News

SoCaltech: ArmorWay: Applying Computer Game Theory To Real Life Problems

February 27, 2015

Despite the widespread impact of software today on our lives,

there are a number of areas of computer science research which have had a difficult time in being translated into practical, every day usage. One of those

areas is game theory--the use of computer simulations to predict the behavior of multiple people or entities, and how they will behave together, most famously depicted in that 1980's movie, War Games. Los Angeles startup--ArmorWay (www.armorwaycom)--is trying to take what has mostly been an esoteric computer science research area, and is now looking to...

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Next City: Can an Algorithm Help Prevent HIV From Spreading Among Homeless Young People?

February 18, 2015

Among homeless young people, across country, HIV rates are 10 times that of the general population. Keeping alive can mean sex work, drug use and other risky behavior. One of the more effective ways of combating the spread of HIV is peer-led education programs. But, says Eric Rice, a professor at University of Southern California’s School of Social Work, choosing the right peer to lead can be tricky.

Mashable News: How an algorithm could help spread HIV information among homeless teens

February 6, 2015

"Algorithm" has become a dirty word. While many websites and social networks set up algorithms to anticipate and meet their users' needs, they also use them to manipulate our data for advertising, making money off every digital step we take.

But we can use algorithms for social good, too. Social workers and computer scientists at the University of Southern California (USC) are doing just that, using math and data to help prevent the spread of HIV among homeless teens.

Motherboard News: Artificial Intelligence Could Help Reduce HIV Among Homeless Youths

February 4, 2015

​Thousands of teenagers sleep on the streets every night in Canada, and spreading awareness about how they can avoid contracting viruses like HIV is no easy task. Artificial intelligence could help by singling out teens most likely to influence their peers.

PSINET, the algorithm in question, uses information about the friend networks of homeless youth, collected by staff at shelters, to map their social connections and predict which kids are the most likely to influence their friends.

USC News: To prevent the spread of HIV among the homeless, researchers turn to math

February 2, 2015

USC researchers have teamed up with Los Angeles social workers to address a public- health problem — the spread of HIV — using an unlikely method: mathematics.

Social workers at My Friend’s Place [http://myfriendsplace.org] , a nonprofit agency that helps Los Angeles’ homeless youth become more self-sufficient, have been working to prevent the spread of HIV among homeless teens and young adults.

They’ve relied in part on word-of-mouth, but have had limited success. Transient young adults often have fluid friendships; if two friends stop hanging out, a social worker’...

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