While researching a linguistics paper on Artificial Intelligence, Bwog Correspondent Sara Maria Hasbun came across the websites for the winners of the Loebner Competition, a contest in which judges converse blindly with both humans and computer programs—the prize goes to the machine that bests simulates intelligent conversation. For her paper, Sara decided to try out […]

Many of us think of Columbia as a nurturing mother, sheltering us from the vissicitudes of adult life. One Columbia senior expected her to protect us from the rain as well…and took PrezBo to task for failing in this final act of devotion. Her e-mail follows, with the administration’s response after the jump. ——– Original […]

If they haven’t already, Generation ’10 will soon recieve a slick new copy of the Iliad, courtesy of some alumni class from the last fifty years. Unless they decide to buck tradition, its cover will feature a lovely classical painting now hanging in L’Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. Slate, however, has proposed the alternative […]

An anonymous Bwog tipster reports on a phone conversation between staffers in the Longworth and Rayburn House office buildings during the “shots fired” scare at the Capitol today. Longworth Staffer: So they’re not letting you out? You got enough food? Rayburn Staffer: Yeah, I brown-bagged it today. LS: Hey, you guys could be there for […]

For some time now, Bwog has been wondering where Bored at Butler went. Almost a week ago, the site’s normal interface disappeared, replaced by a message that reads “r.i.p. b@b…46,848 posts…down for reconstruction, come back soon…” Bwog knows via comments that some of its readers share its curiosity about the site’s fate. Well, wonder no […]

A few hours ago, you probably deleted an email from The Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal. Now that you know what CUSJ stands for, we bet you regret that click to the trash. Here are a few of the highlights. With their new skills, Coltrane, Prospero, and Horatio can play three-card-monte. Immigration. It turns South Asians […]

For those of us still in New York, summer = fewer people on campus = less competition for free food. Now’s the time to act! A wide variety of sandwiches on yummy oat bread are sitting on the desk in Lerner Lobby. Mmmmm!

While browsing the Barnard Res Life policies, Bwog came across a section that seemed particularly amusing: What Cannot Be Said On My Posting? Any postings that have inappropriate and/or derogatory information directed to one specific member of the Barnard community will not be tolerated and will be immediately removed. The approved posting areas that we […]

For the past few days, there has been a crudely constructed fence in the 116th street subway station. Confused onlookers don’t know what to make of this barnyard addition to our fair city, and raise their eyebrows in passing. When an amused Bwog politely asked the station attendant why it was there, he seemed annoyed […]

They’ve sent in their reply letters, chosen their housing, decided on a meal plan. Now, members of the class of 2010 have become true Columbians: they have e-mail addresses. Welcome to CubMail, new minted Lions! Bwog recommends that you immediately set it up a forwarding address to a Gmail account, allowing you to bypass the […]

It’s nice to know that, when our biology makes life difficult, Columbia Health Services is there for us. Thanks to John Klopfer for the tip.

Watch out, Zvi G.—Harvard’s now got a SEAS of its own, having made its own Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences into a full-fledged School. Rumblings of the transition started a year ago, when DEAS Dean “Venky” resigned pending some big changes. SEAS—with an admit rate three times that of the Harvard school—just beats out […]

It started with Alexander Hamilton, and now the facebook fascists have struck again. One complainant reports: “It’s an all out hunt. My Barack Obama account has been disabled. It won’t be long before Peter Parker gets rubbed out too. It was fun while it lasted I suppose. The Columbia Squirrel and Pigeon better watch out. […]

It looks like with the recent controversy over John McCain’s commencement speech tour, The New School has solidified its place as New York City’s predominant stronghold of liberal student activism. (Oh, Spirit of ’68! Why have you forsaken us?) The result? A blog war to end all blog wars, courtesy of The Huffington Post. For […]

New York Magazine has been collecting a little senior wisdom of its own, polling 100 of this year’s grads on issues ranging from the great books to Hillary’s judgment of our generation. Bwog is skeptical of some of the responses: 28% of you expect to make over a quarter million a year in a decade? […]