He Dropped Out to Become a Poet. Now He’s Won the top award for Mathematics

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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

You Need Two Things

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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

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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

Tuesday Tech Tools: 17 Organizers

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Airtable
Manages projects and processes-weddings, movie shoots, companies, etc. Allows you to log entries in spreadsheets which can be turned into sets of data stored in the cloud. Some limitations you won’t find in tools like Trello. There’s a video explanation here.

Boomerang (formally Baydin)
Schedule Gmail or Outlook email for a later send date.  Add-on for Firefox and Chrome. Free.

Buffer*
Popular social media scheduling service for posting to multiple sites at one time or later, including: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Google+. Provides analytics. Free, but $10 (and up) a month gives you unlimited scheduling so you can plan your content well ahead of time.

Evernote*
Access notes on any computer, tablet or phone. Search function lets you find a note in either text or audio format. Free for iOS and Android. For more options there is Evernote Plus $2.99 a month, while Premium is $5.80 per month.

Freshbooks
A cloud-based accounting app that helps you manage clients and projects, send invoices, and track time, expenses, and estimates right from your iPhone. Best for running a business in which you have specific projects for different clients that involve billable hours. The first three clients are free; then $20 for up to 25 clients or $30 for unlimited clients per month. 

Meetways
Find a halfway point between two locations. Great for setting up meetings between people.

Nozbe
Task management system. Organizes according to the context in which they are done (online, at the office, at home, etc.) . Designed with teams in mind-which could be as simple as sharing a shopping list. Available for most devices. Works with Google Calender.  Monthly fee: $8 for a single user, $16 for a family, $40 for a team.

OmniOutliner
Mac program that keeps lists and organizes outlines. Low learning curve to create rich, multi-column, collapsible outlines in many styles. Add embedded notes, images, links, etc. $40 to buy the standard version, $70 for the pro model. An educational discount of $25 and $50 is available here.

Google Now
Tracks your online behavior and uses this data to predict the information that you will need, such as local traffic or weather updates.

PinBoard
Bookmark things you find in social media. One time $9.94 cost.

Podio
Social work platform for basic project management tasks — calendar, contacts, activity stream — that helps teams collaborate and communicate. Both free and paid versions.

Process Street
Document, manage, and track your workflows and business processes. Records tasks in templates – lists which show what tasks to do and what order to do them in. A video explanation here.

Scrivener*
App that gives you a single place to dump all your ideas. Especially helpful for creating and managing complex writing projects: writing a novel, play, TV show, magazine feature, etc. Write in fragments and then shuffle scenes/chapters in a "bulletin board" mode.. throw in research notes, multimedia files, and character sketches.  Allows you to slowly "grow” books, scripts, and articles. Easy to convert the document to an e-book, web page, a PDF, or Word doc. Works with Mac and Windows.  Free 30-use trial. $45 for the latest version. Many writers swear it's worth it. Doesn't work on iPads though.

Trello
Organizational tool that integrations with many other apps. Tasks or projects are stored in cards which are then arranged into columns.

TripIt
Organize all your travel plans into mobile itineraries.

Ulysses
Writing app for Mac. Uses plain text or Markdown for writing, but also includes notes, exporting, organization and more. $44.99.

WorkFlowy
Digital note taking app. Excellent design, but lacks due dates, reminders of upcoming deadlines and calendar view. Free version limits you to 500 lists or "items" per month.  Pro accounts can be backed up to Dropbox. Individual pro accounts ($4.99 per month or $49 per year) and Team ($3.99 per month per user, or $39 per year per user, with a two user minimum) A short video introduction here.

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What you should prepare to do during job interviews

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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

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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

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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.

More from the survey

Happiness + Courage

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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

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The priorities of the first-ever assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration (& top acquisition executive for the Space Force)

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

US intelligence artificial intelligence use is booming but it's not the secret weapon you might imagine

“A major challenge facing the DoD at the moment is disparate data, spread across many different databases and stakeholders. Future winners will be those that can take all the data into a single location and make sense of it.”

