Latest news with #Erickson
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Science
- Boston Globe
Why a R.I. PhD candidate is studying seal whiskers for the US Navy
These days, her research, funded by the Office of Naval Research, focuses on seals – specifically their unique whiskers that allow them to locate objects in the water, rivaling sonar. Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up 'I wanted to combine my love of the animal kingdom with my strong science aptitude,' Erickson said when asked about what led her to this kind of research. 'So I knew I wanted to do research that was doing animal locomotion stuff, like looking at how animals physically move through their environments.' Advertisement Erickson recently spoke to the Globe about her current research, her autism 'superpower,' and where she plans to set her sights next: Q. What can we learn from animals about the way they move? Erickson: Animals are the best engineers, like evolution is the greatest engineer that exists. They've evolved these mechanisms to improve their lives and make things easier for so many different tasks. So I think it's always very inspiring to look at what the animal kingdom has created to go about its life, and how we can use those things to tackle human challenges with our technology. Advertisement So what are you studying at Brown? I am getting my PhD in engineering and fluid and thermal science, and I am studying how seals use their whiskers to locate objects in water, and how that can be implemented in sensory tech for the Navy. How do seals do that with their whiskers? Seals, of the Phocidae family, have these very unique undulated geometry whiskers, and these whiskers are known to suppress vortex-induced vibrations in a flow, which allows them to have this high-sensitivity sensor… So I am looking at how these vibrations in these unique geometry whiskers can tell us what an upstream object is doing. Is there a very specific tech that this kind of research would benefit, in terms of a particular gadget or a form of a device? Right now, the prime sensing technique that is used for vehicles underwater is sonar. But sonar sends out signals that are very damaging to marine life – a lot of noise pollution in the ocean, which is dangerous to whales, other animals. And so this is a suggested alternative to that that would be more passive, so picking up on the wake trails of something instead of sending out a noise signal. Is there a stealth benefit to that? Certainly. With sonar, when you're sending out a signal, you're giving out information about your own position, whereas a passive sensor would not be giving away any information on your location, while still [being] able to pick up information about where something else in a flow is moving. Advertisement You've described your autism diagnosis as a 'superpower.' Has your experience with autism aided you in your research or how you work? And if so, how? Absolutely. Autism gives me challenges that are different than other people, but also gives me so many strengths that others don't have. One of those strengths goes way back to my great gifts in math, like when I was in middle school, I completed all of my high school math – I was taking college courses. I got to college, had completed all of my college math. I'm very, very quick picking up on things related to math and science. And that has certainly set me off down this career, working as a physicist, as an engineer, which all comes back to this strong fixation on mathematics as a kid and general aptitude for that. In general, a lot of my autism is characterized by these fixations, and I have learned how to channel these fixations for good and fixate on a goal, and then set out to achieve that goal. So I have set lofty goals for myself, but I fixate on those and get after them, and now I thinkthat is part of what has made me very successful in all areas of my life, including in my research currently. Speaking of goals, what do you hope to do when you finish your PhD in two years? I had gone into research and everything because I wanted to combine my love of animals with my love of science. But now, I have done that. I loved it. I'm interested in trying something new. I would love to combine my love of sports with my love of science, and really want to get into the sports equipment industry. I would love to do [research and development], especially if it was for something hockey related, since that is my biggest passion. But I definitely want to do research, and I think I just want to find a research project in [an] industry that I'm very passionate about and will keep me excited to be doing the work I'm doing. Advertisement The Boston Globe's weekly Ocean State Innovators column features a Q&A with Rhode Island innovators who are starting new businesses and nonprofits, conducting groundbreaking research, and reshaping the state's economy. Send tips and suggestions to reporter Alexa Gagosz at . Christopher Gavin can be reached at
Business Insider
25-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
RBC Capital Keeps Their Hold Rating on Reddit Inc Class A (RDDT)
RBC Capital analyst Brad Erickson maintained a Hold rating on Reddit Inc Class A (RDDT – Research Report) yesterday and set a price target of $125.00. The company's shares closed yesterday at $140.79. Confident Investing Starts Here: Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter According to TipRanks, Erickson is a 5-star analyst with an average return of 19.9% and a 55.88% success rate. Erickson covers the Communication Services sector, focusing on stocks such as Meta Platforms, Alphabet Class A, and Zillow Group Class A. Reddit Inc Class A has an analyst consensus of Moderate Buy, with a price target consensus of $147.95. Based on Reddit Inc Class A's latest earnings release for the quarter ending March 31, the company reported a quarterly revenue of $392.36 million and a net profit of $26.16 million. In comparison, last year the company earned a revenue of $242.96 million and had a GAAP net loss of $575.07 million
Business Insider
25-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Meta Platforms (META) Gets a Buy from RBC Capital
In a report released yesterday, Brad Erickson from RBC Capital maintained a Buy rating on Meta Platforms (META – Research Report), with a price target of $740.00. The company's shares closed yesterday at $712.20. Confident Investing Starts Here: Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter According to TipRanks, Erickson is a 5-star analyst with an average return of 19.9% and a 55.88% success rate. Erickson covers the Communication Services sector, focusing on stocks such as Meta Platforms, Alphabet Class A, and Zillow Group Class A. Currently, the analyst consensus on Meta Platforms is a Strong Buy with an average price target of $707.16, which is a -0.71% downside from current levels. In a report released yesterday, Citi also maintained a Buy rating on the stock with a $803.00 price target. The company has a one-year high of $740.91 and a one-year low of $442.65. Currently, Meta Platforms has an average volume of 16.2M. Based on the recent corporate insider activity of 295 insiders, corporate insider sentiment is positive on the stock. This means that over the past quarter there has been an increase of insiders buying their shares of META in relation to earlier this year. Last month, SUSAN J LI, the CFO of META bought 13,859.00 shares for a total of $8,923,532.92.
