Stanford

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated that four years of college may be excessive given how the world has evolved, noting that two years at Stanford was sufficient for him. Speaking to investor Cory Levy, he advised young people that success can often be achieved by doing things rather than focusing too much effort on trying to get taken seriously. He also encouraged working on multiple projects when starting out.

Top Democrats, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, have raised fears of an AI-induced job apocalypse, demanding government intervention for workers. However, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that since late 2022, jobs in the U.S. continued to be added while unemployment stayed at historically low levels. Experts counter this alarm by noting that innovation has routinely replaced some jobs with opportunities for new value and service.

Tech firms are resuming in-person job interviews to prevent AI use in hiring, as AI undermines virtual coding tests. Stanford economics professor Nick Bloom notes candidates can use AI during online interviews, prompting some companies to add in-person rounds. Some employers are integrating AI in interviews but emphasizing hands-on skills validation.

Stanford has established the first player-led chapter of the College Football Players Association (CFBPA), with offensive lineman Fisher Anderson and linebacker Ernest Cooper elected as representatives. The CFBPA aims to promote unionization and collective bargaining in college football, encouraging other Atlantic Coast Conference schools to follow Stanford's example. The NCAA and conferences are also working on a Senate bill to grant the NCAA an antitrust exemption, though collective bargaining remains a potential alternative if legislation fails.

Stanford has established the first player-led College Football Players Association (CFBPA) chapter, with Fisher Anderson and Ernest Cooper elected as representatives. The CFBPA aims to expand to other Atlantic Coast Conference schools to push for unionization and collective bargaining in college football. The NCAA and conferences are working on a Senate bill for an antitrust exemption, while some athletic directors advocate collective bargaining as an alternative.

Andy Burnham’s cabinet includes Oxbridge-educated members like Kanishka Narayan, who attended Eton and Balliol College on a scholarship. Narayan, born in India and raised in Wales, moved with his family to Cardiff and lived in a one-bedroom home before his education. The cabinet’s composition is viewed as both a sign of diversity and a backward step in class representation.

Two independent research teams reduced public estimates for breaking encryption securing banking, communications, and classified traffic. One demonstrated Shor’s algorithm could factor large numbers at cryptographically relevant scale with 10,000 reconfigurable neutral-atom qubits. Google Quantum AI, Ethereum Foundation, and Stanford advanced elliptic-curve encryption threshold breaking.

An Idaho mother charged with first-degree murder of her 18-month-old twins claims vaccines caused their deaths, but doctors assert vaccines were not responsible. Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine group, continues to support the mother despite the indictment.

A Stanford study highlights that Polymarket’s five-minute Bitcoin prediction markets create opportunities for manipulating spot prices during contract settlement. Researchers suggest extending settlement windows as a potential solution to mitigate this risk.

A study found that Polymarket’s five-minute Bitcoin contracts were manipulated by traders who siphoned $8.2 million from retail bettors. The manipulation exploited a Chainlink oracle averaging Bitcoin’s price across exchanges, allowing traders to influence closing prices in the final seconds of each contract cycle.

Over 200 economists, including 16 Nobel laureates, signed a statement admitting uncertainty about AI's future economic impact, warning of potential risks like job displacement and the need for urgent action to guide AI development. The statement emphasizes the lack of clarity on AI's transformative scale and calls for infrastructure to better understand its effects.

Artificial intelligence is reshaping the US economy, with debates over its impact on jobs. While some data shows AI adoption correlates with job growth, others highlight risks, particularly for younger workers. Gina Raimondo and Bernie Sanders present opposing views, with Raimondo emphasizing long-term job creation and Sanders warning of significant job losses.

John Hu and his cofounder developed Stanley, an AI tool for content creators, in 14 days using 'vibe coding.' The LinkedIn version of Stanley reached $1 million in ARR within six weeks, contributing to Stan's total ARR of nearly $41 million. Key strategies included deeply understanding customers and iterating rapidly.

Stanford’s Department of Public Safety is investigating an alleged March 29 sexual assault involving an armed man and a female jogger. The incident has caused fear and prompted a thorough probe on campus.

A Stanford study found California home insurance premiums increased by 84% over five years, driven by wildfire risk. High-risk fire zones saw the largest impacts, with more homeowners shifting to the state's costly FAIR Plan as insurers reduce coverage.

Latino-owned businesses added 180,000 new firms between 2017 and 2023, preventing a decline in U.S. business creation as white-owned businesses lost 140,000. Latino entrepreneurs generated more jobs and revenue growth than any other major racial or ethnic group, with the broader Latino economy approaching $4 trillion in annual output.

A nickname 'Billionaires’ Vagina Club' describes a practice by concierge gynecologist Sally Greenwald, a Stanford assistant clinical professor, catering to billionaire wives, executives, and philanthropists. Clients pay $30K for 'healthmaxxx' services aimed at enhancing their sex lives.

Fizz, a social media app for college students, aims to expand globally and grow its advertising business. The app, founded by Teddy Solomon, has over a million US users and 2.2 million global downloads. It recently secured a strategic investment from celebrities and tech executives to fuel its expansion, particularly in the Middle East, where users show increased post-graduation engagement.

