deDoxing Yourself
/If you have concerns about your privacy, what information is available about you online, here is a short video to explain how to find some of that info through Google “dorking”, reverse image search, and Google alerts.
He Dropped Out to Become a Poet. Now He’s Won the top award for Mathematics
/June Huh has been awarded the Fields Medal, the highest honor in mathematics, for his ability to wander through mathematical landscapes. One might say the same of his path into mathematics itself: that it was characterized by much wandering and a series of small miracles. When he was younger, Huh had no desire to be a mathematician. He was indifferent to the subject, and he dropped out of high school to become a poet. That poetic detour has since proved crucial to his mathematical breakthroughs. His artistry, according to his colleagues, is evident in the way he uncovers those just-right objects at the center of his work, and in the way he seeks a deeper significance in everything he does. “Mathematicians are a lot like artists in that really we’re looking for beauty,” said Federico Ardila-Mantilla, a mathematician at San Francisco State University and one of Huh’s collaborators. “But I think in his case, it’s really pronounced. And I just really like his taste. He makes beautiful things.”
Jordana Cepelewicz writing in Quanta Magazine
If God wants people to suffer
/If God wants people to suffer, he sends them too much understanding. -Yiddish Proverb
It Costs
/Anyone can hate. It costs to love- John Williamson
The Magical Rose Garden
/One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon-instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside our windows today. -Dale Carnegie
Knowing our Limits & Tolerating those who Disagree
/If we truely want to know, it sometimes means recognizing when we don't know. -David Dunning
You Need Two Things
/Building a genuine relationship with another person depends on at least two abilities. The first is seeing the world from another person's perspective. The second ability is being able to think about how you can collaborate with and help the other person rather than thinking about what you can get.
We're not suggesting that you be so saintly that a self-interested thought never crosses your mind. What we're saying is that your first move should always be to help. A study on negotiation found that a key difference between skilled and average negotiators was the time spent searching for shared interests and asking questions of the other person.
Follow that model. Start with a friendly gesture and genuinely mean it. Dale Carnegie's classic book on relationships, despite all its wisdom, has the unfortunate title How to Win Friends and Influence People. This makes Carnegie widely misunderstood. You don't "win" a friend. A friend is not an asset you own; a friend is an ally, a collaborator. When you can tell that someone is attempting sincerity, it leaves you cold. It is like the feeling you have when someone calls you by your first name repeatedly in conversation.
Reid Hoffman, The Start-Up of You
The value of video in news content has its limits
/Starting in 2015, many online media companies started “pivoting to video,” gutting their traditional newsrooms and spending large amounts of money to build video journalism operations from scratch. Part of the impetus for that pivot was metrics showing that audiences preferred video to text—metrics provided, in large part, by Facebook. In 2014, Facebook claimed that “Facebook has averaged more than 1 billion video views every day.” Those metrics turned out to be grossly inflated, by as much as 60 to 80 percent. Facebook and the like want more video to run ads in because it allows them to make more money. And by claiming that this is what "readers want," news media could be manipulated into creating more video.
Katharine Trendcosta & Mitch Stoltz writing for EFF
It is better
/It is better to die well than to live badly. -Jan Hus (who was burned at the stake for heresy on July 6, 1415)
When to Pivot
/The common presumption is that you shift to Plan B when something isn’t working. That’s frequently the case but not always. What you’re doing now doesn’t have to be failing for it to make sense to shift.
Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha, The Startup of You
What you should prepare to do during job interviews
/Be prepared to answer:
What are your values, goals, weaknesses?
What don't you like to do?
What work environment do you NOT like?
What's your passion for life and career?
Describe yourself.
Before the interview:
Take deep breaths
Remember they want to find the right person, they want you to do well
Listen, eye contact, sit up straight, enthusiasm, confidence (sound authoritative)
The interview: 3 types
-Behavior-specific skills (ex: tell me about the time..)
-Case-specific problems (ex: here a business case for you to work through..)
-Stress (more than one interviewer firing questions, i.e. let's see how you do under stress)
The company:
Where do you see the co in the next 5 years?
How would you describe the atmosphere here? (formal or informal, etc)
How does the company support work-life balance?
Are things handled differently for in-office and hybrid workers?
How does the company determine salary levels?
The position:
Reason last person left? How long was she in that position?
What did you like about the last person in this position?
How many times has it turned over in the last 5 years? (if a lot, ask why)
Who do I report to? Who would work under me?
What are my responsibilities?
Describe a typical day.
Do you have a written job description (get a copy)
What is the potential for promotion?
What is the greatest challenge I will face?
What problems might I face in the job?
How would you describe your management style?
How soon do you hope to make a decision?
Can I take a tour of the facilities?
Why is this position available?
Do you have any hesitancy in hiring me?
Benefits:
Health benefits booklet?
holidays and vacations?
Do you have any “employee resource groups” (erg)?
"Thank you for meeting with me."
How We Approach Failure
/Current research suggests that we can approach failure with different mindsets, specifically a “growth mindset” or “fixed mindset”:
· A fixed mindset holds the belief that we all possess specific skills and talents, and that no matter how much effort we apply, we can’t change that potential. Possession of a fixed mindset means any struggle or failure is attributed to one’s incapacity for growth.
· A growth mindset holds the belief that we all have unbounded potential for growth and evolution. It makes the simple act of trying enough to move things forward. Failure is simply a pitstop where you refuel your journey and redirect your approach.
The way you interpret failure determines whether or not you keep showing up and doing the work, or whether you shut down and give up.
