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Hasnain says:

So you have to get a vaccination four weeks before you leave Pakistan. What if you're only going to be there for a shorter period of time?

Sigh...

Posted on 2014-05-29T02:24:25+0000

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Google finally discloses its diversity record, and it's not good | PBS NewsHour

In an industry that has been famously guarded about its workplace diversity, Google on Wednesday disclosed its record when it comes to hiring women, African-Americans and Hispanics. The data reveals statistics that the company itself admits are too low and strikingly below other industry averages. W…

Click to view the original at pbs.org

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You shouldn’t use a spreadsheet for important work (I mean it)

I envy economists. Unlike computer scientists, they seem to be able to publish best-seller books with innovative research. One such book is Piketty’s Capital. The book is reminiscent of Marx’s capital in its scope. If you haven’t heard about the book yet, it has a simple message: the yield on capita…

Click to view the original at lemire.me

Hasnain says:

"It is said that Piketty used an enormous amount of data, for an economist. I think that economists will have to cope with very complex and abundant data. They will need to do ever more complicated analysis. I hope that they will learn to use better tools and techniques."

Posted on 2014-05-28T21:35:42+0000

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» School spyware in coursebooks

Recently, a number of schools have started using a program called CourseSmart, which uses e-book analytics to alert teachers if their students are studying the night before tests, rather than taking a long-haul approach to learning. In addition to test scores, the CourseSmart algorithm assigns each…

Click to view the original at serendipity.ruwenzori.net

Hasnain says:

"Recently, a number of schools have started using a program called CourseSmart, which uses e-book analytics to alert teachers if their students are studying the night before tests, rather than taking a long-haul approach to learning. In addition to test scores, the CourseSmart algorithm assigns each student an “engagement index” which can determine not just if a student is studying, but also if they’re studying properly. In theory, a person could receive a “satisfactory” C grade in a particular class, only to fail on “engagement""

What the...

Posted on 2014-05-26T17:33:42+0000

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Linux for Lettuce | VQR Online

[clock] 37-MINUTE READ PUBLISHED: May 14, 2014 Revolutionizing American agribusiness from the ground up, one seed at a time. From a distance, Jim Myers looks like an ordinary farmer. Most autumn mornings, he stands thigh-deep in a field of wet broccoli, beheading each plant with a single, sure swipe…

Click to view the original at vqronline.org

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Son finds his lost mother in a Stone Age tribe

When David Good was a kid, and his friends asked where his mother was, he’d always say the same thing: She died in a car crash. “I experimented with responses, and I found that the most effective,”...

Click to view the original at nypost.com

Hasnain says:

"By 14, David was drinking heavily. He thought that kids who wanted to party would always hang out with other kids who wanted to party — no chance of abandonment there. And the alcohol sanded down the anguish, if only temporarily."

Posted on 2014-05-26T02:05:40+0000

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Dear graduates: Don’t follow your dreams (A commencement speech for the mediocre)

The brutal truth is that most people can't pay the bills by "living their passion." So what can we do instead?

Click to view the original at salon.com

Hasnain says:

"See, commencement speakers are the outliers — the most successful, interesting people that colleges can find — and their experiences are the most inspirational but also the least realistic. Even worse, they tend to be far too willing to dish out the craziest, worst advice, simply because it somehow worked for them. “Follow your dreams” and “live your passions” are insanely unhelpful tips when the bills need paying or the rent is almost due. "

Posted on 2014-05-24T17:17:10+0000

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