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Layoff day at Meta has arrived
Meta has begun sending layoff emails to roughly 10% of its workforce. The cuts are expected to eliminate around 8,000 roles.
Three men headed to prison for $2B healthcare fraud – but kingpin is in the wind
Three men are headed to prison for their roles in an elaborate international scheme to con health insurers by sending $2 billion of phony telemedicine prescriptions – but the plot's alleged kingpin...
Inside the trans athlete podium controversy sending political shockwaves in California ahead of elections
California's CIF forced co-podium placements with trans athlete AB Hernandez, igniting a firestorm in the national debate over girls' sports.
Macomb takes first step in the creation of a sports complex
The Macomb City Council approved sending a letter of intent to use STAR Bonds for a sports complex project.
Oak tree crushes Glen Ellen business, three vehicles
Strong winds blew down a towering, century-old oak tree Monday morning in Glen Ellen, sending it crashing into a power line causing an outage and then onto a business, damaging the building and crushing three parked vehicles, fire officials…
Whoa! Netflix is Sending Narnia Heading to Theaters...What This Means for the Future of Film
(Welcome to the “Most Important Story of the Week”, my bi-weekly strategy column analyzing the most important (but often not buzziest) news story of the last two weeks. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. Please subscribe.) Here’s a funny thing about the debate over whether streamers should release their movies in theaters first: Both sides think the other side represents the “conventional wisdom”. If you’ve been reading me for any amount of time, or even just scanned my front page, you know I think movies make more money by having a robust theatrical window compared to going straight-to-streaming. I’ve published thousands of words on this topic. And for years, I felt like I was standing up to a wave of opposition. See, while the “put your films in theaters to make money” take was obvious at any point before 2019, post-streaming revolution, most of the trendy thinkers took the opposite point of view. Big names argued that Netflix putting their film straight-to-streaming (“S-to-S” from here on out) actually made more money. Netflix was “disrupting” theaters, just as they disrupted Blockbuster Video, and since innovation is always good, this too was a great idea. This thinking then leaked into the mainstream business outlets like the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. I read many articles whose take boiled down to “Netflix makes tons of money from S-to-S releases” and “theaters were in structural decline” anyways. Covid-19 shutting down theaters and the 2023 strikes shutting down film production seemingly justified this point of view, as the box office struggled to return to 2017-2019 heights. Yet I’ve also read folks arguing the opposite point: the conventional wisdom says to put films in theaters! From some writers’ points of view, “everyone” actually agrees/agreed with my “send your films to theaters” take—especially the stodgy traditional studios—and folks still didn’t understand Netflix’s genius. I feel like, for the last two years, many people have argued this point as if it’s conventional wisdom. You know what? I may have been wrong. At this point, the “S-to-S strategy makes money” might be the minority viewpoint. Especially with the news this month that Netflix will put at least one film—Greta Gerwig’s Narnia film The Magician’s Nephew—in theaters in 2027 for a full 49-day run is big news. So that’s the story of the week, but I’ll also explain why they’re making this move now and why Netflix may not completely embrace theaters, along with other topics, like how I don’t buy Disney’s “super app” strategy, the latest good news out of the unions, my take on the latest attacks against free speech, and a whole lot more. Let’s get started. Subscribe Most Important Story of the Week - Netflix Goes to Theaters! Listen, I promise not to victory lap too hard today. As I just wrote, I’ve argued against sending films straight-to-streaming for—checks calendar—eight years now. Since 2018. Yikes. That’s a long time. And for years, others painted my thinking as “conventional” in that I was standing up for the status quo against trendy, cool disruption. And that’s not cool! But math is math, and I never could make the S-to-S numbers work. The only thing that ever enabled that model was Wall Street’s brief exuberance for it. It seems like the heads of Netflix now agree with me. (There were always rumors that former head of film for Netflix Scott Stuber argued internally for theatrical releases as well.) As they announced: “The Magician’s Nephew_—the first film in a Narnia series of films—will open on 12-Feb-2027, with a 49 day theatrical exclusive run.”_ I’m a little surprised at how little coverage this big change actually got. Credit to Bloomberg for leading with it and Matt Belloni’s The Town for highlighting it with the provocatively titled podcast “Hell Hath Frozen Over”. But after that? Instead of getting as much coverage as, say, the FCC’s latest egregious crackdown on free speech, this news story got crickets. But it’s massively more important for the future business of entertainment. So let’s start with the obvious question… Why Put Your Movies in Theaters? So…why should Netflix put (some!) of their movies in theaters? Well, I’ve already written that in a very, very, very long article from 2022: [ ](https://entertainment.substack.com/p/the-data-is-in-theatrical-films-massively) [ The Data Is In: Theatrical Films Massively Outperform Straight-To-Streaming Films ](https://entertainment.substack.com/p/the-data-is-in-theatrical-films-massively) Entertainment Strategy Guy · April 5, 2023 [ Read full story ](https://entertainment.substack.com/p/the-data-is-in-theatrical-films-massively) To summarize, theatrical runs make much more money, especially blockbusters, because they earn more money per viewing,1 and that helps boost home entertainment sales. Theatrical films also perform as well or better than the streaming-only films. Now, partially this is driven by increased marketing for said films, but said marketing ultimately boosts