Posted by msmash from Slashdot
From the existential-questions department: theodp writes: The job of the future might already be past its prime," writes The Atlantic's Rose Horowitch in The Computer-Science Bubble Is Bursting. "For years, young people seeking a lucrative career were urged to go all in on computer science. From 2005 to 2023, the number of comp-sci majors in the United States quadrupled. All of which makes the latest batch of numbers so startling. This year, enrollment grew by only 0.2 percent nationally, and at many programs, it appears to already be in decline, according to interviews with professors and department chairs. At Stanford, widely considered one of the country's top programs, the number of comp-sci majors has stalled after years of blistering growth. Szymon Rusinkiewicz, the chair of Princeton's computer-science department, told me that, if current trends hold, the cohort of graduating comp-sci majors at Princeton is set to be 25 percent smaller in two years than it is today. The number of Duke students enrolled in introductory computer-science courses has dropped about 20 percent over the past year."
"But if the decline is surprising, the reason for it is fairly straightforward: Young people are responding to a grim job outlook for entry-level coders. In recent years, the tech industry has been roiled by layoffs and hiring freezes. The leading culprit for the slowdown is technology itself. Artificial intelligence has proved to be even more valuable as a writer of computer code than as a writer of words. This means it is ideally suited to replacing the very type of person who built it. A recent Pew study found that Americans think software engineers will be most affected by generative AI. Many young people aren't waiting to find out whether that's true."
< This article continues on their website >
Posted by from MMO Champion
Mists of Pandaria Classic Launches July 21
Originally Posted by Blizzard
(
Blue Tracker /
Official Forums)
You've ended Deathwing's destructive rampage; now, you must unlock the mysteries of a lost continent and discover the dark secrets of Pandaria's past when World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria Classic launches on July 21 at 3:00 pm PDT.
Explore ancient kingdoms hidden since before the Sundering, plunder vast treasures from the depths of the forgotten vaults, and rise to defend Pandaria from the shadow of a long-buried evil before it is too late.
Your new journey begins with the pre-patch hitting the servers the week of July 1, with regional server restarts.
Mists of Pandaria Classic Pre-Expansion Patch Available July 1
The Mists of Pandaria Classic pre-patch launches the week of July 1—return to the mystic lands of Pandaria, a world shrouded in fog and mystery. This ancient realm, untouched by time and war, is returning with a renewed sense of wonder and adventure, inviting you to lose yourself again in its lush forests, cloud-ringed mountains, and timeless secrets.
< This article continues on their website >
Posted by from MMO Champion
Mists of Pandaria Classic: Mogu'shan Vaults Raid Launches July 31
Originally Posted by Blizzard
(
Blue Tracker /
Official Forums)
Gather your allies and prepare to explore the hidden secrets of the elusive Mogu empire in the Mogu’shan Vaults—available globally on July 31 at 3:00 pm PDT.
Explore the Mogu’shan Vaults
The mogu, proud of their supremacy, kept lengthy records of their accomplishments within a great complex of vaults. The construction of these vast chambers predate any pandaren written records, shrouding their depths in mystery. Rumors once circulated of a mighty army locked within; for this reason, the vaults were the first target of the ancient pandaren rebellion, and they have been sealed ever since the mogu empire was overthrown.
Where: Kun Lai Summit
Level: 90
Difficulties: (10) Normal and Heroic, (25) Normal and Heroic
Bosses: 6
Dais of Conquerors
The Repository
Forge of the Endless
< This article continues on their website >
Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the promising-results department: A groundbreaking stem cell treatment developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals has allowed 10 out of 12 patients with severe type 1 diabetes to stop insulin therapy after one year. While the trial included some side effects and two unrelated deaths, the results mark a major step forward and have progressed to phase 3 clinical testing. ScienceAlert reports: The pancreas's islet cells are responsible for maintaining most of our bodies' insulin levels. Donor transplants of healthy versions of these cells have shown promise in treating type 1 diabetes in the past, but multiple donors are required, and donors are rare. So University of Toronto surgeon Trevor Reichman and colleagues infused 12 patients with islet cells derived from human stem cells in a treatment known as zimislecel. The patients also received immunosuppressive treatment before and after their zimislecel infusion. The islets not only produced insulin inside their bodies, but they did so at safe levels, reducing the patients' dependence on costly doses of insulin. "These findings showed that zimislecel islet cells were functional and self-regulated appropriately," the researchers write in their paper.
