Graduating from the Artificial Bubble

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College classes are an artificial bubble. Students emerge from that bubble upon graduation—often without realizing it. After a few months, they feel frustrated at not making progress. 

In college, they had clear tasks, clear deadlines, and a clear payoff—grades and new classes. That’s all gone outside of academia. As new employees, graduates are likely to start at the bottom of the ladder, be assigned tasks lacking clear instructions, and produce inferior work. 

Here’s the good news: Knowing this is coming will blunt the repetitive grind. Knowing this depressing condition is only for a time will make it easier to keep going. By letting go of former expectations, graduates can fully embrace the new way of life.

Stephen Goforth

Poison to the Soul

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What a strange thing bitterness is! It breaks in on us when we need it least, when we’re down and in desperate need of all our freedom, ability, and energy to get back up. And what strange things bitterness can do to us. It slowly sets, like a permanent plaster cast, perhaps protecting the wearer from further pain but ultimately holding the sufferer rigid in frozen animation. Feelings and responses have turned to concrete. Bitterness is paralysis.

A young man, falsely accused, condemned and penalized by his high school principal, turns sullen, angry, bitter. His faith in all justice and authority dies. He will not forgive.

A girl, betrayed by a fellow she trusted, is forced, becomes pregnant, then turns bitter and withdrawn. Her faith in all humanity ends. She cannot forgive.

A woman, deserted by her husband, left to be both mother and father to their two sons, turns angry at life- at the whole universe. Her faith in God and everything good has ended. She did not forgive.

Bitterness is such a potent paralysis of mind, soul and spirit that it can freeze our reason, emotions and all our responses.

David Augsburger, The Freedom of Forgiveness

Success may be sweeter, but failure is the better

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Failure is a better teacher than success. I know of nobody who hasn’t had a string of failures before their success. What kind of people go out and the first thing out of the shoot is a success and they continue on successfully. I never met anyone like that. 

Uninterrupted success is less satisfying than success intertwined with failure.  

A University of Colorado study drew data from satellite launches and space shuttles and concluded that success may be sweeter, but failure is the better teacher. 

There’s a tendency for organizations to ignore failure or to try not to focus on it. There are vital lessons for the future overlooked in the rush to put on a brave face, to cover the disappointment. In the adult world, we are success-crazed. We tolerate diversity better but we don’t tolerate failure. There is a big social stigma attached to failure that causes people who have failed to go into denial. 

Most people have either come up the hard way or had to overcome periods of chronic self-doubt. You’ve heard the life stories: JK Rowlings’ mountain of rejection slips and Churchill was miserable in school. Could any of them have achieved the success they did if their lives had been an effortless progression from triumph to triumph.  

American physician and broadcaster Dean Edel 

19 Articles about Getting the Most out of LinkedIn

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The Illusion

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Self-evaluation involves interpretation. We’re all heard the studies showing that the vast majority of us consider ourselves above-average drivers. In the psychology literature, this belief is known as a positive illusion. Our brains are positive factories: Only 2 percent of high school seniors believe their leadership skills are below average. A full 25 percent of people believe they’re in the top 1 percent in their ability to get along with others. Ninety-four percent of college professors report doing above average work. People think they’re at lower risk than their peers for heart attacks, cancer, and even food-related illnesses such as salmonella.

Most deliciously self-deceptive of all, people say they are more likely than their peers to provide accurate self-assessments. Positive illusions pose an enormous problem with regard to change. Before people can change, before they can move in a new direction, they’ve got to have their bearings. But positive illusions make it hard for us to orient ourselves – to get a clear picture of where we are and how we’re doing.

Chip & Dan Heath, Switch

Activity is not Accomplishment

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John Henry Fabre, the great French naturalist, conducted a most unusual experiment with some Processionary Caterpillars. These caterpillars blindly follow the one in front of them. Hence, the name. Fabre carefully arranged them in a circle around the rim of a flower pot. So that the lead caterpillar actually touched the last one., making a complete circle. In the center of the flower pot he put pine needles, which is food for the Processionary Caterpillar. The caterpillars started around this circular flower pot. Around and around they went, hour after hour, day after day, night after night. For seven full days and seven full nights they went around the flower pot. Finally, they dropped dead of starvation and exhaustion. With an abundance of food less that six inches away, they literally started to death, because they confused activity with accomplishment. 