It also impacts the risks and opportunities that we might take to achieve success. If you believe that there are not enough opportunities or resources out there for you, then taking a risk or making a mistake can feel like a big disappointment.
Jenny Wang writing in CNBC
The Lonely Generation
/Millennials are the loneliest generation. That’s the finding of a YouGov survey. Nearly a third of Millennials say they always or often feel lonely. More Millennials say they have no friends than any other generation, according to the survey (no best friends 30%, no close friends 27%, no friends 22%, and no acquaintances 25%).
Excessive social media use may be just one of the reasons some Americans are feeling isolated. The survey suggests shyness and a lack of hobbies contributes to the lack of friends.
Happiness + Courage
/Happiness is not enough to insure a fulfilling life. It is imperative to have courage, not merely happiness. To be fulfilling, happiness must derive from the courage that leads one to face stressful circumstances and to do the necessary hard work of transforming them from potential disasters into growth opportunities.
One particularly relevant study by my research team and me showed that hardiness was more effective than optimism (happiness) in helping people cope with stresses by growing through them, rather than stagnating. This showed how happiness, devoid of courage, can be laced with naive complacency.
Salvatore R. Maddi
27 Data Science Articles from June 2022
/Google Cloud expands Earth Engine to help businesses and governments
Comparing C++ to Python (with examples)
Can synthetic data help AI get quicker results —and be less discriminatory? Here comes the fake data
OpenAI says its latest AI has learned to play Minecraft
Overcoming overfitting a model in machine learning
How space debris threatens modern life
Ranking Pandas for Python, Dask & Datatable based on their performance
The basic process of handling satellite image data for geospatial deep learning
6 Types of “feature importance” — a useful (and yet slippery) machine learning concept
The remarkable story of deploying the satellite communication system Starlink in Ukraine
Creating a simple, interactive dashboard with Panel & Python
Wanted: artificial intelligence & machine autonomy algorithms for military command and control
A visual breakdown of threats to space-based services such as Starlink & GPS
Top YouTube channels for learning data science
Some basic data cleaning issues and possible solutions
Daily Data Science stories here.
Any Fool
/Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving. -Dale Carnegie
The five different types of impostor syndrome
/Impostor Syndrome Archetypes
According to Dr. Valerie Young, a leading expert on the subject of impostor syndrome, these feelings of self doubt are not one-size-fits-all. Here are the five different types of impostor syndrome:
#1 Expert - You expect to know everything and feel ashamed when you don't.
#2 Soloist - You believe work must be accomplished alone and refuse to take any credit if you received any kind of assistance.
#3 Natural Genius - You tell yourself that everything must be handled with ease, otherwise it's not "natural talent".
#4 Superperson - You feel you should be able to excel at every role you take on in your life.
#5 Perfectionist - You set impossibly high standards for yourself and beat yourself up when you don't reach them.
Understanding the different types of impostor syndrome is an important first step, as each manifestation requires a unique toolkit of solutions to help overcome this common psychological trap experienced by professionals.
Read about the strategies to combat each type here.
Life is
/Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. -Helen Keller
Be ready to answer these 12 questions during a job interview
/12 Common Job Interview Questions
› What do you know about our company?
Or Are you a consumer of our product?
The employer hopes to learn..
Did you prepare for this interview? Did you do your homework?
Be ready to offer specifics.
› Why should we consider you for this position?
Or Why do you think you are a good fit for this position?
The employer hopes to learn..
Are you confident in your abilities? What does the company gain by hiring you?
› What are your strengths and weaknesses?
The employer hopes to learn..
Companies expect honesty in answering this question. You should be able to articulate what you are best at and areas you are working to improve.
› What do you want to be doing 5 years from now?
The employer hopes to learn..
Are you goal directed? Or will you be satisfied with an entry-level position?
› What other jobs experiences have you had?
The employer hopes to learn..
Have you held a job before? How long have you been working? Did you get along with others?
› What people have been important influences in your life?
The employer hopes to learn..
People quick to credit others often work well with others and are not driven by ego
› Are you a self-starter?
The employer hopes to learn..
Can you work alone and without direct supervision? If not given a task, are you the type of person who will take the initiative to find something to do?
› What are your interests apart from work?
Or What’s special about you? What do you bring to the job that will help you succeed?
The employer hopes to learn..
Hobbies, activities and other interests indicate people who are well rounded and can manage time and work. It’s an opportunity to sell yourself.
› Tell me about a problem you solved recently.
The employer hopes to learn..
Insight on your problem-solving skills.
› Tell me about a goal you recently achieved. What did your initial plan look like? What worked particularly well?
The employer hopes to learn..
Can you talk in detail about a goal you have achieved—where you created your own plan and not only followed those plans but adapted to circumstances and changing conditions.
› Tell me about a goal you failed to achieve.
The employer hopes to learn..
If you take responsibilities for failing without blaming other people or outside factors. Can you admit you were wrong and willing to change your mind. This will also indicate whether you learned from your experience: can you describe in detail what perspectives, skills, and expertise you gained from that training.
› How do you handle stress
How Science Fuels a Culture of Misinformation
/Covid-19 hasn’t been just a viral pandemic, but also a pandemic of disinformation—what the World Health Organization calls an “infodemic.” Many scientists blame social media for the proliferation of Covid-related falsehoods, from the suggestion that Covid could be treated by drinking disinfectants to the insistence that masks don’t help prevent transmission. Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and other platforms have indeed propagated dangerous misinformation. However, social media is a symptom of the problem more than the cause. Misinformation and disinformation often start with scientists themselves.
Joelle Renstrom writing in OpenMind