Watch out, Marty Mauser. The robots are taking over.

Happening off Campus: A Sony AI robot, “Ace,” has outperformed  some of the world’s most skilled ping-pong players. Using nine synchronized cameras and three vision systems to track a spinning ball, Ace beat three out of five elite human players under International Table Tennis Federation rules—a major advancement in the field of robotics. In a paper published on Wednesday, the robot’s developers suggest that such “fast, precise, and adversarial reactions” could lead to major shifts in the manufacturing and service industries (Reuters).

Happening near Campus: This May, New York City will welcome a film festival entirely dedicated to the life and career of acclaimed actor and screenwriter Wallace Shawn. The festival, curated by Lucas Kane, will open with “Clueless,” in which the now 82-year-old plays the affectionate debate teacher Mr. Hall. It will also feature “The Princess Bride” and “Vanya on 42nd Street,” among other crowd pleasures. A complete list and schedule is available on the Metrograph’s website (Gothamist).

Happening on-Campus: Today, in Schermerhorn from 12 to 1 pm, Columbia Climate School’s MS in Climate Finance Practitioner Series and Columbia Business School’s Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and Climate Change will welcome Dr. Sarah Kapnick, Managing Director and Global Head of Climate Advisory at J.P. Morgan for a conversation with Professor Lisa Sachs about “Climate Risk, Capital, and the Institutions That Price the Future.” A Q&A session will follow. See details here.

Song of the Day: Solidarité by Lamomali

Robot via Bwarchives