A leave application serves as a formal written request submitted to authorities for permission to take time off, with this guide specifically addressing fever-related absences in educational environments. Proper formatting, professional tone, and clear communication are fundamental to securing approval, whether from students to school administration or staff to institutional leadership.
about How to Write a Professional Leave Application for FeverStanford University
0 in Finance and 0 in Crypto last weekAI’s Next Frontier: Spatial Intelligence & World Models
Stanford Professor Fei-Fei Li, a pioneer in computer vision, argues that AI’s most urgent limitation is its inability to understand physical space. She champions ‘world models’—AI systems that simulate environments and predict scene changes—as the critical solution to bridge the gap between digital intelligence and physical reality. These systems, which must generate spatially consistent worlds obeying physical laws, promise to transform robotics, creative work, and scientific research by enabling true spatial reasoning.
about AI's Next Frontier: Spatial Intelligence & World ModelsBabylon Enables Native Bitcoin for DeFi Lending
Babylon Labs has unveiled a groundbreaking proof-of-concept that enables native Bitcoin to be used as collateral for DeFi lending on Ethereum. The development represents a significant step toward Bitcoin’s integration into decentralized finance without requiring wrapped tokens. This innovation could unlock billions in dormant Bitcoin value for the DeFi ecosystem while maintaining Bitcoin’s native security properties.
about Babylon Enables Native Bitcoin for DeFi LendingBitcoin as Trustless Collateral on Ethereum via BitVM3
Babylon Labs has developed a groundbreaking system using BitVM3 that enables native Bitcoin to serve as trustless collateral for borrowing on Ethereum. This innovation marks the first time BTC can be used in this manner without requiring trusted intermediaries. The development could significantly bridge the gap between Bitcoin’s security and Ethereum’s DeFi ecosystem, though the trustless design raises important questions about implementation and security.
about Bitcoin as Trustless Collateral on Ethereum via BitVM3SBF Pardon Rumors: Smoke But No Fire in Trump Clemency Push
Conservative activist Laura Loomer’s viral claim of a massive lobbying effort to secure a Trump pardon for Sam Bankman-Fried has ignited social media speculation. While Bankman-Fried’s parents have explored clemency options, no formal lobbying campaign has materialized. Prediction markets give the former FTX CEO only a 3% chance of receiving presidential mercy.
about SBF Pardon Rumors: Smoke But No Fire in Trump Clemency PushTheta EdgeCloud Cuts AI Compute Costs by 70% with Hybrid Model
Theta Labs has introduced Theta EdgeCloud, a decentralized hybrid computing platform that merges cloud-based GPUs with a distributed network of over 30,000 community-operated edge nodes. The system offers up to 70% cost savings for AI model training, video processing, and financial modeling by leveraging idle GPU resources from gaming PCs and workstations. A dynamic marketplace allows node operators to set rental rates while users select nodes based on performance and budget. The platform already serves academic institutions like Stanford University and enterprises such as the NHL’s Las Vegas Knights. Features include persistent storage for AI training, job prioritization, and a developer API. Theta EdgeCloud provides over 80 PetaFLOPS of distributed GPU power, addressing the prohibitive costs of traditional cloud computing for AI research.
about Theta EdgeCloud Cuts AI Compute Costs by 70% with Hybrid ModelStanford Grads Launch $28M Blockchain Builders Fund
Blockchain Builders, a venture fund founded by Stanford graduates Gil Rosen, Kun Peng, and Steven Willinger, has successfully closed its $28 million Fund I, which is already deploying capital into 40 blockchain ventures across AI, DeFi, infrastructure, and more. The fund benefits from strong ties to Stanford’s blockchain ecosystem, including its accelerator, academic courses, and the BASS conference series, which have supported over 200 founders. With plans to expand to Fund II and collaborate with institutions like Cornell and Ethereum Foundation, Blockchain Builders aims to scale its mission of nurturing high-potential web3 startups nationwide.
