Scientific Regress, Deep Learning, and Oregon Trail: Lux Recommends #28
Welcome to Lux Recommends #28, the newest edition of what we at Lux are reading and thinking about (and want to receive this by email? Sign up here).
Articles
The Minecraft Generation: A fantastic article on Minecraft and the culture of computational thinking, tinkering, and creative play that it can foster in children. — Sam
The Oregon Trail Generation: A discussion of another age group, this one those who were born in the late 70’s and early 80’s, and our relationship to technology. Fantastic read. — Sam
This tattoo-like display is made possible by a new ultra-thin protective ‘E-skin’: Perhaps it’s because I have a child with food allergies that I would want to use it to indicate his potential allergies to care-takers, teachers etc if allergens were detected in his vicinity. Generally feels like much good will come out of it!— Bilal
The sugar conspiracy: “In 1972, a British scientist sounded the alarm that sugar — and not fat — was the greatest danger to our health. But his findings were ridiculed and his reputation ruined. How did the world’s top nutrition scientists get it so wrong for so long?” —Adam G
Scientific Regress: Thinking about the foundations of scientific progress: how we plan, execute and publish our studies. — Adam G
A Good Name Points to You: Great essay on the art of naming projects. — Sam
Deep learning with the Analytical Engine: Running deep learning on top of a simulation of Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine. — Sam
Victimhood culture explains what is happening at Emory: On the tail of last week’s recommendation for Why We Snap? and the triggers for emotional rage. Jonathan Haidt has a sweeping long-read on morality, expectations and the current hyper sensitivity on campuses. Thorough and highly explanatory. — Josh
Inside Meow Wolf, the amusement park for people who want a weirder Disneyland: Just visited this today. Funded by George RR Martin (Game of Thrones). The most amazing installation/exhibit I’ve ever been in. — Josh
How Islam Created Europe: Current European refugee crisis in the context of history. “History does not turn back … All reinstatements, all restorations have always been masquerades.” — Bilal
Online Toys
TensorFlow — Neural Network Playground:Great visualization tool that shows just how important hyper parameter tuning is for deep learning and neural nets. — Zavain
Atlas of Potential Nations: Randomly generates country names and flags. — Sam
Wintergatan — Marble Machine (music instrument using 2000 marbles) — Jeff
Science Puzzle of the Week
The Missing Square Puzzle: video and explanation. —Adam K
Science Photo of the Week
Movies
Creative Control: A fast-paced well produced near-term treatise on augmented reality and the blurring between ambitions, desires, connecting and disconnecting with each other and technology. A fun watch!— Josh
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