COVID-19 Pandemic Highlights Urgent Need To Re-Examine Hazard Mitigation

With many people stuck inside for months on end, the built environment has played a significant role in the COVID-19 pandemic. With support from a new National Science Foundation grant, a team of engineers and social scientists will study the ways in which that built environment mitigates or exacerbates the pandemic.

Consumers Value Difficult Decisions Over Easy Choices

Let’s say you want to purchase a camera, and you’re comparing two different advertisements. In one, the font, colors, and layout make the information easy to read. The other has an obscure style that takes more time for you to understand. If you decide to purchase the second camera with the more confusing advertisement, new research out of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute shows that, over time, you’ll likely be happier with your choice.

Biometric Data, Algorithms To Unlock Key Information About Circadian Clock

Anyone who has experienced a midafternoon energy slump or suffered from jetlag has felt the effects of their body’s circadian rhythm. This internal clock helps regulate many of our physiological processes, including sleep, metabolism, and even how the brain functions. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute anticipate a future in which a combination of smart wearables and algorithms assess each person’s circadian rhythm and provide personalized feedback as to what light, sleep, and work schedule would be ideal for their particular internal clock.

To Meet Future Wireless Needs, Spectrum Sharing Policies Need an Upgrade

Cellphones, televisions, and computers all rely on the wireless spectrum, a series of signals that travel through the air by way of radio frequencies. Ever-increasing demand for this finite resource requires that policies and protocols aimed at coordinating spectrum use be updated and optimized.

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