4 - Friday, February 18, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 4- Friday, February 18, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom 0 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.cam JEFF ZUSCHLAG E-MAIL JEFF AT JEFFDZ@UMICH.EDU So book sales have been down, No matter what, books have Oh, sorry, dude. and now Borders is going been a staple of our culture Didyou say to declare bankruptcy. Big deal for centuries. Nothing is ever something? ltdaesn't mes naythingl gaing ta replace chew. Books are still relevant. gigt elc hm - Am I right? IBM takes on Jeopardy STEPHANIE STEINBERG EDITOR IN CHIEF MICHELLE DEWITT and EMILY ORLEY EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS KYLE SWANSON MANAGING EDITOR Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. Snyder is all busin s Budget proposal focusses on jobs, cuts education Republican Gov. Rick Snyder unveiled his new budget pro- posal yesterday, and Michigan residents are in store for big changes - that are potentially good and bad. Either way, it's clear that Snyder is fulfilling his promise to shake up business in Lansing. 4 Synder's budget announcement was by no means out of left field. He has been talking about large-scale changes to Michigan's eco- nomic system since he began his campaign. His proposal to eliminate the Michigan Busi- ness Tax and replace it with a flat 6 percent corporate income tax, for example, came as no surprise. And his substantial cuts to gov- ernment spending were also not a shock. Even schools were prepared for a reduction in state funding, but few anticipated a 15 per- cent cut - Synder's official proposal. In what came as a huge blow to schools around the state, it was proposed yesterday that funding for public schools would be reduced by $470 per student - $170 of which had been previously determined - and that public universities would receive 15 percent less funding, according to a Feb. 17 Detroit Free Press article. These cuts have left schools scrambling to determine how they will cope with this decrease in state appro- priations. It's clear that Snyder's eye is on the future of Michigan and building the state up to a competitive level. There's no doubt that Sny- der's budget decisions weren't made rashly. The recently inaugurated governor certain- ly hadhis work cut out for him, after being handed down astate economy that is $47 bil- lion in debt. But he seems to have lost sight that there are people who still need to live and work in Michigan while he is working to develop businesses and bring new people to the state. Current Michigan students at all educa- tion levels are going to encounter significant, and potentially detrimental, changes at their schools. It's unrealistic to expect schools to perform at the desired level - a bar that will potentially be even higher if scores needed to pass standardized tests are raised - without the proper resources. It's also unrealistic to expect Michigan businesses to want to stay in Michigan if workers can't send their chil- dren to well-funded schools. Synder is known to reference Michigan's "brain drain" problem. And while he may be working to establish job opportunities in the state for college graduates, taking away funding from public universities cre- ates a problem for students trying to obtain an education in Michigan. If the state can't give young people educational opportunities, then our future will be rather bleak regard- less of the strength of our economy. The self-proclaimed "nerd" is also a self- proclaimed businessman, and in all likeli- hood his budget proposals will be good for small businesses. But if you're a student, a film producer or unemployed, Michigan isn't going to be an easy place to live in in the com- ing months. The state hasn't heard the last of Snyder's budget proposa s, and the Leg- islature will likely be tieb in debate over the specifics for weeks. 5 as this budget is revised, Congress needs to ensure that Mich- igan's students remain a priority because the current 15 percent funding cut says the oppo- site. Dozens of IBM researchers spent three years build- ing one computer for what appeared to be one purpose. Watson, whose . 10 racks of off- stage servers pack 13 trillion bytes of data, appeared on television for three straight MATT nights this week AARONSON to compete on the popu- lar long-running NBC game show Jeopardy. The gender-neutral Watson faced stiff competition in human champions Ken Jennings - whose 74-game win streak in 2004 has yet to be surpassed - and the pre- viously undefeated Brad Rutter, who holds the record for monetary winnings. Yet when all was said and done, in the "Final Jeopardy" round of the third and final night, Jennings quoted "The Simpsons" to declare in parentheses following his written answer: "I, for one, wel- come our new computer overlords." If you can't beat 'em, he figured, might as well praise 'em. And nei- ther Jennings nor Rutter could beat Watson. Rutter finished the first night tied with the supercomputer, and Jennings made a good run early on in night three. But Watson ran away with the game, the tourna- ment and the million-dollar grand prize (which IBM split evenly between two charities).,, Writing for Slate on Wednesday night, Jennings said it didn't take long for him to realize that "this was to be an away game for human- ity." Not everyone was impressed. New York Times television critic Alessandra Stanley wrote after Watson's first appearance that "It's not the match of the century, it's more like the letdown of a