the awareness of the movies and drives improved streaming and library performance as well. Again, I’ve made this case after reviewing the economic models and streaming data for years. Just last week, Emily Horgan also made the case for kids films! Yes, it is probably conventional wisdom, but that’s also because it’s true! I’d also argue we’ve seen a lot of data in the various studios’ behavior. As I’ve noted before, the more a studio needs to make money, the likelier they are to put films in theaters. As such, Disney, Universal, Warner Bros., Paramount and Sony all send their major films to theaters. Even if they once made a big S-to-S push (*cough* Disney *cough*), they’ve since relented and returned to theaters. The tech companies don’t need to make money, per se, so it took them years to embrace theaters. Apple doesn’t need to make money because it doesn’t disclose their (likely) Quibi-sized losses each year. (They fear bad press more than losing money.) Amazon announced two years ago that they planned to make Amazon-MGM Studios/Prime Video profitable on its own, and guess what? Now they’re putting films in theaters. That leaves Netflix. They’re in between the “no need to make money at all” and the “desperately need to make money to offset linear TV declines”, so they had less pressure to put some films in theaters. Plus, for years, they were the sexy disruptor, and Wall Street rewarded them for that. (Honestly, they still do.) Yet, even Netflix likely saw the money they were leaving on the table (I’ve estimated it at an easy billion dollars before) so they changed their course. I heard one pundit argue that, because Netflix already makes so much money, they don’t need to make more money, which sort of goes against everything I’ve ever learned about business and economics. Again, to be super-nuanced, sending “films to theaters” does not mean EVERY film. TV movies have been a thing for decades. Lifetime films, Hallmark holiday films, Disney Channel Original Movies, and so on, don’t need theatrical runs. But films above a certain budget level (say $25 to 50 million) almost certainly need theaters to maximize their revenue. The Scenarios (with a Dose of Skepticism) Now time for some skepticism: it won’t surprise me at all if Netflix re-changes course. Specifically, Netflix announced that their Narnia film will go to theaters. And I’d bet anything we see KPop Demon Hunters 2: The Huntering2 also goes to theaters, cause it’s the surest hit outside of a Disney animated sequel right now. But how much does Netflix truly commit to theaters? They’ve already tried to emphasize that this is a one-off move. I see three broad scenarios:
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Could Get Redesign and Blood Pressure Monitoring
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 could feature a complete redesign and blood pressure monitoring, according to DigiTimes. Apple will apparently add a new high blood pressure notification feature to the Apple Watch that uses the optical heart-rate sensor on the back of the device to analyze how blood vessels respond to each heartbeat, sending alerts when an abnormal pattern is detected. The feature is said to be under FDA review.
Amazon's Kindle shutdown is sending users down the jailbreak rabbit hole
Amazon is retiring support for these Kindle models, and many users are finding unexpected ways to keep them alive.
Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert reportedly sending 25 bus loads of Cleveland fans to Detroit for Game 7 vs. Pistons
Gilbert is doing his best to mitigate Detroit’s home-court advantage for Sunday’s Game 7 against the Pistons.
Training cops to handle mental health crises is key, experts say. One SC man's story explains why.
Sending South Carolina police officers to a five-day crisis intervention course can be a drain on agencies’ manpower. But proponents say it’s worth the temporary hit to staffing and logistics,
How to turn of Instagram's new Instants feature and retract photos you accidentally shared
While the Meta-owned social network billed Instants as a new format to share real-life moments as they’re happening, many users are looking for a way to turn off the feature, especially those who have ended up accidentally sending images to others not fully understanding how the feature works.
Yes, Valve's new Steam Controller screams if you drop it from a great enough height
Adventurous (or clumsy) owners of Valve's new Steam Controller have discovered it includes a fun little easter egg, if you don't mind sending it into freefall.
Trump’s gilded indifference ignores America’s growing economic pain
Americans are sending Donald Trump an urgent message: They’re hurting and they blame his policies.
Biggest VAR call ever?
The most consequential decision in the history of the video assistant referee in the Premier League was played out over four minutes 11 seconds of nerve-shredding drama inside London Stadium. Darren England had to pore over the most significant domestic VAR decision since its inception in 2019 before sending referee Chris Kavanagh to the screen. VAR decisions have been important before - but none have been quite so heavy, with the consequences potentially giving Arsenal a decisive push towards their first Premier League title in 22 years, while at the same time sending West Ham towards the Championship.
Trump rejects Iran peace bid, sending oil prices surging
"I don’t like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE," Trump wrote on Truth Social, without giving further detail.
Share futures ease, dollar gains as Gulf talks teeter
Share futures slipped and the dollar climbed in Asia on Monday on signs that talks between the United States and Iran were deadlocked, leaving the vital Strait of Hormuz all but shut and sending oil prices higher.
Microsoft warns of sophisticated phishing campaign heavily targeting health care organizations
Microsoft Threat Intelligence is warning of a large scale, multistage phishing campaign that disproportionately targeted the health care sector, sending “code of conduct” themed emails to lure users into credential theft and token compromise.
Cloudflare announces 1,100 layoffs amid AI focus shift
Cloudflare announced 1,100 layoffs as it restructures for the age of agentic AI, sending shares tumbling.
