Blog archive

In winter 2012, SRI International began building a proof-of-concept system to demonstrate natural gas storage at low pressure in a conformable tank. We featured the technology, funded under the Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy (ARPA-E) Methane Opportunities for Vehicular Energy (MOVE) program, at ARPA-E’s 2013 Energy Innovation Summit.We returned to the 2014 Summit this week to…

For years, there has been a major unmet need for a more sensitive method for improved identification and characterization of rare circulating tumor cells (CTCs), blood markers that can identify tumors that are metastasizing and spreading. To address this crucial need, SRI Biosciences acquired scanning instrumentation technology from PARC, a Xerox company, that we are developing into…

More and more, people around the world rely on complex software systems in all areas of life—from transportation to utility grids to medical equipment. We depend on these software systems to be secure and reliable. Yet today, the way to assure bug-free software code is through formal software verification, which requires highly specialized computer scientists…

SRI Education and Education Development Center (EDC) recently released findings from our large experimental field study of a PBS KIDS mathematics curriculum supplement. The PBS curriculum supplement features use of “transmedia”—with familiar characters, settings and stories appearing across different platforms, such as video and interactive games. The study’s findings can inform the conversations that parents, teachers, policy…

Ask individuals how healthy they feel when traveling, and you’re more likely to hear a litany of complaints than a list of benefits. Even when we take a vacation to unwind, jet lag, missing sleep, unhealthy meals, and disrupted exercise routines are side effects of the way we travel, whether for business or for pleasure.…

As a veteran of the Vietnam War and a graduate of West Point, Veterans Day touches me personally and professionally. It’s vitally important that as a nation we have a day that recognizes those who are serving—and those who have served—in the United States Armed Forces. It brings both a sense of history and purpose…

Without warning, a major earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit Japan in March 2011. Damage was significant at almost every level, impacting people and the environment. Shortly thereafter, a core meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant—the largest nuclear event since the Chernobyl disaster in 1986—intensified the situation. Almost immediately concern arose about the many health…

Developing strong foundational math skills has been a challenge for schools in rural areas, which serve almost 10 million U.S. students—more than 20 percent of the student population. By engaging rigorous evaluation techniques, SRI International researchers will develop an understanding of the critical factors in closing the rural education math gap. Our research will help a…

Could tablets be the key to unlocking a lifetime of deep mathematics learning for preschool children? The very question is controversial—and yet potentially very important. Math is rarely taught in preschool and when it’s taught, lessons tend to focus only on counting. However, when preschool children receive strong preparation in mathematics, the benefits—especially for children from poorer…

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) have unique characteristics, including difficulties with communication, social interaction and repetitive behavior. To address ASD symptoms, special education programs employ a combination of communication, social and behavioral services and life skills training to help students function most effectively. While it is now commonly accepted that such programs can make…

Hollywood isn’t exactly known for accuracy, and their portrayal of biometric technology is no exception. Fingerprint scanners, facial recognition software, and iris recognition technology have become commonplace in thrillers and crime films to create suspense and high-tech futuristic scenes. But they just don’t have the facts right—in some cases, overestimating the capabilities of biometric technologies,…

Online learning has been on the rise for the past two decades. Recently, much of the talk around online courses has revolved around the postsecondary level and MOOCs—or massively open online courses. Meanwhile, a quieter trend has been the widespread growth of online courses in formal K-12 education. Online courses have become an increasingly popular…