Zig Ziglar, See You at the Top

The Next Small Victory

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In training camps, we don’t focus on the ultimate goal — getting to the Super Bowl. We establish a clear set of goals that are within immediate reach. 

When we start acting in ways that fulfill these goals, I make sure everybody knows it. I accentuate the positive at every possible opportunity, and at the same time I emphasize the next goal that we need to fulfill. 

When you set small, visible goals, and people achieve them, they start to get it into their heads that they can succeed. 

Former NFL coach Bill Parcells in the Harvard Business Review

28 Data Science articles from April 2022

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“Machine learning, deep learning, and all other technologies that fit under the umbrella term ‘AI’ should be considered only after you have well-defined goals and problems”

Space Force has insatiable demand for geospatial intelligence

“The computer paradigm especially when applied to natural language understanding (NLU) and brains, isn’t effective when needed in artificial intelligence applications.” Here’s an alternative model based on patterns

A step-by-step explanation of computational graphs and backpropagation in a recurrent neural network

NGI taking operational control of part of Project Maven—the Pentagon’s signature artificial intelligence program

NGA shifting tech investment to reflect GEOINT revolution:  "The flood of new imagery capabilities is overwhelming. Data driven technologies like artificial intelligence are essential”

How commercial space systems are changing the conflict in Ukraine

Outsourcing model-training to third parties? There are some undetectable backdoors in machine learning model classifiers ripe for misuse

Is interpreting ML models a dead-end? Can the interpretation process be detached from the model architecture?  

Today’s battlefield data is helping smart machines model the wars of the future 

“Applying advanced AI tools to publicly available imagery is producing critical information to help the Ukrainian military thwart Russian attacks.”

How big is the US space economy? Here are the numbers: “The statistics show a space economy in transition”

Is artificial intelligence creating a new colonial world order? An MIT Tech Review explores the topic

Practical tips on creating dashboards using Python, Plotly & Dash

58 Data Visualization and Infographic Options 

The co-creator of R reflects on the language 

How to use SQL anti-joins in your data science career

“Tech companies have been using automated tools to moderate content for a really long time and while it’s touted as this sophisticated machine learning, it’s often just a list of words they think are problematic”

A new machine learning generative model from OpenAI can generate mashup images from text descriptions—here’s a look at its deep learning promise as well as limitations

The Standard Model takes a hit from work at Fermilab on the elementary particle called the W 

“The US Space Force plans to launch to geostationary orbit three small satellites that will attempt to dock with a propellant tanker so they can be refueled in space”

The weakest link in space systems revealed in Viasat Cyber Attack

Are low-code and no-code solutions an immediate threat to job security of the professional software developer? 

NASA is planning for a first: launching a robot to refuel a satellite in space 

Google is launching BigLake—a new data lake storage engine with the goal of merging disparate lakes and warehouses to minimize silos

Geospatial intelligence is having its “internet moment” right now

S. Korea aims to deploy microsatellites via solid-fuel rocket within 3 years

A look at TPOT—Tree-based Pipeline Optimization Tool—the Python “data science assistant” that helps to build machine-learning fully-automated prediction pipelines

The future of space: 3 aerospace experts describe the space economy of tomorrow

The Reverse Bucket List

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Many self-help guides suggest making a bucket list on your birthday, so as to reinforce your worldly aspirations. Making a list of the things you want is temporarily satisfying, because it stimulates dopamine. But it creates attachments, which in turn create dissatisfaction as they grow.

I’ve instead begun to compile a “reverse bucket list,” to make the ideas in this essay workable in my life. Each year on my birthday, I list my wants and attachments—the stuff that fits under Thomas Aquinas’s categories of money, power, pleasure, and honor. I try to be completely honest. I don’t list stuff I would actually hate and never choose, like a sailboat or a vacation house. Rather, I go to my weaknesses, most of which—I’m embarrassed to admit—involve the admiration of others for my work.

