Bracketology: What the data says about why people love an underdog
People love an underdog for many reasons, even if the data tells them the underdog is unlikely to come out victorious. Why?
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.
Diversity alone won’t get the votes for funding public education. It takes communities that are more integrated and connected, where residents have a sense of shared stake.
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People love an underdog for many reasons, even if the data tells them the underdog is unlikely to come out victorious. Why?
Some universities have wholeheartedly embraced the technology, such as the University of Pennsylvania, which now offers an AI degree. Others like Penn State and Duquesne University leave it to the professors' discretion.
Leadership discussions on AI often center on defining an AI strategy, much like formulating plans for marketing or operations. Yet, a more profound and potentially impactful prospect is emerging: embedding AI at the heart of strategic decision-making.
Penn State University Professor Matt Jordan recently started incorporating artificial intelligence into his Media Democracy class.
Hardly a day has gone by in 2024 without a bad headline for Boeing, from life-threatening mid-flight crises up above to entrenched business debacles happening on the ground. So how does CEO Dave Calhoun still have a job?

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