Send me a message if you need to follow up on anything you read here. I can at least identify a contact person.

Barbara Simons, ACM National Secretary, reports that ACM committees are looking for input or participants in: design of ACM services and computer-science curricula to increase tech transfer; contacts and help for Eastern and Central European computer scientists; improvements in K-12 education via computer technology; and facilitation of non-sexist computer games.

Support for students giving presentations at neural-network conferences may be available from the International Student Society for Neural Networks (ISSNNet), or from matching grants by other societies. Contact [email protected].

Tom Schwartz (The Schwartz Associates) quotes an MIT study of 700 neural-network researchers in 30 countries. 42% of the research had corporate funding, vs. 14.5% defense and 24.5% other government funding. Researchers came from diverse backgrounds: about 34% EE, 19% Physical Science, 18% CS, 7% Biology, 5% Cognitive Science, and 5% specifically Neural Network.

The new Computational Neural Network Centre (CONNECT) in Denmark is looking for people. Four immediate openings (at varying institutions) are in biological sequence analysis, analog VLSI for neural networks, neural signal processing, and optical neural networks. Benny Lautrup ([email protected]).

The Connectionists list has been discussing the precision required for various neural-network algorithms. Most take 12 to 16 bits for learning, but can then be run on 6 to 8-bit hardware.

Robert Siminoff is distributing a FORTRAN 77 simulation of the human retina, in conjunction with publication of a journal paper.

Spectrum (8/90) reported that the Society for Computer Simulation has listed 200 programs in its $15 Directory of Simulation Software. To get the 1991 questionnaire, write to SCS, Dept. SP, Box 17900, San Diego, CA 92117-7900; (619) 277-3888.