Science diplomacy lessons from a North Korean volcano
Mount Paektu, a mythic, active volcano on the border between North Korea and China, is almost the epitome of a scientific challenge that crosses political lines. In 946 CE, it erupted in one of the five biggest volcanic events of the past 10,000 years, kicking up huge quantities of ash and sending destructive mud flows down river channels for hundreds of kilometres. Should this happen again, the entire region, including easternmost Russia, South Korea and even Japan could be hit. “It’s definitely got the potential to be big,” said James Hammond, a professor of geophysics at Birkbeck, University of London. An eruption on the scale of 946 would have “huge regional impact.” For the past 15 years, Hammond has helped lead a groundbreaking collaboration with North Korean scientists to study the volcano, navigating scientific sanctions, tough export controls on scientific equipment and a long, pandemic-enforced exodus from the country. Although he seems more at home on far-flung research expeditions – before speaking to Science|Business, Hammond was camping out on a Greenland ice sheet – he has also advised the European Commission on its changing science diplomacy strategy. His long experience with North Korea has made Hammond sceptical of blanket bans on science collaboration, no matter the country.This is a live question in Europe, where in the wake of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, institutional ties with Russian universities were almost entirely severed, although some scientists fear this could undermine our understanding of climate change’s impact on the Arctic. Here, Hammond tells the story of the Mount Paektu mission and the policy lessons he takes from it. Ominous rumblingsThe genesis of Hammond’s collaboration came in 2002, when Mount Paektu began to rumble ominously. Earthquake activity picked up and the volcano began to emit unusual gases. North Korean scientists took notice. “People felt we need to know more about this volcano,” said Hammond. In 2011, North Korean vulcanologists put out a request for international expertise to help them learn more. At the time, Hammond and his collaborator, Clive Oppenheimer, were working on a vulcanology project in another sanctioned country, Eritrea, and so decided to answer the call. Within a month, they had flown into Pyongyang. “It was pretty incredible,” recalls Hammond (left). “We were made to feel like honoured guests, and invited to official celebrations.” The scientific opportunity was huge. Paektu is unusually positioned, a thousand kilometres from where tectonic plates rub against each other in the Pacific. “It was an incredibly interesting volcano, but not much research had been done, at least not in the international community,” he said. “There was so much we felt we could do. And we had these partners that were super keen to engage.”The mission received an unusual visitor in the form of volcano-obsessed filmmaker Werner Herzog, who accompanied Hammond and Oppenheimer while directing his 2016 film Into the Inferno about volcanos across the world. Four days into the trip, the German director delivered a long speech about reunification to his North Korean hosts, recalls Hammond. “He got to the heart of the Koreans and how they felt, and how they thought, in a way that I'm not sure I ever will,” he said. UN sanctionsHowever, Hammond realised he’d been “naïve” about how difficult it would be to collaborate with North Korea, which was sanctioned far more heavily than Eritrea. “We didn’t fully appreciate the all-encompassing nature of restrictions,” he said. In 2016, as tensions escalated over Pyongyang’s nuclear tests, a United Nations resolution banned all joint scientific work with North Korea. However, the UN sanctions did allow countries to request carve outs, and the UK successfully requested an exemption for Hammond’s work. Related articlesEU pushes for joint science diplomacy, but care needed to avoid gridlock, experts sayRussia severs its last ties with German scienceAnchor Greenlanders in Arctic climate research, experts tell EU ahead of policy updateExport controls have also delayed Hammond’s work. In one case, it took 18 months to get approval from the UK government to take seismometers, which measure earthquakes, to North Korea. “It was frustrating,” he said. “But they didn’t just say no.” However, one instrument, called an induction coil, used to measure how the earth conducts electricity, was blocked entirely because it can in theory be used to detect submarines. Karaoke bondingSince the collaboration started in 2011, Hammond has visited the country around 15 times, although the pandemic closed off North Korea for more than five years. A trip last November was Hammond’s first since the outbreak. Despite this lengthy interlude, Hammond has deep bonds in the country. The North Korean scientists Hammond works with are somewhat isolated, as they struggle to access the latest research papers and travel to international conferences. That said, they are “excellent geophysicists” and are “very well trained in the field,” he said. Over karaoke and chats about their families, “we’ve made friendships, for sure,” he said. The authorities have to sign-off things like the placement of seismometers, for example, but Hammond said these requests have been approved. “Everything that we've asked for within a scientific context has been delivered.”Scientific backchannels? These kind of personal links between scientists across political lines are one purported benefit of science diplomacy. During the Cold War, some historians argue, scientific contact between the US and Soviet Union laid a groundwork of trust for other cooperation, such as on arms control. Hammond agrees that backchannel contacts to North Korean geophysicists are hardly likely to defuse a military crisis on the Korean peninsula, but the simple fact of the scientific collaboration makes contacts between diplomats that little bit easier. “It creates opportunities to understand each other a little bit better,” he said. “When maybe you have those more difficult discussions as diplomats, it's coming from a slightly better place.” Cutting tiesDrawing lessons from the Mount Paektu mission for today’s links with Russian science isn’t simple. The analogy is far from exact, Hammond said, “because one is essentially a Cold War, versus a pretty hot war in the case of Russia.” But Hammond’s broader argument is that the challenges we face, such as climate change, pandemics, biodiversity loss, pollution and so on, have globalised in an unprecedented way, making blanket shutdowns in collaboration with any country unwise.He’s somewhat critical of the UN scientific sanctions imposed on North Korea in 2016, even though they did allow for exceptions. “I think a blanket halt to some of these things, when we face big global challenges [. . .] that’s quite a risky thing to do,” he said.Institutional endorsement?European academics are still by and large free to work individually with Russian counterparts. However, official, institutional partnerships have largely ended. Shortly following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian university rectors wrote a public letter endorsing the war, meaning European universities fear official collaboration could also be seen as a kind of endorsement. Hammond acknowledges there is a risk of legitimising regimes, and state-controlled universities, through scientific cooperation. “That’s the trade off you have to make,” he said. Strategic projectsWith Russia, instead of giving a green light to restart all Arctic science, a middle ground might be firing up a few carefully selected “strategic” projects, said Hammond. After all, European countries are still collaborating with Russia on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, an experimental nuclear fusion plant in the south of France. However, even if Europe did try to revive Arctic science with Russia, there’s no guarantee Russian scientists would play ball. A series of high-profile arrests of physicists in Russia accused of sharing their findings with the outside world has made collaboration fraught. Even before the invasion of 2022, “the Russian regime made it increasingly difficult, and this sort of discouraged people,” Dag Rune Olsen, rector of the Arctic University of Norway, told Science|Business last year.
Savan Kotecha on Co-Writing Justin Bieber’s ‘Beauty and a Beat’ & What Its Post-Coachella Comeback Means: ‘My Kids Think It’s a New Song’
"I remember sending it to Max Martin, going, 'look at this!'" the hit songwriter-producer recalls of the 2012 pop hit currently topping Billboard's global charts.
