New technology developed to improve forecasting of Earthquakes, Tsunamis

Science Daily  November 22, 2019 Techniques currently available for seafloor monitoring work best in the deeper ocean where there is less noise interference. An international team of researchers (USA – University of South Florida, Italy) has developed and tested a new high-tech shallow water buoy that can detect the small movements and changes in the Earth’s seafloor that are often a precursor to deadly natural hazards. The seafloor geodesy system is an anchored spar buoy topped by high precision GPS. The buoy’ orientation is measured using a digital compass that provides heading, pitch, and roll information — helping to capture […]

Removing human bias from predictive modeling

Phys.org  October 30, 2019 Predictive modeling is increasingly being employed to assist human decision-makers. However, there is growing recognition that employing algorithms does not remove the potential for bias and can even amplify it if the training data were generated by a process that is itself biased. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania propose a method to eliminate bias from predictive models by removing all information regarding protected variables from the data to which the models will ultimately be trained. Motivated by models currently in use in the criminal justice system that inform decisions on pre-trial release and parole, they […]