Pam Frost Gorder

Modeling the Human Equation

Pam — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:23:15 +0000

Born from a desire to predict the future, epidemiology has largely been limited to studying the past. Now,
computational epidemiology researchers are harnessing computing power to crack the complicated mystery of
how diseases spread. Full story (PDF)

Coming Soon: Research in a Cloud

Pam — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:57:54 +0000

A trend is taking shape in the computing industry that could significantly change the way academic research is done. A few years from now, researchers who work with massive data sets might stop processing their data locally and find themselves outsourcing the job to massive commercial data clusters. Full story

A Nanoscale Tractor Beam

Pam — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:18:08 +0000

A laser beam can push a nanoscale particle away with the pressure of its photons, but the particle may also be drawn toward the light when other particles are nearby–like the “tractor beams” of science fiction–according to a theory in the June Physical Review B. Full story

Medical Software has Astronomers Seeing Stars

Pam — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:31:22 +0000

A project at Harvard University is proving that two very different disciplines have very much in common. The Astronomical Medicine Project is working to convert medical imaging software into tools that fuel discoveries in astronomy. But if the scientists behind the project have their way, any discipline that relies on large, complex data sets will reap the benefits. Full story (PDF)

Computer Vision, Inspired by the Human Brain

Pam — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 03:00:51 +0000

As scientists work to develop intelligent machines, some are taking their cues from biology. Such is the case at MIT, where a computer model is emulating the human brain’s vision center. The model replicates what happens during the first few fractions of a second after we see an object—the part of vision performed by the unconscious mind. Full story (PDF)

Cosmic Quest

Pam — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:28:06 +0000

Fueled by out-of-this-world curiosity, millions of dollars, and a lot of coffee — Ohio State researchers are reaching for the stars. Full story (PDF)

Universal Understanding

Pam — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:25:38 +0000

Married physicists Samir and Smita Mathur have their differences — especially when it comes to black holes. Full story (PDF)

Physics Experiment Could Spawn Permanent Computing Grid

Pam — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 17:21:54 +0000

The world’s biggest physics experiment starts in May 2008. To support it, the world’s biggest computing experiment has already begun. The payoffs could reach far beyond physics. Full story (PDF)

Launch Vehicle

Pam — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:39:02 +0000

Engineering alumni from the University of Dayton offer their perspectives on how NASA has changed with the times — and talk about how they’re personally contributing to today’s “space races,” including NASA’s new pushes toward Mars and the moon. Full story (PDF)

Building Better Search Engines

Pam — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 19:15:06 +0000

A common notion about Internet search engines is that they bias traffic — that is, they direct people toward popular Web sites, and away from less popular, yet relevant sites. Scientists at Indiana University set out to understand how this bias works. To their surprise, they found very little evidence of its existence. Their work hints at the challenges that scientists face as they develop new and better ways to help us find information. Full story (PDF)