Posted by Rob Knies One day, a woman named Lisa is walking her dog, Lucky, when she meets an elderly neighbor. Suddenly, the neighbor falls unconscious and stops breathing.What would you do in this scenario? These days, many people’s initial reaction would be to reach…
There has been lots of discussion over the past couple of years about the future of higher education. First, many universities embraced the idea of massive open online courses (MOOCs) to broaden their teaching to a global scale.Then, after observing that MOOCs haven’t fared all…
Where would you look to find new approaches to solving today’s economic, scientific, and social problems? If you answered Viña del Mar, Chile, from today through May 9, you’re right—as that’s where and when more than 250 thought leaders are gathered for the Microsoft Research…
Posted by Rob Knies It’s been two years since Microsoft Research New York City was founded—and nine months since the lab established a permanent, bespoke home in the Flatiron District, smack dab in the middle of Silicon Alley. So how have things gone so far?Pretty…
Posted by Rob Knies What does the “creative process” really mean? Where do creative ideas come from? What is the relationship between creativity and technology?Answering these questions, and a host of similar ones, will provide the focus for the second annual Creativity Conference, being held…
“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”—Sir Isaac Newton Standing on the shoulders of giants is a metaphor we often use to describe how research advances. More than an aphorism, it is a mindset that we ingrain in…
Most parents want their children to have access to the best educational opportunities at schools with broad, enriching curricula. Students attending such schools may find themselves challenged with finding sufficient time to study any one subject adequately—in or out of the classroom. MyCloud, an innovative…
Posted by Rob Knies By 2018, predicts the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1.4 million technology jobs in the United States will be unfilled. At current rates for issuance of computer-science degrees, only 61 percent of those openings will be filled—and just 29 percent of…
Posted by Rob Knies George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, meet Jennifer Chayes and Leslie Lamport. Figuratively speaking, that’s what happened on April 23, when the American Academy of Arts & Sciences announced that Chayes and Lamport, of Microsoft Research, have been elected as Fellows.Chayes and…
Posted by Rob Knies Jaime Teevan, it seems, can do it all. Since joining Microsoft Research in 2006, her focus on personalized search has led to a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a couple of best-paper awards from prestigious academic conferences, and recognition…
Scientists around the world are striving tirelessly to monitor and model the environment—to understand the intricate workings of our ecosystem—so that policymakers can make informed decisions that lead to a sustainable future for “spaceship Earth.” This research involves using the thousands of available environmental datasets,…
Some people find the push to excel from within themselves—no external motivators necessary. Professor Rosiane de Freitas is one such woman, constantly looking for a challenge, continually pushing herself to the limit. After earning her PhD in systems engineering and computing from the Federal University…
