economic and social upheaval, with millions forced into unemployment, hunger, and homelessness. In the absence of a vaccine, the interventions policies that are known to stop the spread of the coronavirus—like stay-at-home orders and school closures—have also upended the course of normal life.
Computer algorithms and machine learning are helping students succeed in math. Some experts see such efforts as a crucial next step in education.
Let's look at a standard N95 mask to understand why the U.S. is so dependent on overseas suppliers for personal protective equipment (PPE). It has several individual components: filter, shell, coverweb, nose clip, nose foam, and straps. Each of those requires raw materials, chiefly polyester, polypropylene, and aluminum.
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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