557: quantum of sollazzo
#557: quantum of sollazzo – 19 March 2024
The data newsletter by @puntofisso.
Hello, regular readers and welcome new ones :) This is Quantum of Sollazzo, the newsletter about all things data. I am Giuseppe Sollazzo, or @puntofisso. I've been sending this newsletter since 2012 to be a summary of all the articles with or about data that captured my attention over the previous week. The newsletter is and will always (well, for as long as I can keep going!) be free, but you're welcome to become a friend via the links below.
Last week's most clicked link was this interesting visual presentation of Transport for London archives.
Quantum takes a break for a few weeks. I'll refresh my data radar for a bit. But the the next issue is already in the making, and will be out on April 15th.
Giuseppe @puntofisso
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✨ Topical
Trapped in Darkness: Women in Europe remain defenseless against gender-based violence
"A new cross-border data investigation by EDJNet reveals gaps in the registration of femicides in Europe and the ineffective protection of women against crimes of sexual, physical, psychological and economic violence over the last decade."
The Underground Clocks of Paris
Not quite data in the way we would intend today... but this video offers an interesting and entertaining look at historical clock synchronisation before the computer age.
(via Leonardo Macchia)
Instacart’s Most Likely: What 1 Billion Orders Says About Your State
"From New Mexico’s unexpected lock on fresh veggies, to how Nevada secured the title of “Friskiest State,” 1 billion orders tell a tantalizing tale of the unique appetites across North America."
What makes an album the greatest of all time?
Another brilliant visual essay by The Pudding.
Inside the miracle of modern chip manufacturing
And here's another great visual article by the Financial Times: "After coming up against the limits of physics, scientists are rethinking chip architecture like never before".
🛠️📖 Tools & Tutorials
NICAR 2024 Tipsheet & Audiot
NICAR is the conference I've always wanted to attend but always missed. IRE (Investigative Reporters and Editors), the organisation behind it, publishes every the set of talks with any tipsheet, slides, and audio recording (as and when available). Here's this year's.
How to use PostgreSQL for (military) geoanalytics tasks
"In this article, I will discuss how to use PostgreSQL to process geospatial data and address common geoanalytical tasks. The information will cover methods for finding the nearest objects, distance calculations, and using geospatial indexes to enhance these processes. We will also explore techniques for determining a point within a polygon and geospatial aggregation." A pretty good primer.
Create fonts without software. You only need a web browser.
An in-browser font editor. Interesting concept.
Trangram
"Create Motion Graphics On One Platform."
It comes with a few examples.
Downpour
Downpour is an app that allows you to make games/website on your phone. Not sure the quality of the outcome, but you might want to try it.
Why Line Chart Baselines Can Start at Non-Zero
Nathan Yau (FlowingData)'s opinion here: "There is a recurring argument that line chart baselines must start at zero, because anything else would be misleading, dishonest, and an insult to all that is good in the world. The critique is misguided."
I'd say: "it depends".
🤯 Data thinking
A study of embedded analysts
Taylor Brownlow continues her series about the organisation of data teams: "A look at how Protolabs uses embedded analysts to stay lean while adding visible value to the organization."
📈Dataviz, Data Analysis, & Interactive
Weather forecasts have become much more accurate; we now need to make them available to everyone
Our World in Data's Hannah Ritchie: "A four-day forecast today is as accurate as a one-day forecast 30 years ago."
(via Peter Wood)
OpenAI's GPT is a recruiter's dream tool. Tests show there's racial bias.
"Recruiters are eager to use generative AI, but a Bloomberg experiment found bias against job candidates based on their names alone".
Which crops have the most potential in a changing climate?
"The Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) is a global movement that aims to foster more resilient food systems by focusing on the fundamentals of food security: climate-adapted crops and healthy soils. Initially launched by the U.S. Department of State, the African Union, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, VACS seeks to boost agricultural productivity and nutrition by developing diverse, climate-resilient crop varieties and building healthy soils. VACS provides a unified investment framework for stakeholders to advance these goals. VACS is working with AgMIP to develop a models of future crop productivity that will help identify the most promising crops for a changing climate. This application visualizes initial results of these models."
🤖 AI
The real quandary of AI isn’t what people think
Tim Harford: "Unlike with generative AI, anybody with a pen, paper and three minutes to spare can write a list of what they do better with a smartphone in hand, and what they do better when the smartphone is out of sight. The challenge is to remember that list and act accordingly. The smartphone is a powerful tool that most of us unthinkingly misuse many times a day, despite the fact that it is far less mysterious than a large language model like GPT-4. Will we really do a better job with the AI tools to come?"
quantum of sollazzo is also supported by Andy Redwood’s proofreading – if you need high-quality copy editing or proofreading, check out Proof Red. Oh, and he also makes motion graphics animations about climate change.
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