lifetime." Stanley approached the situation with such skepticism and casu- al indifference that we can only assume she owns a Jetsons-esque robot to dress and groom her every morning before she gets into her flying car that drops her off at the Times office and parks itself while she rattles off orders for her interns using only a chip implanted in her brain. Stanley criticized the represen- tation of Watson by an on-stage avatar as unfair, wondering why the human contestants couldn't "con- sult a backstage ensemble of 2,800 experts," referring to the number of computers to which Watson's power can be compared. She con- cluded that if Watson loses "IBM should be ashamed: the company should have gone all out and sprung for a full 3,000 (computers)." Perhaps she's right - there are plenty of reasons that the challenge wasn't necessarily fair for the prov- en human champions. But that's not what makes this event special. It was an exhibition tournament, after all. Putting all preoccupations with fairness and competitive purity aside, it's remarkable what this machine can do. As IBM research- ers explain in advertisements promoting the special challenge, Watson illustrates a breakthrough in the ability of computers to understand and interpret human language, idioms and even tone. At lightning-fast processing speeds, it applies these capabilities to a vast pool of knowledge, and if its best answer reaches the "confi- dence threshold," Watson buzzes in before the humans can wrap their head around the question (or on Jeopardy, the answer). On Monday night, the $1,000 prompt in the category "Final Frontiers" was as follows: "Tick- ets aren't needed for this 'event', a black hole's boundary from which matter can't escape." Watson, with 97-percent confidence, buzzed in. "Event horizon," said the robotic voice. In Wednesday's "Dialing for Dia- lects" category, the .$200 prompt would seem simple for a human but quite tricky for a computer. "Spre- chen sie plattdeutch? If you do, you speak the low variety of this language." Watson buzzed in right away: "What is German?" The "question-answer machine" even makes informed risk decisions on the fly. Consider Tuesday night's Final Jeopardy answer: "Its largest airport is named for a World War II hero; its second largest, for a World War II battle." Watson wrongly offered Toronto, but saved itself by taking confidence level into account and only wagering $947. Trivia show was an 'away game for humanity. If Watson's capabilities were truly confined to winning quiz shows, the project would be a seri- ous waste of time, effort and money. The technological advancements made by the -IBM team represent a leap, forward in the long-dreamed- of utility of artificial intelligence. According to the IBM employees featured in the specials, the same natural-language capabilities could do worlds of good in improving business logistics and even in help- ing doctors make faster and better diagnoses. "It changes the paradigm in which we work with computers," said one researcher. But even without such an opti- mistic outlook, anything'that puts science and engineering in the fore- front of conversation - especially in a country that lags significantly in education for these areas and will likely feel the effects of that in the future - is a good thing. Any- thing that does it in a fun and stim- ulating way is even more valuable. - Matt Aaronson was the Daily's managing editor in 2010. He can be reached at maarons@umich.edu. EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Aida Ali, Will Butler, Michelle DeWitt, Ashley Griesshammer, Melanie Kruvelis, Erika Mayer, Harsha Nahata, Emily Orley, Harsha Panduranga, Teddy Papes, Asa Smith, Seth Soderborg, Andrew Weiner AVERY ROBINSON I Rethink bottled water ban MEAGHAN O'CONNOR, ANDREA BYL AND AMANDA USTICK I 'Go Red' for a healthy heart I am sitting on my couch trying to draft an e-mail when all of a sudden I am bombarded with c-mails asking me to sign a petition to ban bottled water sales on campus. I think it's a great idea. There is a gross amount of environmental abuse associated with this industry, and bottled water is worse for you than tap water (tap water is almost always better). Bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, which has much looser regulations than the Environ- mental Protection Agency and Safe Drinking Water Act that regulate tap water. However, despite the chemical pollutants that may be found in our bottled water, the health effects, physical and environmental, of drinking bot- tied water are not nearly as bad as drinking pop (read: soda or Coca-Cola for people out- side the Midwest). If the argument for banning bottled water is based purely on bottles being an environ- mental tribulation, then the same logic applies equally for pop and other beverages. But the ban does not mention these items, so there must be more to the issue than just packaging. The cost of bottled water is relatively low - it's just tap water and a cheap plastic bot- tle. But colas and other pops require the same amount of water with the addition of high fructose corn syrup or other "diet" sweeten- ers, natural and artificial flavors (whatever those are), coloring, caffeine and who knows what else. Essentially, take water and com- pound it by the cost of industrially growing and refining corn and soy. By removing bottled water from the shelves of vending machines and campus cafes, this ban will push people toward mak- ing unhealthy consumptive decisions. Stud- ies have shown that drinking pop and other