I'm delighted to represent untapt at the Joint Statistical Meetings in Chicago, the largest gathering of statisticians this year. We presented on our novel approach to hierarchical Bayesian modelling, which enables us to efficiently automate decision-making with our data.
The End of Code
This is a brief, popular lay piece about the increasingly widespread field of Deep Learning that demonstrates the statistical technique's beauty, mystery and the power it has over us all.
"As our technological and institutional creations have become more complex, our relationship to them has changed. Instead of being masters of our creations, we have learned to bargain with them, cajoling and guiding them in the general direction of our goals. We have built our own jungle, and it has a life of its own."
Optimal Resume Length →
Leveraging our rich internal data, we observed that the optimal resume length is 250 to 350 words.
Hiring Quickly Matters →
We used our internal data, which consists of ten thousand applications to technology roles, to uncover that hiring managers respond significantly more quickly in situations that eventually lead to a hire relative to situations where they don't.
A Data Science Approach to Maximizing Data Scientist Salary →
Does a Ph.D. improve your salary? In the field of Data Science, it does a tiny bit, but is hardly worth the investment of years of your life (if pay is primarily why you're pursuing the degree). On the other hand, learning a single cutting-edge analytics technique relates to a pay jump of $12,000. Here are my thoughts on using data to maximise your pay, based on a recent talk at Women in Machine Learning in Data Science.
How to Transition from Academia to Data Science →
I recently had the honor of sitting on a great panel to discuss how academic scientists can transition into industry as Data Scientists. This post summarises our key points on the topic.
Profile in Computational Imagination →
I'm grateful to have been interviewed by Computational Imagination. Check out the transcript for tips on transitioning from academia to the data science industry and a perspective on trends in the field.
"What is Code?" →
Computer code is ubiquitous, driving all of your digital interactions and most modern business processes. If you've never programmed but would like to have an understanding of the fundamentals of software, this post should be a great primer.
The First Self-Aware Machines →
A robot has demonstrated self-awareness. Is Homo sapiens now on the verge of extinction? Probably!
Genomics: Imminent, Positive, Disruptive Tech →
I wax lyrically about biology, particularly recent advances in DNA sequencing, and the impacts we can expect these technologies to have in medicine.
The Neurophysiology of Happiness →
Thanks to my friend Kayleigh Pleas for providing me with such a wealth of brilliant content for this post on the neurophysiology of emotion and how we can deliberately adapt our brain to improve our baseline level of happiness.
MLConf: The Machine Learning Conference 2015 →
The machines are coming. And they're coming along quickly! Here are my notes from the 2015 Machine Learning Conference held in New York on Friday.
Your Future Self's Aspirations for You →
Through unparalleled interconnectedness and the wide availability of educational resources, we each have more opportunity to evoke positive change than any other humans in history. "How would future-you want you to live your life?" I reflect on an anthropological thought experiment offered by my friend, machine vision specialist, Dr. Alex Flint.
What Consumers Want: It's Immaterial →
Firms often focus on the material products they specialise in, losing touch with the psychological drivers underlying consumer decisions. With reference to the increasingly patient-centric approach of the healthcare industry, I argue that product development and marketing should be rooted in the deep, existential yearnings of prospective customers.
Zero to One: Peter Thiel's Call for Innovation →
Want to alternately have your mind blown and inspired? Give renowned venture capitalist Peter Thiel's beautiful Zero to One a read. This is my review of the book.
Shiny: Render R Plots into Interactive HTML →
If you're familiar with R, you can quickly and easily create interactive HTML graphics with the Shiny package by RStudio. Here's a primer on how it works and what it can do.
Service and Courage: Lady Villiers' Full Life →
I reflect on having the courage to serve, thereby living a full life, through a focus on the extraordinary accomplishments of Lady Villiers.
Data: We Live in the Most Peaceful Times Ever →
Despite perceptions created in broadcast news, violent crime -- from international through to the domestic scale -- is at its lowest rates in modern history. I summarise convincing secondary research from Steven Pinker and Andrew Mack in this post.
Multitasking Kills Productivity: Ten Tips To Avoid It →
While many conveniences are afforded by modern electronic devices, there is growing experimental and neurological research that the divided attention they facilitate considerably reduces the quality and efficiency of our work. Here, I list ten ways to stay focused on the task at hand.
Data: Most Health Supplements Don't Work →
The bulk of popular dietary supplements have little to no supporting evidence that they are effective. In this post, I explore a beautiful third-party interactive visualisation to argue that as few as 14% of supplements have promising data to back them up.