What's next for Trevor McDonald after sending message in dominant Giants start?
There were no guarantees for Giants pitcher Trevor McDonald after San Francisco's win over the San Diego Padres on Monday at Oracle Park.
Flames tear through roof of USF Marine Science Laboratory in St. Petersburg
A large two-alarm fire broke out Saturday at a building on the University of South Florida’s St. Petersburg campus, sending plumes of smoke into the sky.
‘The reality, for better or worse’: Columbia comp sci students and faculty grapple with AI’s disruption of the field
‘The reality, for better or worse’: Columbia comp sci students and faculty grapple with AI’s disruption of the field ‘The reality, for better or worse’: Columbia comp sci students and faculty grapple with AI’s disruption of the field A field that once seemed like a direct path to stable, lucrative work is becoming less certain under AI, students and faculty told Spectator. By Ria Vasishtha and Arjun Menon May 3, 2026 Shanying Liu / Deputy Illustrations Editor Asia Genawi, SEAS ’29, first encountered artificial intelligence during her sophomore year at her high school in Indiana. Back in 2023, policies on AI varied widely—even within the same district—and some schools had no guidance at all. As Genawi began to see the effects of AI trickle into her classroom, she turned to guidance from her home state’s Department of Education, which she said she found “outdated and inaccessible.” Genawi spent the rest of her high school career dedicated to the issue, including writing a 15-page memo exploring varying AI policies across Indiana schools, which she sent to every Indiana state senator and representative whose contact information she was able to find. She later helped draft a bill that would have required public high schools to establish and share their own AI policies with students in an accessible format. But with so many other bills already awaiting referral, hers never made it to committee. When Genawi arrived at Columbia to study computer science, she found that the gaps she had spent years trying to address in Indiana had followed her there. Many students and professors were also grappling with what AI meant for the field. Across Columbia’s undergraduate schools, computer science has become the most popular major—accounting for around 11 percent of degrees awarded in Columbia College, 32 percent in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and 12 percent in the School of General Studies in 2024. While the number of computer science majors in SEAS grew from 166 to 173 during the 2024-25 academic year, the total number across the three schools fell around 4.5 percent from 393 to 375, driven by declines at Columbia College and General Studies. At Barnard, it has grown to become the second most popular major as of 2025, up from third the year prior. The number of degrees awarded have grown fivefold since 2016. Faculty members and students in the department told Spectator that the surge in the major’s popularity has been driven in large part by its apparent promise of a secure, well-paid career path. However, they noted that the recent rise of generative AI has compromised the sense of stability that once defined the field, even as interest in technical skills among students persists. According to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in 2024, out of 74 majors tracked, computer science had the fifth highest unemployment rate among majors at 7 percent, while computer engineering had the second highest at 7.8 percent. “Anecdotally, people are moving away from CS as a major,” Daniel Bauer, a senior lecturer in the computer science department, said. “They’re still taking some of our classes, right, because they think they need that, but they’re instead majoring in other things.” Bauer described a field that had shifted from what he called a “nerdy outlier discipline” to one that “everyone needs,” a sign that technical skills have become a baseline expectation across industries with the emergence of AI. “A lot of people thought, ‘Oh, it’s a guaranteed path to a stable income. You get a six-figure job right out of your undergrad,’” Bauer said. Now, companies may see AI as a way to reduce demand for entry-level programmers, especially in what he calls “code monkey jobs,” roles where a large number of employees are “just writing out code nine-to-five.” Chris Murphy, a senior lecturer in the computer science department, described the current moment as the convergence of two forces: the downturn of the job market and generative AI coming onto the scene. “Things kind of started to really pick up in 2014, 16,” he said, recalling the years after the weaker 2010 market. Murphy added that this was also a period where “students were getting more experience outside of class than they were inside of class” through internships, jobs, and side projects. Murphy suggested that the earlier momentum helped make computer science feel like both an academic program and a reliable pathway into work. That feeling is harder to sustain now as the industry reconfigures, which is a shift that students are seeing firsthand. Rebecca Yu, SEAS ’27, said that during a recent internship in Big Tech, she saw that “every single tech company was racing to integrate” large language models. She added that her manager said her intern class was the first to complete their assigned projects, which she attributed to the increased efficiency that comes with AI. Frank Liu, SEAS ’29, said that with AI lowering the barrier to coding, companies now expect everyone to write code. “A lot of companies outright say if you’re not using coding in your job, you might get fired for not being productive enough,” Liu said. Yu similarly expressed that students increasingly have to accept AI being a part of industry workflow, adding that many also “make use of it to maximize their productivity.” Richard Li, CC ’28, described a “franticness” among his peers as the pace of change accelerates. He explained how “some new tool” is released regularly, noting that tools rise and fall in prominence within weeks. He has come to believe that he doesn’t need to “match that speed all the time” and keep up with every development. Li has learned that AI tools allow him to “take a breath” and “get back into the loop much easier than before” when he needs to. While some companies specifically target Columbia when hiring, sending representatives to campus career fairs and recruiting large numbers from Columbia, a computer science degree cannot be treated as a static credential, Yu described. “You can’t just get your degree and stop learning after that. You have to always be learning,” Yu said. “That is something you basically have to expect for your job.” AI has not only affected students’ decisions to major in computer science, but also reshaped how the subject is taught. Across departments, faculty members no longer treat work done outside the classroom as a reliable measure of understanding, shifting instead toward in-person exams, quizzes, and attendance checks. While homework once made up as much as 60 to 70 percent of a student’s grade in computer science classes, Murphy said that breakdown has since flipped, with exams and quizzes now accounting for the majority. “The assumption—especially among pessimists—is that they’re using it to do their homework,” Murphy said. “They take the homework assignment. They put it into generative AI. Out comes the solution. Submit solution. The end.” Murphy said that faculty members ranged in their responses from fully prohibiting AI use to actively teaching students how to effectively work with AI. He said he shifted his approach this year after his teaching assistants called his belief that students weren’t using the