Risk analyst Vicki Bier, a professor at the UW-Madison College of Engineering, talks about the decision-making process that goes into how to reopen a community after quarantine.
The COVID-19 pandemic is causing economic and social change. Moderated by David Banks, the Director of the Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute (SAMSI), six eminent scientists who study different aspects of social change and public policy came together to discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the U.S. and the world. The discussion took a range of quantitative perspectives on how to respond to the crisis and to forecast what challenges lie ahead. Specific topics include the role of data science, strategies for beginning to reopen the economy, the international impact of the disease, and its effect upon universities.
Despite continued spread of the coronavirus, Wisconsin residents are traveling more than they were a month ago. Cell phone mobility data shows Wisconsin residents started traveling more during the first week of May. And that movement continued to increase after the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down the state’s 'Safer at Home' order on May 13, according to Oguzhan Alagoz, a University of Wisconsin-Madison engineering professor who specializes in modeling the spread of infectious diseases.
Shortages and rationing are foreign concepts to most Americans. But the Covid-19 pandemic has shocked our nation of plenty as Americans scrambled to stock up hand sanitizer and facial masks. Young and healthy citizens find it a nuisance to search for these materials, but they can still protect themselves to a great extent by wearing a cloth face covering, washing their hands with soap and following social distancing guidelines. However, social distancing is not possible for the sick and elderly requiring long-term care from healthcare workers. Hence, the dire shortage of essential personal protective equipment (PPE) such as N95 masks (known for filtering at least 95 percent of airborne particles) can be disastrous for this group of vulnerable people.
Is the reporting of media outlets biased in favor of firms that advertise with them? A new study looked at the relationship between advertising by car manufacturers in U.S. newspapers and news coverage of car safety recalls in the early 2000s. The study found that newspapers provided less coverage of recalls issued by manufacturers that advertised more regularly in their publications than of recalls issued by other manufacturers that did not advertise, and this occurred more frequently when the recalls involved more severe defects.
Ashley Smith
Public Affairs Coordinator
INFORMS
Catonsville, MD
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President Trump has said he will impose a flat 25% tariff on goods coming from Canada and Mexico. It is important to mention that it is not clear whether sweeping tariffs will be imposed, and if so, when and to what extent. Whether tariffs are being used as a negotiation strategy, a threat, or are being seriously considered will become clearer in the next few weeks and months.
Something remarkable is happening in Washington. Tech executives who once shunned the political spotlight now make regular pilgrimages to Capitol Hill, and artificial intelligence — a field that traces back to the 1950s — has become the talk of the town.
Health insurance has become necessary, with large and unpredictable health care costs always looming before each of us. Unfortunately, the majority of people have experienced problems when using their health insurance to pay for their medical care. Health insurance serves as the buffer between patients and the medical care system, using population pooling to mitigate the risk exposure on any one individual.
Tariffs could raise the cost of medical care and prescription drugs for people in the U.S.
A groundbreaking new study in the INFORMS journal Transportation Science reveals the severe and far-reaching consequences of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on global food security. The research highlights an urgent need to address disruptions in the transportation of Ukrainian grains, which have caused dramatic price spikes and worsened food insecurity worldwide, particularly in vulnerable regions such as the Middle East and North Africa.
Dockworkers on the East and Gulf coasts could go on strike again in less than two weeks if they don’t reach a contract agreement with ports and shippers. Talks are set to resume next week, according to Bloomberg. The main sticking point between the two sides? Automation.
Billionaire investor Mark Cuban's question to Representative Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican, on energy costs took off on social media on Saturday.
Florida lawmakers have banned wind turbines off its shores and near the coast, saying the bill is meant to protect wildlife and prevent noise.