As midnight descends and my dorm dims to whispers, my overactive neurons find solace from bedside books–nestled between the sheets and a stack of eclectic reads, here’s how the allure of knowledge brings sweet lure of slumber. Excerpts (translated) from my scholarship personal story nocturnal narratives | whispers from my nightstand shelf I wouldn’t claim to be a polymath, but I’m quite fond of reading: mainly because solving problems at night gets my brain too wired to sleep....

Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992) stands as Argentina’s most celebrated musical innovator, the man who single-handedly transformed the tango into a global phenomenon. Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992) is Argentina’s most famous musical name—the man who has almost single-handedly brought the passion, thrill and beauty of the tango to a worldwide audience. Would the composer and bandoneon player have been able to achieve this without years of studying in Paris with the great Nadia Boulanger?...

Plants vs. Zombies (2009), crafted by PopCap, is more than just a game. Sure, I could wax technical about how it’s essentially a finite Markov Decision Process (MDP) with a tightly defined set of actions and stochastic outcomes. But really, it’s about strategic greenery and quirky zombies invading your lawn in an oddly delightful dance of sunlight and survival. If I frame it as an MDP, I might sound nerdy… Just kidding, the game is a blast....

Ever stumbled upon a track that plays like a secret everyone knows but no one talks about? Well, Ariana Grande’s unreleased single “Communicate” fits that bill perfectly. It’s an intriguing piece about the dance of words and silences that happens right before a relationship officially starts. And here’s the kicker—it’s somehow popped up officially on platforms like Apple Music and Spotify, but not under Ariana’s name. Instead, it’s credited to “Who Do We Blame....

Welcome to our holiday music series! As the days grow shorter and our playlists longer, we’re embarking on a delightful musical escapade. Grab your favorite headphones (or earplugs, if Aunt Carol starts singing again), and let’s dive into some sounds that make the season bright. Let’s start with some classical––hit. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 16 in C Major, K. 545, famously dubbed the “Sonata Facile” or “easy sonata,” is anything but straightforward for performers....

I caught an interesting bookz-roughly translated as Lam Chua’s weibo Sharp Comments. Chua Lam, alongside Jin Yong, Ni Kuang, and Wong Jim, is renowned as one of the ‘Four Great Talents’ of Hong Kong. He is also a celebrated filmmaker, author, and gourmet. Chua has a playful, iconic blend of amusement and innocence that effortlessly wields with perfect balance of playfulness and perceptiveness–an attitude that inspires and amazes his readers....

This week, Chenhao Zhang from Northwestern University visited ITCS and gave a talk on Regulation of Algorithmic Collusion, based on his ongoing collaboration with Prof. Jason Hartline. Here’s a background of the topic, summary of the talk and their work (hopefully), and some discussion afterwards. Regulation of Algorithmic Collusion ABSTRACT Consider sellers in a competitive market that use algorithms to adapt their prices from data that they collect. In such a context it is plausible that algorithms could arrive at prices that are higher than the competitive prices and this may benefit sellers at the expense of consumers (i....

Over the past few days, we’ve explored the cyclical dominance of nostalgic hits, scrutinized the peaks and pitfalls of Taylor Swift’s illustrious yet controversial career, and delved into the power struggles over master recordings. Each narrative underscores the immense influence of stardom and its complex interplay with the music industry’s mechanics. Music, inherently a personal form of art and enjoyment, has no right or wrong when it comes to individual taste....

The Tug-of-War Over Master Recordings - Taylor Swift’s battle over her early music illuminates the complex dynamics of the music industry Taylor Swift’s recent outcry over the control of her early masters highlights a lesser-known, yet crucial aspect of the music business: the power dynamics between artists and record labels. In the history of the music business, many artists have not had control over their own careers. What has recently made the topic into major news is that Taylor Swift has discussed her torrid experience in the industry....

How streaming killed the Christmas charts - Mariah Carey’s seasonal ubiquity illustrates the new economics of music: Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You is often quipped to be her pension fund—and rightly so: In 2017 Mariah Carey crept in at number nine with her massive 23-year-old hit, “All I Want for Christmas is You”. Since then the oldies have shuffled relentlessly forward (see chart). Last Christmas half of America’s top ten songs were more than half a century old....