technology “naïve,” and now permits students to use AI on assignments. His surveys of students in his introductory classes have told a more complicated story than the one so-called pessimists offer: Around 60 to 70 percent of students who reported using AI said they used it to have concepts explained to them, to clarify assignment instructions, to generate test cases, or to create practice questions. “Those are all ways that you might have had a tutor in the past to do that, and now you have this AI essentially as your tutor,” he said. Bauer has taken a different approach, teaching students how to use AI productively without sacrificing the core principles of the discipline. “People who are trained to actually use AI tools productively, while being in charge of designing the overall project, will be very much in demand in the next couple of years,” he said. Over the past year, a working group of computer science faculty has been redesigning the introductory and intermediate programming sequence to integrate generative AI as both a subject and a tool, representatives from SEAS wrote in a statement to Spectator. The effort is “coordinated” across the department, “not course-by-course,” with a systematic assessment of how AI integration is affecting student outcomes underway to shape the next round of changes. The goal, the department explained, is for students to be able to “read, verify, and reason about code, whether they or a model wrote it.” Tony Dear, senior lecturer in the computer science department, is piloting individualized AI feedback in a discrete mathematics course, while a machine learning course is also testing a Socratic AI dialogue system designed to “guide inquiry rather than supply answers,” the statement reads. Beyond individual courses, SEAS funded seven cross-departmental faculty projects in generative AI this past academic year, spanning biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, industrial engineering, and computer science, according to the statement. This phenomenon extends beyond the computer science department. SEAS’ new AI minor, which it announced in November 2025, reflects the University’s attempt to adapt. The minor is specifically designed for noncomputer science majors and aims to provide “essential AI knowledge” while emphasizing practical and responsible use across disciplines, according to the SEAS website. At the center of the minor is AI in Context, a course taught by a team of faculty from the departments of computer science, applied mathematics, philosophy, music, literature, and the Writing Center, the representatives told Spectator. Bauer described it as targeted at students who want to bring AI into fields like economics or biology, rather than as a path into software engineering itself. At the graduate level, SEAS announced a new Master of Science in artificial intelligence in February, with the inaugural cohort starting in the fall. While recognizing how AI has helped them navigate coursework, students also described its rise as isolating, even among members of the Application Development Initiative, one of Columbia’s largest computer science clubs. “As people start to ask AI for questions that they would normally ask students and members, it starts to isolate people” Li said. Alexa Kafka, BC ’27, echoed Li’s sentiment, pointing out that computer science has always been a collaborative discipline with code reviews and pull requests, even as AI makes independent work easier. Despite this, Kafka noted that she hasn’t been to office hours “in at least a year.” Bauer added that faculty are exploring long-term solutions to the assessment problem. “One of the things that we’re trying to do at the department or school level is to maybe move towards computerized testing facilities,” Bauer said, referring to ideas in the department to revitalize computer labs as an alternative to pen-and-paper exams. “We have to accept that this is the reality, for better or worse.” But more exams, students say, does not mean better learning, nor does it reflect how computer science is actually done. “Code is so variable and can be approached in so many directions, there’s never just going to be one correct answer. There can be multiple optimal solutions,” Kafka said. Students also expressed concern that the shift toward exam-heavy grading pulls focus away from the applied, project-based work that better reflects both discipline and industry expectations. ADI has tried to respond more quickly than the curriculum can. Through a vibe coding workshop this past semester, club members said they wanted to help students understand not just that AI exists, but how to use it deliberately. “Vibe coding” refers to the practice of prompting AI to write code for a task or project, and has become widespread enough that ADI felt the gap in formal instruction was worth addressing, according to Sophia Huang, BC ’29. The workshop introduced students to the concept of context engineering, which Shaina Sahu, SEAS ’27, described as not just writing a prompt, but optimizing “the rest of the relevant information that you would feed into the model.” Without that, students said that AI-generated code can fail at scale or introduce difficult-to-detect bugs. Genawi said the shift toward AI has changed what it means to be good at computer science. “I think the shift has kind of gone towards what can you create and what can you do, instead of, what do you know,” she said. Indeed, during ADI DevFest, its annual hackathon, Li said more teams are trying to complete their projects than in years past. While sign-ups have historically outpaced submissions, Li said this is beginning to change because teams “have a tool that completes the vision for them.” While many students see AI as an equalizer that lowers the barrier to entry for coding and technical work, Murphy said it also creates new equity concerns inside the classroom around who can afford stronger tools and who already knows how to use them. “The equity issues I worry about are students who have access to paid versions of things versus free versions of things,” he said. Although popular AI models like ChatGPT and Claude have free versions available, both have paid models that can reach over $100 per month, which output different qualities of code. Murphy also pointed to differences in prior exposure to AI literacy itself. “Students who go to high schools or K-12 education, where they’re taught AI literacy, prompt engineering, context engineering, they understand how to do this, as opposed to students who go to schools who don’t teach that,” he said. “Then they come in, and then they’re somehow expected to know how to use these tools.” For Genawi, those disparities begin long before students arrive on campus. “It’s very interesting to consider how lucky you were geographically,” she said. “To be born where you were is influencing your ability to get access to these spaces.” Students like Yu, though broadly apprehensive about the future of computer science, are not without hope. “I’m optimistic, because I think if you’re truly passionate about CS, there will definitely be a place in the field to do something you want to do,” she said. Senior Staff Writer Ria Vasishtha can be contacted at ria.vasishtha@columbiaspectator.com. Follow Spectator on X @ColumbiaSpec. Staff Writer Arjun Menon can be contacted at arjun.menon@columbiaspectator.com. Follow Spectator on X @ColumbiaSpec. Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter and like Spectator on Facebook. Produced with Spectate by Emily Ta
Diet pills, the '90s and why the GLP-1 craze is worrying some experts
Diet pills fueled the thin beauty standard in the 1990s. Are GLP-1 pills sending us back in time? Experts share the differences and concerns.