Then I imagine myself in five years. I am happy and at peace, living a life of purpose and meaning. I make another list of the forces that would bring me this happiness: my faith, my family, my friendships, the work I am doing that is inherently satisfying and meaningful and that serves others.

Arthur C. Brooks, From Strength to Strength

Our strong intuitions about happiness are wrong

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Our minds lie to us. We have strong intuitions about the things that will make us happy, and we use those intuitions to go after that stuff, whether it’s more money or changing circumstances or buying the new iPhone. But a lot of those intuitions, the science shows are not exactly right — or are deeply misguided. That’s why we get it wrong. I know this stuff, but my instincts are totally wrong. After a busy day, I want to sit and watch crappy Netflix TV shows, even though I know the data suggests that if I worked out or called a friend I’d be happier. But to do that I have to fight my intuition. We need help with that, and you don’t get it naturally, especially in the modern day. 

We’re fighting cultural forces that are telling us, “You’re not happy enough; happiness could just be around the corner.” Part of it’s all the information out there about happiness, which can be hard to sift through, but a lot of it is a deeper thing in our culture that seems to be leading us astray.

Yale cognitive scientist Laurie Santos, quoted in the New York Times

Let their words fall to the ground

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If I start insulting you in another language you feel nothing. The words don't mean anything to you because it’s you who has to put the meaning into it. I know what it means but it doesn’t matter. Take their words, take away the value of their words and drop them to the floor. If you take that away they fall to the ground. They never get to touch you. They are nothing. 

Salma Hayek

The Ultimate Adventure

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Time spent in the neutral zone is an opportunity for inner reorientation. There’s no time limit on your stay and no certainty of what the “goal” is while you remain there. More than a readjustment to the “new you,” it’s where the real business of transitions takes place. Most people don’t recognize it for what it is but will look back later and see there was significant transformation taking place. It is a time of greater sense of self and lesser sense of what’s going on around us, what all the circumstances mean. We become more acutely aware of what’s going on the inside more than on the outside.

Even Jesus needed a retreat into the desert to gain a sense of who he was – and thus, what he was here to do. It is in these “moments of discovery” that we are mostly likely find God because we are "open" in a way we are not when caught up in every day life.

It starts with letting go of what no longer fits or is adequate to the life stage you are in. Some people never fully let go of those ill-fitting parts or else run back to these broken connections. May it never be said of us that we failed to meet this challenge. Here's to transitions that take us into uncharted waters without a map. This is the ultimate adventure.

Stephen Goforth (born April 24)

Experiencing Flow

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Instead of using our physical and mental resources to experience flow, most of us spend many hours each week watching celebrated athletes playing in enormous stadiums. Instead of making music, we listen to platinum records cut by millionaire musicians. Instead of making art, we go to admire paintings that brought in the highest bids at the latest auction. We do not run risks acting on our beliefs, but occupy hours each day watching actors who pretend to have adventures, engaged in mock-meaningful action.

This vicarious participation is able to mask, at least temporarily, the underlying emptiness of wasted time. But it is a very pale substitute for attention invested in real challenges. The flow experience that results from the use of skills leads to growth, passive entertainment leads nowhere.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

8 media-related Zoom events in the next week: burnout, autism, pitches, social media, writing ledes, newsgathering rights, salary negotiations, and more

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Fri., April 22 - The Art of the Pitch

What: Coming up with a great idea is only half the battle. You’ll need to know how to effectively “pitch” it to get the funding and resources that you need to make it a reality. In this unique virtual event, Gina Matthews shares the secrets to crafting an entertaining pitch that will keep audience members on the edge of their seat.

Who: Producer Gina Matthews, Emmy Award-Winning UO alumna and Little Engine Productions Founder

When: 2 pm Central, 12 noon Pacific 

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: University of Oregon, Cinema Studies

More info

Sat., April 23 - Press Rights 101: Understand your newsgathering rights and limitations in California

What:  A leading media lawyer and press advocate will give a comprehensive overview of legal protections and practical considerations for covering protests, filming police in the field and more.

Who: Mickey Osterreicher, general counsel of the National Press Photographers Association. 