about Stanford Grads Launch $28M Blockchain Builders FundHarvard’s FaceAge AI Predicts Cancer Survival via Facial Analysis
Harvard’s FaceAge AI analyzes facial features to estimate biological age, offering insights into health risks, particularly for cancer patients. Trained on 58,851 healthy individuals, the tool found that patients appearing older than their chronological age had worse survival rates. The research builds on earlier work like ETH Zurich’s DEX model and leverages large datasets such as IMDB-WIKI and UTKFace. FaceAge could extend beyond cancer to other diseases, aligning with a broader medical shift toward preventive care using AI-driven biomarkers. Experts highlight AI’s ability to detect subtle aging patterns beyond human perception, offering unbiased, scalable analysis.
about Harvard's FaceAge AI Predicts Cancer Survival via Facial Analysis$28M Blockchain Builders Fund Backs Web3 Startups
Blockchain Builders Fund, led by Stanford graduates Gil Rosen, Kun Peng, and Steven Willinger, has secured $28 million for its Fund I, aimed at nurturing web3 startups from pre-seed to seed stages. The trio, instrumental in Stanford’s blockchain ecosystem through initiatives like the Stanford Blockchain Accelerator and MS&E 447 course, have already deployed over half the fund into 40 ventures, including AI blockchain 0G and DeFi-focused Nexus Labs. The fund combines capital with operational support, leveraging the founders’ expertise from Coinbase Ventures, Capital One, and web3 entrepreneurship. With Fund I nearing full deployment, the team is expanding partnerships with universities like Cornell and industry players like Ethereum Foundation and Solana, while eyeing Fund II.
about $28M Blockchain Builders Fund Backs Web3 StartupsAI’s Negation Blind Spot Risks Healthcare Errors
A study by MIT, OpenAI, and the University of Oxford highlights AI’s persistent struggle with negation, particularly in high-stakes domains like healthcare. Vision-language models, including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Llama, frequently misinterpret negative statements (e.g., ‘no fracture’) due to their reliance on pattern recognition rather than logical reasoning. Researchers found these models default to positive associations, risking critical errors in medical, legal, or HR applications. Experts argue that scaling training data isn’t the solution—instead, AI must evolve to integrate structured reasoning. The study suggests synthetic negation data could improve reliability, but challenges remain in fine-grained negation understanding. As AI adoption grows, this limitation underscores the need for models that bridge statistical learning with human-like logic.
about AI's Negation Blind Spot Risks Healthcare ErrorsTom Schmidt: The DeFi Investor Backing Real Solutions
Tom Schmidt, a Stanford Computer Science graduate and former product manager at Facebook and Instagram, transitioned into crypto through 0x, where he shaped early decentralized exchange protocols. Now at Dragonfly Capital, he backs DeFi projects like DODO, Lido, and Ethena, prioritizing substance over hype. Unlike flashy investors, Schmidt focuses on technical rigor and real-world utility, leveraging his product-building experience to identify protocols that simplify complexity without compromising user value. His quiet yet influential presence—through investments, writings, and podcasts—offers a grounded perspective in an industry often dominated by speculation.
about Tom Schmidt: The DeFi Investor Backing Real SolutionsZerebro Co-Founder Jeffy Yu’s Death Sparks Crypto Speculation
Jeffy Yu, the 22-year-old co-founder of the AI crypto project Zerebro, reportedly died by suicide during a livestream on Pump.fun, though the circumstances remain unverified. An obituary briefly appeared on Legacy.com before being removed, deepening the mystery. Yu, a Stanford prodigy, had recently proposed ‘Legacoins,’ a token model tied to developer deaths, adding to speculation. Zerebro, once valued at $800M, blended AI and memecoins but had lost momentum. Blockchain activity post-incident has led some to question if the event was staged. The crypto community is debating the psychological pressures of high-stakes, unregulated development.
about Zerebro Co-Founder Jeffy Yu's Death Sparks Crypto Speculation