Laser-Swarm Science at the Proxima Centauri System
The idea of sending a swarm of tiny laser-sail powered spacecraft to our nearest exoplanet won't go away. While complex and punctuated with tough problems, the idea is the only realistic way of reaching another solar system this century, according to researchers. But the scientific benefits would be huge.
Viral browser app forces you to stop scrolling with a giant cat you can’t remove
A viral browser extension called Cat Gatekeeper forces users to stop scrolling by sending a giant cat overlay onto their screen.
Ron DeSantis taunts Hakeem Jeffries while delaying sending Legislature a redistricting map
Democrats plan to target GOP incumbents in November.
Trump Talks on Sending Afghans to Congo Draw Bipartisan Ire
Lawmakers in both parties said President Trump should continue allowing Afghans who worked alongside American troops to settle safely in the United States.
Apple Changes iPhone After 15 Years—Do You Stop Texting Now?
Do you really stop sending texts as Apple upgrades iPhone following FBI warning?
Giants trade DL Dexter Lawrence to Bengals, pick up second top-10 draft pick
The Bengals are sending their first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to the Giants in deal for Dexter Lawrence.
More Cities Sending Mental Health Workers Instead of Police to 911 Calls
More than 40 of the largest U.S. cities have launched some alternative response, but questions remain about how to pay for it.
Finish Line: The quiet rise of "prescribing connection"
Physicians are sending patients to choirs, art studios, walking clubs and lakesides.
Wildfire smoke lingers, prompting parent concerns on students' health
parts of horry county started this week with thick smoke because of that fireit's prompted concern from parents about sending their child to school with that sm
Siri Engineers Sent to AI Coding Bootcamp as Apple Prepares to Deliver Siri Overhaul
Apple is sending a large portion of its Siri engineers to a multi-week bootcamp to learn to code using AI, reports The Information. Apple's decision to teach its programmers to better use AI for coding comes just two months before Apple is expected to unveil a smarter, more capable version of Siri at WWDC. While employees attend the coding bootcamp, around 60 members of the Siri development team will stick around to work on Siri, and an additional 60 will evaluate how Siri is performing.
Apple Sends Siri Staffers to Coding ‘Bootcamp’ in Latest Shakeup For Organization
Apple is sending a portion of its Siri programmers back to coding school just two months before the company is expected to unveil a major, AI-powered revamp of the voice assistant, people familiar with the team said. The company plans to send a significant chunk of people working on Siri—a group ...
Our View: Michigan must stop exporting its mental health crisis
Michigan is sending children hundreds of miles away for mental health treatment because it has failed to build the capacity to care for them at home.
Postal Service, Under Pressure, Now Faces Trump’s Mail Ballot Order
President Trump’s executive order, which has been challenged as unconstitutional, would limit the Postal Service to sending only the ballots of voters deemed eligible.
NASA Science, Cargo Launch Aboard Northrop Grumman CRS-24
NASA is sending more science, technology demonstrations, and crew supplies to the International Space Station following the successful launch of the agency’s
In praise of popular science
As a kid, I was enthusiastically and unreservedly in favor of a manned space program. Our destiny lay in the stars, I figured. Get people out there. We need Star Trek here and now. As I got older, I became rather disenchanted with the idea. Humans are expensive, fragile, and inefficient as space cargo. We could flood the solar system with 100 robotic probes for the price of any single manned mission and get back just as useful data. Besides, it turns out space travel is dangerous. Tusk is a reader-supported publication. To support this work, please become a paid subscriber. Subscribe When it came to the recent Artemis II mission, my cynical side didn’t really see the point. Flying around the Moon and back is literally something we did before I was born, and I once owned a Members Only jacket. Apollo 8 circled the Moon ten times and returned to Earth safely the same month that “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” was released. What was the point of repeating a feat that far braver people once did with tin foil and slide rules? Yet I’ve surprised myself with how moving I’ve found the Artemis II mission to be. The photos have been stunning. The crew has been professional and engaging. There have been modest but important milestones — the farthest humans have travelled from Earth; the first woman, person of color, and non-American to leave low-Earth orbit; innovations in communication, and more. One thing that really stood out is that this is really NASA at its finest. Not that this is the most important mission they ever pulled off, but they did this in a competent way that celebrated the achievements and kept the crew and the science at the forefront of the project. This wasn’t some billionaire throwing celebrities or cars into orbit as a vanity project — this was a collective effort to send experts in to do a job and come home safely. We don’t see that sort of thing much these days. I’m guessing few people would describe many government agencies as inspiring, but this one counts for me. We’re living through a profoundly anti-science era, in which pathbreaking, lifesaving discoveries like mRNA vaccines are routinely downplayed or even vilified. As I’ve noted previously, this era is something like that of the Red Scare in the 1940s and 50s, in which “egghead” professors were portrayed as out of touch or even hostile to regular Americans. One of the things that helped break that spell was Sputnik — the Soviet communications satellite that demonstrated that the United States was falling behind in crucial scientific research and applications. Its launch triggered a new appreciation for American science and goaded the federal government into supporting research universities and labs. I’m not saying that Artemis is the equivalent of Sputnik, but it potentially reminds people that there’s some value to scientific endeavors and the human faces attached to them. Despite my love for the show “For All Mankind,” I’m far from convinced that there’s any real value to putting colonies on the Moon or Mars that would justify the capital investment and the massive health risks to the astronauts. But sending scientific good will ambassadors on a trip into space once in a while? Bring it. Share
Citadel cadet wins the 12th annual Baker Business Bowl
Stone Fish, an innovative fishing apparel brand, has won the 12th annual Baker Business Bowl, sending Cadet Bryson Barrett home with a $10,000 check.