The mild to moderate side-effects, including decreased kidney function and the anticipated drop in immune cells, were all linked with the immunosuppressive therapy. Sadly, two additional participants died during the trial; one from an infection arising from surgery and the other from complications due to an unrelated condition. As there were no serious adverse events attributed to the new islet cell therapy, the clinical trials are have progressed into phase 3. "These findings provide evidence that pancreatic islets can be effectively produced from pluripotent stem cells and used to treat type 1 diabetes," Reichman and team conclude. The research has been published in the journal NEJM.
Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the land-down-under-16 department: Australia's eSafety Commissioner has urged the government to deny YouTube an exemption from upcoming child safety regulations, citing research showing it exposes more children to harmful content than any other platform. YouTube pushed back, calling the commissioner's stance inconsistent with government data and parental feedback. "The quarrel adds an element of uncertainty to the December rollout of a law being watched by governments and tech leaders around the world as Australia seeks to become the first country to fine social media firms if they fail to block users aged under 16," reports Reuters. From the report: The centre-left Labor government of Anthony Albanese has previously said it would give YouTube a waiver, citing the platform's use for education and health. Other social media companies such as Meta's Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok have argued such an exemption would be unfair. eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said she wrote to the government last week to say there should be no exemptions when the law takes effect. She added that the regulator's research found 37% of children aged 10 to 15 reported seeing harmful content on YouTube -- the most of any social media site. [...]
YouTube, in a blog post, accused Inman Grant of giving inconsistent and contradictory advice, which discounted the government's own research which found 69% of parents considered the video platform suitable for people under 15. "The eSafety commissioner chose to ignore this data, the decision of the Australian Government and other clear evidence from teachers and parents that YouTube is suitable for younger users," wrote Rachel Lord, YouTube's public policy manager for Australia and New Zealand.
< This article continues on their website >
Posted by from MMO Champion
Dastardly Duos Week 4: Tyrannotort Mount, Cosmetic Staff & Winner's Podium Upgrades
Week 4 of the Dastardly Duos event is here! In this post, we quickly go over how to unlock this week's rewards:
Tyrannotort's Treat,
Dastardly Pinchzapper, and
Winner's Podium toy upgrades.
Take the quest Week 4: They've Heard of You from Vinnie Sweets.
Win the Dastardly Duos match to complete the weekly quest and turn it in to gain the
Average Item Level measure for your
Winner's Podium.
Speak with Wodim the Troll-Servant to purchase the newly unlocked rewards:
New Mount:
Tyrannotort's Treat
New Cosmetic Staff:
Dastardly Pinchzapper
Players can unlock the last four remaining podium upgrades required for the
Winner's Podium achievement starting with Week 4 of the Dastardly Duos world event. The upgrades are random drops, there are no special requirements. Simply clear the trash, defeat the bosses, loot the Prize Chest, and hope for upgrades.
< This article continues on their website >
Posted by BeauHD from Slashdot
From the one-cup-away-from-immortality department: alternative_right shares a report from Phys.Org: In new research published by scientists studying fission yeastâ"a single-celled organism surprisingly similar to human cellsâ"researchers found that caffeine affects aging by tapping into an ancient cellular energy system. A few years ago, the same research team found that caffeine helps cells live longer by acting on a growth regulator called TOR (target of rapamycin). TOR is a biological switch that tells cells when to grow, based on how much food and energy is available. This switch has been controlling energy and stress responses in living things for over 500 million years. But in their latest study, the scientists made a surprising discovery: Caffeine doesn't act on this growth switch directly. Instead, it works by activating another important system called AMPK, a cellular fuel gauge that is evolutionarily conserved in yeast and humans.
"When your cells are low on energy, AMPK kicks in to help them cope," explains Dr. Charalampos (Babis) Rallis, Reader in Genetics, Genomics and Fundamental Cell Biology at Queen Mary University of London, the study's senior author. "And our results show that caffeine helps flip that switch." Interestingly, AMPK is also the target of metformin, a common diabetes drug that's being studied for its potential to extend human lifespan together with rapamycin. Using their yeast model, the researchers showed that caffeine's effect on AMPK influences how cells grow, repair their DNA, and respond to stress -- all of which are tied to aging and disease. The study has been published in the journal Microbial Cell.
