Though an academic himself -- associate professor of computer science at Yale -- Gelernter has no truck with prevailing intellectual attitudes.

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Additional results from the Georgia Tech computer model, including in-depth associate product savings, will be revealed at Ford's display during the 2013 International CES in Las Vegas, Jan. 8-12.

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Yet the idea is largely based on anecdotes, and researchers such as Karl MacDorman, associate professor of human-computer interaction at Indiana University, are working on experiments to hone in on possible explanations.

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"I have all kinds of credits all over God's green earth, but I'm using this to finish it all off, " said the 41-year-old computer consultant, who has an associate degree in information technology but never finished his bachelor's in psychology.

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