Xbox Is Sending Out Project Helix Gift Packages Signed By New Boss Asha Sharma
No console yet, just a bunch of free merch
NYC bill would force Amazon to hire thousands of local delivery workers — sending customer bills soaring
Poke makes AI agents as easy as sending a text
Poke brings AI agents to everyday users via text message by handling tasks and automations without complex setup, apps, or technical know-how.
‘Stop Texting’—Apple Changes iPhone After 15 Years
The FBI warned smartphone users to stop sending texts — here's what happens now.
Instant grades for Patriots trading Marte Mapu to Texans
The Patriots are sending the linebacker and special teamer to Houston.
‘Long after that debt is paid, we keep sending the bill’
Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
‘Stop Texting’—Apple Changes iPhone After 15 Years
The FBI warned smartphone users to stop sending texts — here's what happens now.
Scientists find hidden brain cells helping deadly cancer grow
Scientists in Canada have uncovered a surprising weakness in glioblastoma, one of the deadliest brain cancers. They found that certain brain cells—once believed to only support healthy nerves—can actually help tumors grow by sending signals that strengthen cancer cells. When researchers blocked this communication, tumor growth slowed dramatically in lab models.
'Just don’t let her score': Betts delivers game-saving block for UCLA
UCLA center Lauren Betts' crucial block secured a 51-44 Final Four win over Texas, sending the Bruins to their first NCAA national championship game.
NASA astronauts prove that sending an email really is rocket science
NASA Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman faced the most earthly possible conflict while in outer space: his Outlook wasn't working.
NASA astronauts prove that sending an email really is rocket science
NASA Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman faced the most earthly possible conflict while in outer space: his Outlook wasn't working.
Wall St futures slide as Trump signals tougher Iran strikes, oil jumps 6%
Futures tracking Wall Street's main indexes slid on Thursday as U.S. President Donald Trump signaled more aggressive attacks on Iran, dampening expectations for an end to the month-long war and sending crude prices up 6%.
Watch Artemis II launch sending astronauts to the moon
NASA successfully launched Artemis II, a 10-day lunar mission, during which four astronauts will do a flyby of the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft.
Artemis II blasts off: Humans are on their way back to the moon
NASA's Artemis II rocket has taken off in a historic launch on Florida's Space Coast, sending humans back to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years.
IUSD dominates at science olympiad
Irvine Unified School District again proved its strength in STEM education at the 2026 OC Regional Science Olympiad, sending more teams to the state
Artemis II: What NASA’s Scientists Hope to Learn From Sending Humans to the Moon
The mission will test life support systems, study deep space radiation, and capture new views of the moon.
Danville business owners say they’re still waiting for traffic boost from casino
Part of Danville’s goal in bringing in Caesars Virginia was to capitalize on increased visitation by sending out-of-towners to other parts of the city. Some business owners have seen this happen, a…
iOS 27 Siri Update Will Let Users Make Multiple Requests at Once
The updated version of Siri that Apple plans to release in iOS 27 may be able to handle multiple commands in a single query, reports Bloomberg. With the feature, users would be able to make multi-step requests that Siri would carry out, such as getting directions to a location and then sending those directions to someone in a message. Siri has long been limited to a single command for most requests, and the personal assistant is not able to parse queries with multiple components.
Read the email Oracle is sending to laid-off employees
Oracle began global layoffs on Tuesday as it tries to curb costs. Read the email it sent to affected employees.
The market is sending a worrying signal about the economy
Good news: Oil traders are betting the Iran war will end fairly soon. Bad news: They’re also betting the economic damage from the war could last for years.
Bluesky's new AI tool Attie is already the most blocked account other than J.D. Vance
More than 125,000 Bluesky users have blocked Attie in just a few days, sending a strong message from the user base.
Sen. Kim on Trump weighing sending service members to Iran: ‘One of the most consequential moments that I’ve ever seen’
Apple Now Sending Critical Security Alerts to iPhones Running iOS 17 and Earlier
Apple has begun pushing Lock Screen notifications to iPhones and iPads running older versions of iOS and iPadOS, warning users of active web-based attacks. The alerts, which appear as a "Critical Software" notification from the Settings app, warn that Apple "is aware of attacks targeting out-of-date iOS software, including the version on your iPhone," and urge users to install a critical update to protect their device.
U.S. Circulates Iran Peace Plan While Sending Troops to the Middle East
The 2,000 paratroopers heading to the region may give President Trump more leverage in negotiations, but they also leave him with the option of doubling down on military force.
Political traffic signals: waiting for the light to change on the Hill
Congress faces a steep political battle over a $200 billion Iran war spending request, with Trump sending mixed signals on whether the funds are needed.
March heat wave draws Coloradans to the water, boosts seasonal business
A historic March heat wave sweeping across Colorado is sending residents outdoors in search of relief, with many trading winter sports for time on the water.
Inside Trump’s most difficult war decision yet: whether to put boots on the ground in Iran
In near-daily briefings with top military officials at the White House, President Donald Trump has reviewed options that include sending American troops into Iran.
xAI Sends Engineers to Client Sites to Win Business from OpenAI
Elon Musk’s xAI is sending engineers directly into the offices of prospective corporate clients in an attempt to claw business customers away from rivals OpenAI and Anthropic PBC.
Iran strikes major Qatari plant, prompting a surge in oil prices
Fears of an energy crisis deepened after Israel hit a gas field and Iran struck a major LNG site in Qatar, sending the price of oil and gas up.
