Stanford: The (Algo)rhythm is Gonna Get You

Stanford!  It’s not Harvard, but it still has a lot going for it – but one of those things is not designing algorithms.  Due to a “very complex” algorithm written by Stanford staff, executive staff was prioritized to receive the Covid vaccine over front-line medical staff.  Of the 1,300 front-line medical residents, all who work directly with patients, only 7 residents (in math speak that's only 0.005 percent) were on the list to be vaccinated.  Many of the executive staff who were prioritized work from home and don’t see patients.  The medical residents and hospital staff protested, and Stanford quickly apologized for the issues the “complex algorithm” had accidentally created. 

This incident highlights the eternal theme of “us versus them,” a theme that can be found in Stanford's own origin story.  We explore this idea and carry it into issues around West Coast vs East Coast, wages for men vs women, and octopi vs octopuses!