Data Science newsletter – October 19, 2021

Data Science Newsletter features journalism, research papers and tools/software for October 19, 2021

 

NSF Funds Research Into Computer Vision Tactics That Aspire to Pace AI Development, Democratize New Solutions

University of Illinois, Grainger College of Engineering, Computer Science


from

A team of three researchers between Illinois Computer Science and Electrical & Computer Engineering believe that now is the time to use computer vision tactics to help pace the next development in artificial intelligence.

The National Science Foundation agrees, which is why this group – led by Fulton Watson Copp Chair in Computer Science David Forsyth – recently earned a $1.2 million grant for the next four years. Fellow CS professor Yuxiong Wang and ECE professor Alexander Schwing join Forsyth on the project, entitled “Creating Knowledge with All-Novel-Class Computer Vision.”


NYC’s Tech Resurgence (continued)

AVC blog, Fred Wilson


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NYC startups are getting funded at 2/3 the rate of Silicon Valley startups. That’s a huge change from where NYC was even two or three years ago.


Today [ACLU] filed a lawsuit on behalf of three NorCal activists challenging a sheriff’s illegal sharing of sensitive driver location info with govt agencies far and wide.

Twitter, Matt Cagle


from

This is a first-of-its-kind suit to stop the flow of this sensitive info to ICE and CBP.


What Actually Draws Sports Fans to Games? It’s Not Star Athletes.

Harvard Business School, HBS Working Knowledge; Rachel Layne, Karim Lakhani, Patrick Ferguson


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After COVID-19 shut down most professional sports leagues last year, fans have been eagerly returning to games and matches. But what will keep them coming back after the pandemic?

Leagues might assume that their star athletes and state-of-the-art stadiums are enough of a draw. However, research suggests that spectators also value something far simpler: the suspense of not knowing who will win.

In fact, stadiums sell more tickets when the outcome of a game is less predictable, says a study by Harvard Business School Professor Karim R. Lakhani and Patrick J. Ferguson, an assistant professor at the University of Melbourne. Put another way: the more evenly matched teams are on the field, the less certain the final game score, and the bigger fan interest.


Today, @BORUSG will vote to implement policy changes that will, in effect, end tenure in GA. They will do so @GeorgiaTech , the system’s only public member of the distinguished @AAUniversities .

Twitter, Joshua Weitz


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This action should bring national attention – and not the good kind. The public university system is an intellectual, civic, and economic powerhouse. By moving tenure decisions into the hands of administrators, the Regents will bend the arc of the system towards mediocrity.

And mediocrity is expensive.

When the system doesn’t have the decency to implement a mask mandate indoors because it wants to align with the Gov’s expectations, then it’s clear that science and evidence are not foremost in mind.


1 in 3 young children are already using social media apps — without parental supervision

Study Finds


from

Social media can be a very distressing place, even for a grown adult. With that in mind, a new study finds a third of children between seven and nine years-old are already using social media apps. However, a team at the University of Michigan says many of these young children are browsing social media without parental supervision.

The national poll finds two-thirds of parents are concerned about their children sharing private information through apps. Despite this, one in six parents with children on social media don’t use parental controls, while two in five say it’s “too time consuming” to monitor their kids’ internet use.


The Pros and Cons of Social Media for Youth

Psychology Today, The Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research


from

A new systematic review published in the journal Adolescent Research Review combines the evidence from qualitative studies that investigate adolescent social media use.

The authors found, in short, that the links between adolescent well-being and social media are complicated and depend on a broad range of factors.

“Adults have always been concerned about how the latest technology will harm children,” said Amanda Purington, director of evaluation and research for ACT for Youth in the BCTR and a doctoral candidate in Cornell’s Social Media Lab. “This goes back to radio programs, comic books, novels – you name it, adults were worried about it. The same is now true for social media. And yes, there are concerns – there are many potential risks and harms. But there are potential benefits, too.”


Study Compares Coding Bootcamps With Universities

Government Technology, Brandon Paykamian


from

Analysts from the data research company Optimal say the current rise of “tech bootcamp” training courses has coincided with the largest college enrollment decline in a decade, as students look to cost-effective alternatives to gain IT credentials outside of traditional four-year degree programs.