When: 12 noon Central, 10 am Pacific

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Los Angeles Press Club, Asian American Journalists Association, Los Angeles, California News Publishers Association, and other professional organizations. 

More info (RSVP required)

Mon., April 25 - Burnout Among Journalists

What: Journalism is a demanding and often emotionally draining job that can lead to burnout. Join the for an online session to discuss the signs of burnout and how to deal with it. LAPC President Lisa Richwine will lead a discussion with Kristin Neubauer who will discuss her own experience with burnout, provide an overview of scientific research on the topic and take questions from the audience. Time

Who: Kristin Neubauer, a Reuters television producer who has supported the mental health and wellbeing of journalists as global coordinator of the company's Peer Support Network.

When: 7 pm Central, 5 pm Pacific 

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Los Angeles Press Club

More info

Tues., Apr 26 - A Panel of Autistic Journalists

Who: Four autistic journalists – Eric Garcia, Sara Luterman, Zack Budryk and Charlie Stern

When: 5 pm Central, 3 pm Pacific 

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: The Columbia Journalism School Alliance of Journalists with Disabilities and the Columbia Student Disability Network

Registration  

Wed., April 27- How to Get Paid What You're Worth: Advocating for yourself and your career

What: Advocating for yourself in the news industry can feel overwhelming. You may be hesitant to ask for a raise, a promotion or even a new job opportunity, such as working on a podcast or a change in beats.  In this virtual panel, the panel will break down the best strategies for advancing at work, navigating salary negotiations and preparing for meetings with a boss.   

Who: 

Tre'vell Anderson, editor-at-large for Toronto’s Xtra magazine and co-host of two podcasts: 

Carolina Miranda, arts and urban design columnist for the Los Angeles Times

Joanne Griffith, chief content officer for APM Studios

When: 4:30 pm Central, 6:30 pm Pacific

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: Society of Professional Journalists, Los Angeles Chapter 

More info

Fri., April 29 - Using the Tech Toolkit for Social Impact  

What: The diffusion of digitization and artificial intelligence have created both challenges and opportunities for society. This lecture outlines some of the opportunities for providing digital services that are more cost-effective and personalized to recipients in terms of content and convenience. Several research projects that involve creating, implementing, and evaluating digital technology will be discussed.

Who: Susan Athey, Economics of Technology Professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business, an elected member of the National Academy of Science, and the recipient of the John Bates Clark Medal.

When: 11 am Central, 9 am Pacific 

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free

Sponsor: NYU's Business & Economic Reporting Program

More info

Fri., April 29 - Using ledes and nut grafs to attract and keep readers

What: Headlines may hook us, but ledes draw us in, and nut grafs keep us. As journalism changes, this is constant: Readers must know what’s at stake in a story and why it matters to them (or should).  This hour-long, hands-on workshop for reporters and editors will demonstrate how to make those stakes clear. 

Who: This workshop will be lead by Julie Moos, executive director of the National Press Club Journalism Institute. She is the former managing director at McClatchy. Moos also spent 11 years at the Poynter Institute.

When: 10:30 am Central, 8:30 am Pacific 

Where: Zoom

Cost: $25 for the general public, $20 for NPC members

Sponsor: National Press Club

More info

Fri., April 29 - Tools and Tales of Resilience

What: A discussion of the unique stressors faced by journalists with suggestions as to how to stay emotionally well while being witnesses and protagonists of unprecedented times.

Who: Erick Galindo - Five-time Telly Award-winning writer, director and producer  

Cheryl Aguilar - Director and Therapist at Hope Center for Wellness

When: 11:30 Central, 9:30 Pacific

Where: Zoom

Cost: Free for NAHJ members (join for $35) 

Sponsor: National Association of Hispanic Journalists

More info

The value of soft skills

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A soft skill enables you to interact well with others. It’s nontechnical and typically falls into categories such as communication and negotiation, adaptability and learning, teaching and training, and interpersonal abilities, including empathy. For organizations, developing and rewarding soft skills is becoming all the more crucial in our ever-automated world. Machines are getting smarter, and as they take over more basic, repetitive, and even physical tasks, the need for workers with social, emotional, and technological skills will be higher than ever.

McKinsey & Company

Learning about Making Infographics

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