How NPR Is Preparing for “The Year of the Podcast”

So 2015 will be the year of the podcast? Ok by me.

“I will say we’re working on a number of different ideas,” he says. “Our hope is to really embrace the opportunity we see in front of us in podcasting. This is a great, golden moment. The popularity of Serial has shown this is not just a niche platform: This is a mainstream platform, and we should be treating it like that.”

via How NPR Is Preparing for “The Year of the Podcast” | Media | Washingtonian.

Letter regarding the final report of the Institute-wide Task Force on the Future of MIT Education

The past few years have brought mounting evidence that higher education stands at a crossroads. As with any disruptive technology, MOOCs have been viewed with enthusiasm in many quarters and skepticism in some. However, the underlying facts are inarguable: that the rising cost of education, combined with the transformative potential of online teaching and learning technologies, presents a long-term challenge that no university can afford to ignore.

via Letter regarding the final report of the Institute-wide Task Force on the Future of MIT Education | MIT News Office.

Federal Investment in Research Still Essential | Dr. Samuel L. Stanley, Jr.

Into this ominous picture has come some light. Indeed, much has been made of and reported recently about the enormous sums being invested by philanthropists into science, medical and technological research. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has contributed $500 million to establish a brain science institute in Seattle. Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google, and his wife Wendy have allocated some $100 million of their fortune to fund the Schmidt Ocean Institute for the marine sciences. Philanthropist and entrepreneur Eli Broad donated $700 million for a joint venture between Harvard and the MIT to explore the genetic basis of disease. These and many other entrepreneurial donors are taking the risks on basic research that were the hallmark of government for decades.

via Federal Investment in Research Still Essential | Dr. Samuel L. Stanley, Jr..

Updated Heartbleed Bug Information

Due to our current understanding of the Heartbleed Bug that has impacted the majority of the Internet, I wanted to provide you with a brief update on our progress and immediate next steps. We have no evidence that any Stony Brook University system or user credentials have been exploited by the Heartbleed Bug. However, we feel in order to protect your data and the institution’s data and out of an abundance of caution, you should change your Stony Brook NetID password.

via Heartbleed Bug Information.