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Michael J. Armstrong

Michael J. Armstrong

Associate professor of operations research, Brock University

I work in the field of operations research. This specialty uses mathematical models to analyze and improve the performance of systems in business and the public sector. My current research involves models of military combat. These models can help us understand issues in international security studies and in military history. I have analyzed missile warfare at sea (e.g., anti-ship cruise missiles), rocket defenses on land (e.g., Israel's Iron Dome), and key battles in history (e.g., Balaclava, Gettysburg, and Coral Sea).

I have also collaborated on research to help university students make better decisions about their studies. We have examined how students respond to feedback about their grades, and how well they perform when repeating courses.

I have been a Fulbright visiting research chair at Norwich University, and a visiting professor at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.

Most of my research papers are available on Brock University's Digital Repository site.
http://dr.library.brocku.ca/handle/10464/6819

I teach courses in quality improvement, game theory, and operations management. I hold several professional certifications from the American Society for Quality.

Israel seems poised for a massive invasion of Gaza rather than prolonged attrition

Oct 16, 2023 09:12 am UTC| Politics

In the days since the Oct. 7 surprise attack by Hamas, Israel has counted its dead and secured its borders. The country now faces a grim choice. Will it continue trading air strikes and rocket fire with Hamas militants...

Cannabis in Canada: Debunking myths about the real impacts of legalization

Oct 10, 2023 07:39 am UTC| Law

Before Canada legalized recreational cannabis in October 2018, there was considerable debate about its potential effects. Some predicted it would trigger an economic goldrush, while others worried it would lead to public...

Give cannabis producers more packaging and labelling flexibility

Jan 19, 2021 04:57 am UTC| Law

While efforts to legalize recreational cannabis nationally have stalled in the United States, New Zealand, Mexico and Israel, Canadas legal market continues to evolve. Health Canada has recently been receiving...

Global Geopolitics Series

Iran flexes its missile muscle with terrible consequences

Jan 14, 2020 00:34 am UTC| Insights & Views

Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) recently demonstrated its sophisticated missile technology by attacking U.S. military bases in Iraq. But later the same day, its missiles unintentionally destroyed an...

Cannabis quality involves careful science and carefree highs

Jun 19, 2019 02:03 am UTC| Insights & Views Law

Canadas legal cannabis industry continues to make progress. Product shortages are decreasing. Store numbers are increasing. And edible cannabis regulations have just been finalized. With these basics falling into place,...

How Canadians are buying cannabis and getting high now that it's legal

Feb 19, 2019 16:57 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law Health

There was much speculation throughout 2018 about Canadas soon-to-be-legal cannabis market. But only recently has data become available that shows what cannabis consumers really want and actually buy. For example,...

Where's the weed? Clues to Canada's cannabis shortages

Jan 27, 2019 14:33 pm UTC| Business

Wheres the weed!? Thats been a common Canadian refrain lately. Shortages appeared almost immediately after recreational cannabis sales began last October. Provincial distributors subsequently blamed producers and...

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Economy

Budget 2024: experts react to the UK government’s last roll of the economic dice ahead of a general election

The spring budget of 2024 was widely seen as a chance for UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to inject some economic optimism into British politics ahead of a general election. Would he or wouldnt he cut income tax? (He wouldnt.)...

From micro to macro, Andrew Leigh’s accessible history covers the economic essentials – and an epic rap battle

Andrew Leighs The Shortest History of Economics is the latest in a series of such histories, mostly focused on particular countries. It begins with a striking mini-history of household lighting, focusing on the amount...

Taxes aren’t just about money – they shape how we think about each other

Taxes raising them, cutting them, creating them are useful political tools in an election year (as Chancellor Jeremy Hunts decision to cut national insurance shows). But they are always pertinent, even if some people...

Interest rates are expected to drop but trying to out-think the market won’t guarantee getting a good deal

With most economists expecting interest rates to start falling later this year, prospective home buyers might be weighing up whether to buy now for fear of strong competition for stock, or waiting until repayments are...

Wendy’s won’t be introducing surge pricing, but it’s nothing new to many industries

The recent controversy over Wendys pricing strategies is a perfect example of how online word-of-mouth can distort marketing communications and create confusion for consumers. Wendys new president and CEO Kirk Tanner...

Politics

3 things to watch for in Russia’s presidential election – other than Putin’s win, that is

Russians will vote in a presidential election from March 15-17, 2024, and are all but guaranteed to hand Vladimir Putin a comfortable victory, paving the way for him to remain in power until at least 2030. While the...

Ireland referendums: what went wrong for the government and why double defeat draws a line under a decade of constitutional reform

Ireland, more than any other EU country, has a long and colourful history of referendums. Another chapter in that history has played out in the form of resounding defeats for two government proposals aimed at modernising...

Artdocfest is a crucial outpost of free expression on Russia’s doorstep

On the day of the funeral of Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putins most prominent opponent, the biggest festival of documentary film in the former Soviet countries opened in Latvia with a minutes silence. Artdocfest Rigas...

A beginner’s guide to the taxes you’ll hear about this election season

National insurance, income tax, VAT, capital gains tax, inheritance tax… its easy to get confused about the many different ways we contribute to the cost of running the country. The budget announcement is the key...

Science

Our survey of the sky is uncovering the secrets of how planets are born

When we look out to the stars, it is typically not a yearning for the distant depths of outer space that drives us. When we are looking out there, we are truly looking back at ourselves. We try to understand our place in...

Archeoastronomy uses the rare times and places of previous total solar eclipses to help us measure history

Total solar eclipses have fascinated and terrified people for centuries. Today, we know that total solar eclipses like the upcoming eclipse on April 8 are caused by a cosmic coincidence when the moon comes between the...

Spacesuits need a major upgrade for the next phase of exploration

Humans have long dreamed of setting foot on the Moon and other planetary bodies such as Mars. Since the 1960s, space travellers have donned suits designed to protect them from the vacuum of space and stepped out into the...

The brightest object in the universe is a black hole that eats a star a day

Scientists have no reported evidence of the true conditions in Hell, perhaps because no one has ever returned to tell the tale. Hell has been imagined as a supremely uncomfortable place, hot and hostile to bodily forms of...

The brain is the most complicated object in the universe. This is the story of scientists’ quest to decode it – and read people’s minds

In the middle of 2023, a study conducted by the HuthLab at the University of Texas sent shockwaves through the realms of neuroscience and technology. For the first time, the thoughts and impressions of people unable to...

Technology

Nvidia, Johnson & Johnson MedTech Team Up to Develop AI-Powered Surgery

Johnson Johnson MedTech and Nvidia announced on Monday, March 18, that they are working together to develop and expand new artificial intelligence (AI) applications designed for surgery. Kimberly Powell, Nvidias vice...

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE Leak Suggests $800 Price Tag, Targets Market Share

Samsung is reportedly set to expand its foldable phone lineup with a budget-friendly Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE, priced at just $800. This strategic move aims to boost sales and market share amidst fierce competition. Samsungs...

Ford Plans $25K Electric Pickup, SUV to Counter Chinese EV Influence

Ford shifts its focus to affordable electric vehicles, announcing plans for a new platform. CEO Jim Farley highlights the importance of competitiveness amidst Chinese rivals. Ford CEO Jim Farley Warns of Chinese...

Shiba Inu Faces 10% Price Dip Amid Market Turbulence, Holds $16.4B Cap

Shiba Inu (SHIB) anticipates a potential 10% price correction for a liquidity sweep, even as it demonstrates remarkable market resilience with a $16.42 billion capitalization amid fluctuating trading conditions. Shiba...
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