In His Resignation Letter, Joe Kent Spoke About the Death of His Wife
Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent was killed in action during a special operations mission in Syria in 2019. Mr. Kent said he could not support “sending the next generation off to fight and die” in Iran.
Kharg Island Is an Appealing Target for Trump, With High Risks
A U.S. attack or a move to seize control of Iran’s main oil export hub could cripple the country’s ability to profit from its natural resources. But it would also risk sending energy prices even higher.
Ghilardi: ” We must get back on track and bounce back.”
Roma fell again, this time in Como, coming from behind. Referee Massa had a decisive influence, sending off Wesley with the score at 1-1 for a minor foul. After the match, Daniele Ghilardi spoke to DA...
If Trump has already won the Iran war, why does he need foreign ships to help him end it?
A week ago, President Donald Trump told Britain not to bother sending ships to the Middle East because he’d already won the Iran war.
Trump says U.S. ground troops in Iran 'possible'
Trump declined to rule out the possibility of sending U.S. forces inside Iran, saying it could “possibly happen” as the conflict intensifies.
Rep. Salazar says Trump is ‘sending a message to the political elite’ at Florida summit
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., discusses President Donald Trump’s remarks at the ‘Shield of the Americas’ summit in Florida and his administration’s efforts to make a deal with Cuba.
SPORTS: VGK trade for Nic Dowd, prep Vegas return Friday & Lady Rebels earn #2 seed in MWT
The Vegas Golden Knights have acquired center Nic Dowd in a trade with the Washington Capitols, the teams announced Thursday.In exchange, Vegas is sending goalt
These airlines are sending rescue flights to the Middle East
Although these flights don't always take travelers all the way home, they offer a crucial escape from limbo.
America is the oil king of the world. So why is the Iran war sending gas prices higher?
The United States is pumping more oil than any country in world history. Without all that crude, Americans could already be paying $4 or even $5 a gallon for gasoline, making the energy spike caused by the war with Iran even more painful.
Gulf businesses reel as Iran strikes trigger regional shutdowns
DUBAI >> Iran’s retaliatory strikes across the Gulf have triggered the most widespread business disruption in the region since the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing airport closures, halting port operations and sending shockwaves through financial markets.
Gulf businesses reel as Iran strikes trigger regional shutdowns
Iran's retaliatory strikes across the Gulf have triggered the most widespread business disruption in the region since the pandemic, forcing airport closures, halting port operations and sending shockwaves through financial markets.
Samsung reportedly sending store credit to users right before Galaxy S26 launch
Check your emails – some users have reported that Samsung sent them store credit to use at its online market....
Trump cites health care issues in Greenland saying he’s sending a hospital ship. His claims are off
President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post Saturday that he would deploy a hospital ship to Greenland, alleging many people there are sick and not receiving care, even though both of the…
Trump cites health care issues in Greenland saying he’s sending a hospital ship. His claims are off
President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is sending a hospital ship to Greenland because people there are not getting care, but the claim faces pushback.
Liberty-Eylau run-rules Pine Tree in home opener
TEXARKANA, TX (KTAL/KMSS) – On Monday, Liberty-Eylau hosted Pine Tree for its home opener at HE Markham Field. Cade McLeod got the Leopards going hot right from the jump, sending the second pitch of the game out of the park for his first home run of the season. Maddax Moore and Arian Taylor were quick […]
Trump says he’s sending a hospital boat to Greenland
President Donald Trump said Saturday that he is sending a hospital boat to Greenland, the Arctic island and Danish territory he has sought to acquire.
Trump Says He Is Sending Hospital Ship to Greenland
It wasn’t clear what prompted the decision or nor was it clear why the people of Greenland need a hospital ship.
Could you get a big tariff rebate check? Here's the latest.
President Donald Trump has floated the idea of sending checks to Americans as a rebate from tariff revenue. Now Democrats have suggested another idea.
Evan Dando Hospitalized for Mental Health Treatment
The Lemonheads' Evan Dando has entered a hospital to receive help for mental health issues after a fan accused him of sending sexually explicit vids.
Evan Dando Hospitalized for Mental Health Issues After Fan Accuses Him of Sending Unwanted Sexual Videos
The Lemonheads' Evan Dando has been hospitalized for mental health issues after an accusation that he sent unwanted sexual videos to a fan.
Indonesia prepares up to 8,000 troops in first firm commitment to Gaza peacekeeping force
Officials now talk about sending 5,000 to 8,000 troops, focusing on engineering and medical units.
The Super Bowl Halftime Shows Are Sending A Message — And It’s One That Shouldn’t Be Ignored
After statement-making performances from Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar, there’s a new standard for stepping onto the global stage. But will it last?
Instagram internally tests new Snapchat rival app
Meta has an internal prototype of an app for sending disappearing messages — but it isn't testing externally. Yet.
As Helldivers 2 sends players in to destroy the Cyborg menace, Arrowhead details its plans for the future of the game
Helldivers 2 is sending us to the Cyborg world of Cyberstan, and game director Mikael Eriksson has discussed how Arrowhead approaches the ongoing narrative.
NHL power rankings: One Olympian to watch from every team
The NHL is on its Olympic break, and every team is sending at least one player to the Games. Here is one Olympian to watch from every team.
They help police with mental health calls. So why are 'mobile crisis' teams in crisis?
Interactions between police and someone in psychiatric crisis can end in violence. Communities have been sending mental health professionals instead, but paying for that service has been a struggle.
L.A. Clippers reportedly sending former MVP James Harden to Cavaliers for 2-time All-Star Darius Garland, pick
The 36-year-old Harden is averaging 25.4 points per game this season.
Bulls reportedly sending Nikola Vučević to Celtics for Anfernee Simons
The teams will also exchange second-round picks in the deal, per ESPN's report.