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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The collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge could have a significant economic impact, effectively shutting down the nation’s busiest port for cars and light trucks in the U.S. and the ninth busiest port overall for an indefinite period.
Leaders of AI companies often argue that AI products will handle mundane tasks, freeing people up to be more productive and creative. And there are few tasks more mundane than taxes. An individual American taxpayer spends roughly 13 hours and $240 out-of-pocket costs just to prepare and file one annual tax return, according to one 2022 study—an estimated 1.15 billion hours collectively spent on tax preparation.
What are the new rules for tipping? Businesses that never seemed to ask for a tip before — like grocery stores, self-checkout machines and fast food restaurants — are now asking for one these days.
Critical infrastructure sectors are becoming increasingly complex and interdependent and so, too, are the physical and socioeconomic landscapes in which they operate. This in turn has increased the possibility of disruptions and subsequent compounding disruptions. Climate change adds an additional layer of uncertainty and disruption to these evolving interconnected networks. And, for the power grid, this shifting threat landscape is exacerbated by increased demand from electrification, decarbonization, population growth, and an overall increase in reliance on electricity. Climate change is also affecting energy usage patterns. For example, Texas has seen spikes in energy demand and intense strain on the power grid from both unexpected cold snaps and intense heat waves.
Pneumonia, an infection in the lungs that causes difficulty breathing, is most commonly diagnosed through chest x-rays.
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