What’s Happening Wednesday
Published December 19th, 2007One of the biggest problems in getting people to understand things is that people are just unable to grasp and process complicated datasets. The world is a complicated place, and sometimes the answers to questions are anything but easy. Presenting data is one of the most crucial functions a statistician must learn - and it’s hard! And it’s getting harder as humanity tackles more and more complex issues. So why has there been so little attention paid to data presentation? I don’t know, but after watching this video, I can see that there’s hope. It’s long, but as you watch it’s impressive what the Trendalyzer software can do.
In all the hubbub over elections, I feel far too little time is spent on issues that are important to me - science and technology issues. Popular Mechanics has a decent breakdown of candidates statements on sci-tech issues, as well as their statements on more general issues. Geek the Vote ‘08.
Very recently I talked about the Green Bay nativity scene and how they opened a can of worms. As cephyn.com favorite Ed Brayton points out, the situation has escalated (someone trashed the Wiccan wreath, left the nativity untouched) - and the Green Bay city council is taking the exact opposite approach from what they should be. They’re pretty much guaranteeing themselves to be on the losing side of a lawsuit.
The Vatican has decided that the world of The Golden Compass is Godless, and therefore, hopeless. Have they even seen the movie, or read the books? Probably not. It’s a story of hope and triumph. The only thing hopeless is….the Vatican. Hopelessly out of touch with the world.
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