non-water refreshments leads to poor health, a greater risk of heart disease and weight gain. I know this isn't the intention of this ban, but you should always think about the consequences of your actions. I always carry a water bottle, but is it reasonable to expect 40,000 students and 30,000 faculty and staff, as well as visitors to our campus, to always have a water bottle handy? Is it reasonable to compel people to frequently excuse themselves from meetings, classes and work to use the water fountain because they cannot access bottled water (or a cup for their water)? Michigan Student Assembly, before you vote on this petition, I beg you to consider the consequences of your actions. Do you want people to resort to unhealthy beverages because you took away their water bottles? Educate the campus about water and the impact of bottles through the LSA theme semester, but please don't make such a bold decision without considering the social and health effects. Avery Robinson is an LSA junior. February has been proclaimed "American Heart Month," and we would like to share the importance of living a heart-healthy lifestyle with students, espe- cially women, on campus. We think it is important to acknowledge that heart disease is not just an "old- man's disease." In fact, only 55 percent of women realize that heart disease is their number one killer, according to goredforwomen.org. Female heart attack symptoms are understudied in comparison with male symptoms. Women are often misdiagnosed, leading to premature hospital discharge, missed heart attacks and, consequentially, an increased mortality rate. Females deserve proper medical care and the same preliminary precautions as males. In order to approach equal medical treatment regarding heart disease, we believe raising awareness in the public sphere is an important first step. In an attempt to promote awareness in our own com- munity, we want to draw attention to the Go Red for Women Campaign, sponsored by the American Heart Association. This campaign focuses on encouraging women to educate themselves about personal heart disease risks, as well as promoting healthy lifestyles to actively lower these risks. It also advocates mak- ing the fight against heart disease a personal mission and connecting the individual lifestyle with political action. We want to make young people aware that they can actively lower their risk for heart disease by mak- ing heart-healthy decisions now. Because heart disease can affect women at any age, the Go Red for Women Campaign offers several tips for women in their 20s to help promote a heart-healthy lifestyle. We share these tips in the hope of promoting this campaign's message on our own campus. College can take a toll on our bodies both mentally and physi- cally. Staying healthy is just as important as getting good grades. It's important to check your family history of heart disease. Learn this information now so you can be aware of your own risk. Don't smoke, and stay away from secondhand smoke. Drink in moderation. Choose birth control carefully, Know your numbers: Evaluate your own cholesterol, sugar and fat levels, blood pres- sure, BMI and waist circumference. Eat well: Heart- healthy foods include fruits and vegetables, fiber-rich whole grains, lean meats and foods low in saturated and trans fats and sugars. Be active: Make an exercise routine part of your daily life, make an effort to get off the couch or visit the gym regularly - briskly walk- ing to class counts. Watch your weight: Transitions between relationships, school and work can take a toll both emotionally and physically. Aim to develop a posi- tive body image, and take pride in taking care of your own health. Keep portions small, starteverymealwith filling foods and drink lots of water. Don't be afraid to talk to your doctor. Reduce your risk of heart disease by starting heart disease screenings now. The Go Red for Women Campaign has a useful, interactive website that provides women of all ages with effective and useful tools for taking heart health i into their own hands. The website offers a BetterU Program - a free 12-week online nutrition and fitness program - to help users "makeover" their heart. The website also provides heart-healthy recipes, weekly guidance, online journals, support forums and daily expert tips to guide your quest for developing a heart- healthy lifestyle. The website provides a Go Red Heart Checkup as well as background information and statis- tics regarding heart disease. If you are interested in joining the fight against heart disease in women, the website provides an easy way to donate, share personal stories and get involved with the campaign. It even has a Go Red store where you can purchase clothing and other accessories, and proceeds are directed to heart disease research because, as the site states, "doing good and looking good are always in fashion." You can even "like" Go Red for Women on Facebook to shop, share the information with others or even receive a free red dress pin - the symbol of the Go Red campaign. Who doesn't like free stuff? When women become more informed, they are more likely to recognize their heart disease symptoms as potentially threatening and dangerous. It's time to take your heart-health into your own hands. Go Blue and Go Red today. Meaghan O'Connor is an LSA freshman. Andrea Byl is an LSA freshman. Amanda Ustick is an LSA junior. -the Happy, Healthy Women: Anny Fang thinks about podium feminism after an experience in Nepal. Go to michigandaily.com/blogs/The Podium