After his company unveiled a ranked list of the top coding programs last month, Optimal CEO and Founder Sung Rhee told Government Technology that training programs for tech-related careers aren’t going anywhere, as some colleges and universities struggle to prove a similar return on investment.

Optimal’s rankings relied on in-field employment data from Burning Glass Technologies, a job market data analytics company, and examined bootcamps with over 19,000 graduates in order to find which ones had the best success in terms of job placement. The top two camps were CodeSmith and Devmountain, which recorded in-field employment rates of 92 and 87 percent.


Digital twin of Texas coastline informs flood resilience

GCN, Shourjya Mookerjee


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To protect Galveston Island and other parts of the Texas Gulf Coast from the impact of severe storms and coastal flooding, a team of researchers at Texas A&M University are developing a comprehensive digital twin to evaluate, model and test resilience scenarios.

Coastal communities are more susceptible to natural disasters than ever before, due to rising sea levels and the threat of climate change. To boost resilience, federal, state and local agencies have been looking to develop more sustainable infrastructure along these shores.

With resilient design becoming a top priority, more planners are looking to digital twins, or virtual models, which can be updated with real-time data. The research, funded by a two-year, $300,000 National Science Foundation grant, was launched with similar motivations, project lead and Texas A&M Associate Professor of Urban Planning Xinyue Ye said.


UC adopts recommendations for the responsible use of artificial intelligence

University of California System, News


from

University of California President Michael V. Drake, M.D., has adopted a set of recommendations to guide the safe and responsible deployment of artificial intelligence in UC operations.

With Drake’s action, UC becomes one of the first universities in the nation to establish overarching principles for the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) and a governance process that prioritizes transparency and accountability in decisions about when and how AI is deployed.


Faculty of Arts and Sciences retirements tripled last year, University announces

Yale University, Yale Daily News student newspaper, Isaac Yu


from

Forty members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences retired last year, a figure three times higher than in a typical year.

Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Tamar Gendler told the News that the increased retirements can be attributed in part to last year’s retirement incentive plan, which offered bonuses to faculty aged 70 or older. The plan was initially unveiled in December 2020 to criticism from the FAS Senate for lacking faculty input, and gave enrolling members until June 30, 2021 to retire. According to Provost Scott Strobel, 47 faculty members from across FAS and Yale’s graduate schools ultimately chose to enroll in the incentive plan.


Albion College bolsters curriculum with health, tech, communication degrees

mlive.com, Samuel Dodge


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A new catalogue of academic degrees and certificates in health, technology and communications fields are available this year at Albion College. … These new programs include:

  • Post-baccalaureate certificate in premedical studies
  • Public health concentration
  • Majors in data science and data analytics
  • Sports communication major and minor
  • Health communications minor

  • College Enrollments Sink in the Midwest, Causing Budget Trouble for Schools

    Bloomberg Education, Janet Lorin and Akayla Gardner


    from

    The pandemic accelerated a trend that college deans and finance chiefs throughout the U.S. Midwest have been dreading: There are fewer 18-year-olds to fill classrooms, dorms and dining halls.

    That means less revenue, increasing the likelihood of budget cuts affecting staff, the curriculum and sports programs, while schools are forced to offer bigger financial incentives to attract students.

    SPONSORED CONTENT

    Assets  




    The eScience Institute’s Data Science for Social Good program is now accepting applications for student fellows and project leads for the 2021 summer session. Fellows will work with academic researchers, data scientists and public stakeholder groups on data-intensive research projects that will leverage data science approaches to address societal challenges in areas such as public policy, environmental impacts and more. Student applications due 2/15 – learn more and apply here. DSSG is also soliciting project proposals from academic researchers, public agencies, nonprofit entities and industry who are looking for an opportunity to work closely with data science professionals and students on focused, collaborative projects to make better use of their data. Proposal submissions are due 2/22.

     


    Tools & Resources



    How I wrote a pop-science book

    Nature, Career Column, John Tregoning


    from

    Much of John Tregoning’s pandemic year was spent writing a book about infectious disease. Now that it’s out, what has he learnt?


    Careers


    Tenured and tenure track faculty positions

    Cultural Analytics or Digital Literary Studies



    Washington University in St Louis, School of Arts & Sciences, Interdisciplinary Project in the Humanities; St. Louis, MO

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