Peter recalls discovering an Olivetti P101 computer at his high school in Oregon in 1967, a desktop-sized early computer designed by Pier Giorgio Perotto that could perform basic arithmetic operations with 22-digit accuracy. The P101, which only sold 44,000 units at $3,200 each, was also used by NASA for Apollo 11 mission planning, though Peter and his classmate were unaware of this significance at the time.
Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife Penny donated $1 billion to the University of Oregon to establish a new engineering school, the largest gift ever made to a comprehensive public university. The donation brings the Knight family's total giving to the university to over $2 billion and reflects their long-term commitment to advancing scientific innovation and education.
Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife Penny donated $1 billion to the University of Oregon to create the Knight College of Engineering, addressing the state's need for engineering talent and supporting the university's research ambitions. The funding will be distributed over 10 years and used to construct new facilities, expand enrollment, and grow faculty at the existing Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact.
A visual documentation of Internet growth from 1997 to 2021, tracking network topology through routing table data and BGP information. The project visualizes how dominant network names evolved through mergers and acquisitions, with detailed maps created in 2003 and 2010 using different data sources and color schemes based on IP space allocation.
Democrats introduced bicameral legislation to ban private equity and insurance companies from owning medical practices, citing rising healthcare costs and worse patient outcomes. The bill, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, is modeled on an Oregon law and would prohibit management services organizations from controlling medical offices while enabling enforcement through the FTC, state attorneys general, and private lawsuits.
Oregon has 111 operational data centers consuming about 23% of the state's retail electricity in 2025, with 32 more facilities planned or under construction, according to a new report from ECOnorthwest and the University of Virginia. The facilities directly employ 2,630 workers, mostly concentrated in Eastern Oregon, though data centers represent only 0.2% of the state's workforce. The report highlights gaps in available data on water use and community impacts as data centers become an increasingly contentious issue in Oregon.
Public concern about AI data centers' environmental impact, particularly regarding water pollution and carbon emissions, has outpaced available evidence, leading communities to reject projects and forgo tax revenue based on inflated or misconceived threats. While data centers do pose genuine industrial risks, most feared harms lack confirmed cases, and water consumption figures need context compared to other industries like agriculture.