Every two weeks, we find the most interesting data science links from around the web and collect them in Data Science Briefings, the DataMiningApps newsletter. Subscribe now for free if you want to be the first to get up to speed on interesting resources.
- Models make predictions on Olympic medals
The EURO cup is not the only tournament receiving attention from data scientists, it seem. How many medals will each country win in Rio at this Summer’s Olympic Games? Researchers who derived predictions from two different models anticipate that the USA, China, Russia, and the UK will retain their top positions in the medals ranking, but Brazil and Japan are expected to make the biggest gains.
- The paradox of sustainability in retail
Delhaize CEO Denis Knoops discussed the three big paradoxes in retail at the SAS Belux Executive Dinner.
- Maluuba is getting machines closer to reading like humans do
Canadian artificial intelligence company Maluuba released impressive results for a type of machine learning focused on teaching computers to read like humans do.
- Boosting Sales With Machine Learning
“In this blog post I’ll explain how we’re making our sales process at Xeneta more effective by training a machine learning algorithm to predict the quality of our leads based upon their company descriptions.”
- Microsoft Finds Cancer Clues in Search Queries
Microsoft scientists have demonstrated that by analyzing large samples of search engine queries they may in some cases be able to identify internet users who are suffering from pancreatic cancer, even before they have received a diagnosis of the disease.
- Five Mistakes Beginners Make When Working With Databases
Early on, with so many things to quickly master, the database tends to be an after-though in application design (perhaps because it doesn’t make an impact to end user experience). As a result there’s a number of bad practices that tend to get picked up when working with databases, here’s a rundown of just a few.
- Building a data science portfolio: Storytelling with data
Data science is fundamentally about communication. You’ll discover some insight in the data, then figure out an effective way to communicate that insight to others, then sell them on the course of action you propose. One of the most critical skills in data science is being able to tell an effective story using data. An effective story can make your insights much more compelling, and help others understand your ideas.
- The making of a cheatsheet: emoji edition
“I’ve mentioned this before, but I really love emoji. Another thing I love is data science. So, I decided to marry these two loves in as productive a fashion as possible.”
- Teaching Robots to Feel: Emoji & Deep Learning
Another article on emoji: “What about the real problems? Can neural networks help you find the ? emoji when you really need it?”
- Visualising city similarity
This blog post explains an alternative way to figure out how similar cities are. After you read it, you will realize why I think Madison and Reykjavik are very similar cities.
- How to build up a data team
“Recruiting is one of those things where the Dunning-Kruger effect is the most pronounced: the more you do it, the more you realize how bad you are at it. Every time I look back a year, I realize 10 things I did wrong. Extrapolating this, I know in another year I’ll realize all the stupid mistakes I’m doing right now. Anyway, that being said, here are some things I learned from recruiting.”
- A Car’s Computer Can ‘Fingerprint’ You in Minutes Based on How You Drive
The way you drive is surprisingly unique. And in an era when automobiles have become data-harvesting, multi-ton mobile computers, the data collected by your car—or one you rent or borrow—can probably identify you based on that driving style after as little as a few minutes behind the wheel.
- Algorithm knows when corporate money is pushing memes online
It’s like a doping test for memes. An algorithm can detect when a Twitter hashtag or meme has received more attention than expected. This can show it got an artificial boost from corporate advertising dollars.
