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In ‘From Code to Cloud,’ Maura and Fadi Deek carry forward the teaching legacy of NJIT professor James McHugh

The new textbook, 'From Code to Cloud: Developing Web Applications,' brings together the work of NJIT professors Maura and Fadi Deek and alumnus Wei Yao Ph.D. '24, in completion of a project initiated by late professor James McHugh. The book emphasizes fundamental concepts needed to understand web application development, covering topi...

Training Australia’s next line of cyber defence

A new partnership will provide access to a constantly evolving training environment, enabling the development of practical cyber skills and strengthening connections between education, research, industry, and defence. The partnership aims to build Australia's sovereign cyber capability and ensure resilience in the face of evolving cybe...

UVA computer science faculty honored among first members of ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Academy

Three UVA computer science professors, Matthew Dwyer, Sebastian Elbaum, and Mary Lou Soffa, were inducted into the ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Academy for their profound impact on the field through research, practice, and education. Their collective work represents decades of contributions to software engineering and the education...

To defend your software, first teach AI to break it

A team of researchers, led by Ying Zhang, has developed artificial intelligence-driven tools to identify and attack software vulnerabilities. By teaching AI to generate proof-of-concept exploits, developers can see exactly how attackers could exploit known flaws, motivating them to fix issues before malicious actors do.

Confusing code triggers brain patterns similar to those caused by unexpected turns in conversation

A study published in Scientific Reports found that programmers' brains exhibit brain activity similar to those caused by unexpected turns in conversation when encountering confusing code snippets. The research team used EEG and eye-tracking data to analyze the brain patterns, revealing a striking pattern known as late frontal positivity.

SourceSaarland University·JournalScientific Reports·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 10, 2026

Unstable software tests cause issues that spread across projects

Researchers found that over half of projects in the popular OpenStack ecosystem are affected by shared instability from “flaky tests”, resulting in a cumulative loss of 1,156 days of developer time. The study identifies environmental and system-level factors as major causes of test instability.

SourceKyushu University·JournalIEEE Transactions on Software Engineering·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateMay 26, 2026

Software developers show less constructive scepticism when using AI assistants than when working with human colleagues

A new empirical study by computer scientists reveals that software developers tend to scrutinize AI-generated code less critically and learn less from it. In contrast, human pairs are more likely to engage in broader discussions and critically examine each other's contributions. The study highlights the limitations of AI assistants in ...

SourceSaarland University·TypeObservational study·DateNov 3, 2025

How people learn computer programming

Researchers found that the brain's logical reasoning network was active before learning to code, and continued to engage strongly after acquiring Python skills. This suggests that humans can repurpose cognitive areas involved in reasoning to learn computer programming.

SourceSociety for Neuroscience·JournalJNeurosci·DateOct 27, 2025

Survival of the fuzziest: Open-source fuzzer uses evolutionary algorithm to produce customized test inputs

FANDANGO, a new open-source fuzzing tool, employs an iterative procedure modeled on biological evolution to produce high-quality test inputs that cover both semantics and syntax. The tool enables complete control over test inputs, allowing testers to specify input characteristics and explore specific parts of the program.

SourceCISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security·JournalProceedings of the ACM on Software Engineering·DateJun 26, 2025

The use of commercial video games helps students to learn basic programming

Researchers found that playing certain commercial video games increased students' confidence in their ability to pass a programming course. The games, Human Resource Machine and 7 Billion Humans, presented puzzles that required programming commands, promoting computational thinking. The study's results suggest that playing these games ...

SourceUniversitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)·JournalEntertainment Computing·DateJun 3, 2025

New software package drives deeper understanding of trait evolution

A new software package called TraitTrainR offers a framework for replicating the evolutionary process many times over. It can perform flexible evolutionary experiments through probabilistic simulations on a computer, allowing researchers to generate thousands-to-millions of evolutionary replicates.

SourceUniversity of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture·JournalBioinformatics Advances·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJan 22, 2025

Computer scientists of Mainz University and the University of Chile cooperate to establish a reliable detection of programming errors

Researchers from Mainz University and the University of Chile are developing a new technique called Gradual Abstract Interpretation to improve program analysis methods and detect security vulnerabilities in WebAssembly. They aim to identify and address security vulnerabilities while eliminating redundant protective measures.

Apps get better when developers diversify

Research from Texas McCombs finds that developers who multihome their software attract more users to the original product, improving its performance and standing out in the market. The study also shows that multihoming can lead to a 5.3% increase in average monthly usage for similar products.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·JournalStrategic Management Journal·DateJun 11, 2024

Rice’s Mamouras wins NSF CAREER Award

Konstantinos Mamouras, assistant professor of computer science at Rice University, has been awarded a $547,555 NSF CAREER Award to decentralize IoT applications and relieve network congestion. He aims to introduce novel programming techniques that enable efficient and reliable IoT development.

Code-free conservation

A new platform called MoveApps enables scientists and wildlife managers to explore animal movement data with little more than a device and a browser. The system uses open-source code and allows users to create complex analyses with simple clicks.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalMovement Ecology·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateJul 17, 2022

New feature adaptation of Github Discussions

A recent study by Shinshu University explores the early adoption of GitHub Discussions, revealing its utility for managing project discussions and identifying key factors for improvement, including guidelines for participation and encouraging core members.

SourceShinshu University·JournalEmpirical Software Engineering·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateNov 10, 2021

Sim City for food science takes on Listeria outbreaks

A new study from Cornell University uses digital twins to identify optimal times and locations for detecting Listeria bacteria in produce facilities, reducing the risk of contamination. The researchers' model provides a novel way for food safety managers to visualize microbial contamination risks and experiment with different sampling ...

SourceCornell University·JournalApplied and Environmental Microbiology·DateOct 18, 2021