Business Insider
25-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
RBC Capital Sticks to Its Buy Rating for Alphabet Class A (GOOGL)
RBC Capital analyst Brad Erickson maintained a Buy rating on Alphabet Class A (GOOGL – Research Report) yesterday and set a price target of $200.00. The company's shares closed yesterday at $166.77. Confident Investing Starts Here: Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter According to TipRanks, Erickson is a 5-star analyst with an average return of 19.9% and a 55.88% success rate. Erickson covers the Communication Services sector, focusing on stocks such as Meta Platforms, Alphabet Class A, and Zillow Group Class A. In addition to RBC Capital, Alphabet Class A also received a Buy from Citi's Ronald Josey in a report issued yesterday. However, on June 23, Citizens JMP reiterated a Hold rating on Alphabet Class A (NASDAQ: GOOGL).
Vancouver Sun
24-06-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
West Coast Modern Week celebrates a living legacy
Although the mid-20th century marked the heyday of West Coast Modern, the architectural style continues to evolve today. 'The architectural profession is still addressing similar values and principles that characterize West Coast Modern,' architect John Patkau said. 'Maybe not so much in large condos in downtown Vancouver and surrounding areas, but certainly in smaller scale, low-rise buildings and houses. I think the West Coast Modern values are very informative. There are certain ideas of integration with nature, with the use of natural materials, with certain kinds of spatial organizations that are characteristic of work today that is directly related to work from the period that would be recognized as the strict time frame for West Coast Modern.' West Coast Modern homes and buildings are marked by sensitivity to the natural surroundings, indoor/outdoor flow, clean lines, the use of natural materials, and expansive windows and skylights. Aficionados of the style and the architecturally curious can get a crash course in West Coast Modernism during West Coast Modern Week . Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Westcoast Homes will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Presented by West Vancouver Art Museum, the annual celebration is in its 19th year. The week includes opening and closing parties, a talk, a screening/lecture, and tours of architecturally significant homes. Material Operations, the title of Patkau's talk at the Polygon Gallery July 9, is based on research into what the Vancouver-based architect calls 'unusual applications of materials that are conventionally used in architectural construction. It's an attempt to find new ways to use these materials to achieve unexpected spatial and formal characteristics. ' He and his firm, Patkau Architects, have been exploring these applications for the last 15 years. As co-founder of Patkau Architects with his wife Patricia Patkau, he has designed the Audain Art Museum, The Polygon Gallery, and Arbour House in Victoria. In addition to Patkau's talk, West Coast Modern Week presents the Annual Barry Downs Lecture Series. At Kay Meek Arts Centre July 10, the lecture includes a screening of Beauty Between the Lines, a 2024 documentary about Arthur Erickson. Erickson's iconic West Coast Modern buildings include the Provincial Law Courts and Museum of Anthropology. Dr. Jeff Derksen will annotate the screening with a lecture called Architecture of Encounter. The lecture looks at how Erickson 'sought to bring together architectural elements from many cultures and to structure his building as spaces of encounter,' according to the West Vancouver Art Museum website. The highlights of any West Coast Modern Week are the tours, which generally take place in West Vancouver. One of the highest concentrations of the style in the world is found in the district, where the natural surroundings posed unique challenges and opportunities that helped shape local architectural response. There are walking tours on July 9, 10 and 13. Co-presented with North Shore Heritage, the tours 'will discuss the elements and features of the Mid-Century Modern style and examine how the hallmarks of this iconic period were uniquely incorporated into both the interiors and exteriors of our local Mid-Century Modern architecture.' The 19th Annual West Coast Modern Home Tour on July 12 will offer ticket-holders the chance to visit several homes. These include Taylor Residence, designed by Danial Evan White, 1983; Rayer Residence, designed by Barry Downs and Fred Hollingsworth, 1964; Forrest-Baker Residence, designed by Ron Thom and Dick Mann, 1962; Montiverdi Estates, designed by Arthur Erickson Architects, 1979-1982; and Eastwood-Seth Residence, designed by CBK Van Norman, 1954. 'West Coast Modernism initiated an integration of dwelling and nature that is as meaningful today, and perhaps even more meaningful today, than during its peak,' Patkau said. 'It is the epitome of larger values that have developed around sustainability and the interest in the natural environment.' Visit for more information.
