Do a search for “mass shootings” with virtually any search engine (Chrome, Google, Yahoo, etc.) and you will find the references at the top of the lists will be about mass shootings in the United States. Many Americans believe in “American exceptionalism.” And indeed America is exceptional in the rate that they turn guns on each other to settle personal grievances, but also, and horrifyingly, on total strangers with whom the shooter has never had any previous contact.
Continue reading How Technology Can Help Put an End to America’s Plague of Mass ShootingsCategory Archives: Policy
How Computing Could Help Put an End to Wars. All Wars. Everywhere in the World.
The outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine has riveted the world’s attention on the unthinkable, a major war on the European continent. Although it has been some 77 years since the last major war in Europe ended, to anyone paying attention its outbreak should have come as no surprise. War appears to be inherent in human nature. So invoking it seems to be inevitable as long as human beings have the material means and political ability to put it into practice.
Continue reading How Computing Could Help Put an End to Wars. All Wars. Everywhere in the World.
Data Analytics for Public Services: Beyond the Hype
Data analytics is the new buzz phrase these days. Public service agencies all over the world are looking at data in order to optimize service delivery, as well as help people manage their consumption of resources like electricity, water, and gas. However, data analytics, which is devoid of context, can be easily misleading and detrimental to the objectives of using it for public services. Continue reading Data Analytics for Public Services: Beyond the Hype
Dealing with Infrastructure Disruption: IoT Security
Editor’s intro: The Internet of Things (IoT) has become a hot topic because of unprecedented cybersecurity problems that have caused massive outages of key Internet services. IoT devices can help improve the lives of individuals, but lack of market incentives has led to huge cybersecurity vulnerabilities that threaten to undermine national infrastructure and public trust. Prof. Kevin Fu was invited to a U.S. House Hearing by Chairman Greg Walden of the Subcommittee of Communication and Technology and Chairman Michael Burgess of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade to discuss IoT vulnerabilities and what might be done about them. We are pleased to present a copy of his testimony. Continue reading Dealing with Infrastructure Disruption: IoT Security