JB Straubel's initial pitch to Elon Musk for an unmanned hydrogen-powered airplane failed, but he later proposed an electric sports car using lithium-ion cells. Musk invested, leading to Tesla's founding. Straubel became Tesla's CTO, developing its first battery pack and contributing to its growth into a $1.3 trillion company.

Stanford's annual AI report covers industry funding and public sentiment. The report tracks financial investments in AI and public perceptions of the technology.

A study found ChatGPT outperformed hundreds of physicians in diagnosing medical cases, raising concerns among doctors despite its unproven readiness for clinical use. AI tools are increasingly adopted in U.S. healthcare without FDA approval, with risks of misdiagnosis and errors highlighted by recent research.

Sundar Pichai faced boos and a walkout at Stanford's graduation ceremony due to Google's defense contracts involving AI linked to Israel and ICE. The protest centers on AI's use in these contracts.

Stanford researchers found that a single injection of BRP in mice and pigs reduced food intake by up to 50% within an hour. BRP is being explored as an alternative to Ozempic.

Stanford researchers found that a single injection of BRP in mice and pigs reduced food intake by up to 50% within an hour before a meal, suggesting a potential Ozempic alternative.

Trump calls Netanyahu 'very difficult guy' and states that attacks on Iran could resume if a nuclear deal is not reached. Iran's military claims to have 'humiliated' the US and Israel.

Stanford graduates walked out during a speech by Google CEO Sundar Pichai. The event was discussed on Hacker News with 51 points and 8 comments.

Local officials in Missouri suburbs are halting data center projects through bans and contentious measures as state legislatures struggle to regulate their rapid expansion. The growth of hyperscale data centers, driven by cloud computing and AI, has sparked public protests and debates over energy and water usage, with Missouri lawmakers proposing bills to address regulatory gaps.

Stanford's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital has been temporarily prevented from producing pediatric records related to transgender children's care while a judge evaluates whether a Texas grand jury can compel the hospital to release its files.

Stanford's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital has been temporarily prevented from producing pediatric records amid a legal dispute. A judge is evaluating whether a Texas grand jury can compel the California medical center to release its files.

A Glean report found white-collar workers spend 6.4 hours weekly 'botsitting' AI by feeding context, debugging errors, and cleaning outputs. This task, linked to job frustration, makes workers 73% more likely to seek new jobs, despite 75% reporting AI boosts personal productivity. The study surveyed 6,000 workers in the US, UK, and Australia.

Colombian startup Idilio has raised $5 million in a seed round led by a16z Speedrun, with additional backing from Nubank founder David Velez and Hollywood's Jeffrey Katzenberg. The app, which focuses on short-vertical-video dramas, was founded by Gabriela Tafur, a Stanford-trained lawyer and former beauty queen.

New NAEP data show 9-year-olds improved in math and reading since 2022, driven by struggling students, while 13-year-olds showed no progress, with scores stagnating or declining. The pandemic's impact on middle schoolers is linked to prolonged educational disruptions, compounding existing challenges in adolescent learning.

Tennessee students have nearly returned to pre-pandemic math achievement levels and improved in reading, driven by state initiatives like the Tennessee Literacy Success Act and new math curricula. The state invested over $130 million in reforms, including tutoring and professional development, though disparities persist for historically underserved student groups.

A new room-temperature quantum device developed at Stanford uses twisted light to entangle photons and electrons, overcoming a major hurdle in quantum technology. The breakthrough could enable smaller, cheaper quantum systems with applications in secure communications, AI, and computing.

Scientists at Stanford discovered that ribosomes, the cellular machinery for building proteins, begin to jam and malfunction over time in turquoise killifish. This leads to faulty proteins and harmful clumps linked to Alzheimer’s and aging-related cognitive decline.

Newark Public Schools students are improving faster than most U.S. districts, gaining 1.23 grade levels annually in reading and math post-pandemic, but remain 2.36 grade levels below the 2019 national average. The district ranks in the 93rd percentile nationally, outpacing similar districts, though performance lags with 34% of students passing English Language Arts and 21.1% passing math tests in 2024.

Theo Baker spent four years investigating Stanford and found that it's easier for young people to raise money for a startup than to get an internship. This phenomenon is remarkable. Baker's investigation provides insight into the current state of startups and internships.

Stanford economist Mordecai Kurz argues that tech oligarchs are eroding democracy through monopolies and predicts an end to this trend. Kurz's new book, Private Power and Democracy's Decline, connects monopoly power with political and economic inequality. The US is experiencing an extreme version of a pattern where technological power concentrates in the hands of a few.

Stanford economist Mordecai Kurz argues that tech oligarchs are eroding democracy through monopolies and predicts an end to this trend. Kurz's research connects monopoly power with political and economic inequality. The US is living through an extreme version of a pattern that has repeated itself since industrialization.

Cannabis use among older adults is increasing, but modern cannabis can pose significant health risks, including heart problems and addiction, especially for people over 65. Stanford Medicine specialists warn that these risks may be underestimated due to the higher potency of today's marijuana. Older adults should be aware of these potential risks when using cannabis.