5IT, 12/5
1. The ethics of big data in higher education.
"Vialardi and colleagues note that predictive analytic models 'are based on the idea that individuals with approximately the same profile generally select and/or prefer the same things.' This very behaviorist model of human nature is at the foundation of every data model. While it is generally reasonable, one should note that it directly contradicts the rational utility maximizer model of human nature used in microeconomics or the habitual perspective of behavioral economics, and has very different implications for interventions."
2. If you're interested in virtual reality and live in the Bay, these would be good events to attend.
"SVVR (Silicon Valley Virtual Reality) is a fast-growing community of developers, entrepreneurs, hackers, and artists dedicated to advancing affordable and accessible virtual reality. SVVR has been organizing monthly Meetups in Silicon Valley since May of 2013. In May of 2014 we held the first annual Silicon Valley Virtual Reality Conference & Expo, the world’s first professional conference dedicated to consumer virtual reality."
3. Finally, the inventor of the pizza delivery bag is getting her due.
"Being the first to patent an insulated bag for pizza secured Kosar’s place in the history of a beloved American food, but it didn’t shield her from all the challenges to come, including a wave of cheaper imported bags and a protracted slowdown in sales during the latest recession. Today, Kosar, 65, is hunkered down in a small office 45 miles northwest of Chicago with a small group of longtime employees and her dog, Duke, planning the comeback of Thermal Bags by Ingrid."
4. A vast trove of Einstein's papers are now available online and for free.
"The Einstein Papers Project, the decades-long effort to compile and preserve the scientist’s professional work and personal writings, is today opening to the public as a free searchable database containing thousands of documents. The launch of the Digital Einstein Papers includes more than 5,000 documents that span the first 44 years of Albert Einstein’s life."
5. A deep visit to Short Creek, home to a polygamous Mormon sect — and a whole bunch of other people.
"You can glance at a home here and tell which side the occupant has chosen. FLDS households have affixed 'Zion' signs over their doorways and erected fences: some metal, some brick, all as imposing as fortresses. When a family leaves the church, often the first thing they do is knock down their fence. For a time, church members stocked up on groceries at an flds storehouse that looked like an airplane hangar and was protected by a concrete barricade, while the apostates shopped at a market down the road. There are small church-run shops here and there, which always seem to be closed — except to the faithful, who use passwords or call ahead to gain entry. The plaza was one of the few places where the two sides were forced to cross paths, until an outsider bought it, and the FLDS tenants fled."
Today's 1957 American English Language Tip
correctitude, a recent formation (correct+rectitude), usually means merely correctness or propriety.
CORRECTITUDE! I feel like I've been waiting for this word since at least 2012 Twitter.
The Credits: 1. i-r-i-e.net/@evansellinger 2. svvr.com/@cdixon 3. thedistance.com 4.insidehighered.com/@history_geek 5. californiasunday.com
While the Apostates Shopped