“AI solutions for defense are much more mundane and focused on improving decision-making for humans” than many would imagine”

Space 2.0: “The shape of space is expanding beyond traditional defense & aerospace to an expansive range of practical & profitable applications.” A look at the 2022 trends

China launches first crewless drone carrier—experts suggest that it could also be used as a military vessel  

Space-based assets aren’t immune to cyberattacks: Russia's attack on Viasat satellites exposed how vulnerable space-based assets are and the potential for spillover damage

Which is better for data science visualization—R or Python? (hint: it all depends on the nature of the problem to be solved) 

Overcoming overfitting a model in machine learning

How space debris threatens modern life  

Ranking Pandas for Python, Dask & Datatable based on their performance

Snowflake ups support for python Build and offers Native Application Framework to run applications inside the Snowflake Data Cloud platform

Pentagon’s new AI and data chief waited days just for an ID card: ‘Let me say honestly that the bureaucracy is real’

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

Google Cloud’s new machine learning tools for its Vertex AI are now making their debut after being featured at the recent Applied ML Summit

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

Google won’t allow people to create deepfakes using its collaborative machine learning platform any longer

“Python may be the second choice to R, but its popularity and ease of use positions it to dominate data science” 

Top YouTube channels for learning data science

Some basic data cleaning issues and possible solutions

Daily Data Science stories here.

The five different types of impostor syndrome

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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.

Tuesday Tech Tools: 16 Map Making Tools

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Amcharts
Creates charts and maps. Aimed at the needs of businesses. Free version or more options with a paid for a one-time fee of $90.

Atlist
Create custom Google Map with multiple markers that are embeddable. Add markers manually or by importing address data from an Excel spreadsheet or CSV. Example. Add directions, photos, etc. to modals (modals are the info windows that pop up when you click a marker).

Batchgeo
Map creator that generally easy-to-use and straightforward. Can be embedded into a site. Video explanation here. Free trial then $99 a month.

Canva*
Canva’s graphic design tools include a mind maps for organizating concepts Free. $12 a month for more options.

Clickable Map
Creates a map that opens a link when users click a region. Easy to use. Free.

Google Maps*
A powerful tool but with a bit a of learning curve. Useful for creating custom routes (for driving, biking or walking) between these markers. Will do distance calculations and measurements. Limited styling options: you can’t change the markers size or shape. You also can’t edit the modal. Free.

MapChart
Color code countries and regions on a world map. Click the country and choose a color. Create a legend then download your map. Free.

Mapcreator
This toll will create printable maps that can be exported and can save as an image. Used by newsrooms, real estate, government and tourism companies. Good for creating maps that need to be exported as an image. Free.

Mapline
Upload spreadsheets and display them as markers and shapes and categorize them within territory boundaries to a map. It includes route planning and other powerful feature. There is a free option with paid accounts starting at $695 a year.

MapMe
A embeddable basic custom interactive map creator. Especially for real estate and travel. Free for up to five maps with limited features. Requires an account. Paid accounts starting at $24 a month.

NatGeo MapMaker
This National Geographic tool will overlay climate and political data layers on a map. There are simple tools for adding text and shapes. Free.

One Place Field
Intended for software developers and programmers, this map maker is mobile-friendly. Simple interface, cloud-based. Users can overlay shapes, drawings, measurements, asset information, and field data onto satellite imagery. Works as a collaborative toll for teams in the field. There’s a 14-day free trial with full functionality, then paid accounts starting at $49 a month.

QuikMaps
Draw lines and place markers on a Google map using only your mouse cursor. Can be embedded. Free.

Scribble Maps
A map-maker with API capabilities to use on outside websites. Create a map, publish online, embed in a document, or print as a hard copy. High-resolution imagery makes it possible to create high-quality prints and posters.Free for as many as five maps. Despite the technical tools for pros, novice map makers can make good use of it as well. More features with paid accounts starting at $14.

Visme
Create graphics and maps just for a particular platform for social-specific content. Free for up to five maps with limited features. Paid accounts starting at $15 month.

ZeeMaps
Create interactive maps, even for large datasets. Does not require an account. Free for up to five maps. Import spreadsheets and render them as the base layer of a map. More features and no branding for paid accounts starting at $19.99.

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