Today we’re going to take a step back from programming and discuss …
Today we’re going to take a step back from programming and discuss the person who formulated many of the theoretical concepts that underlie modern computation - the father of computer science himself: Alan Turing. Now normally we try to avoid “Great Man" history in Crash Course because truthfully all milestones in humanity are much more complex than just an individual or through a single lens - but for Turing we are going to make an exception. From his theoretical Turing Machine and work on the Bombe to break Nazi Enigma codes during World War II, to his contributions in the field of Artificial Intelligence (before it was even called that), Alan Turing helped inspire the first generation of computer scientists - despite a life tragically cut short.
This case study describes the educational use of an open dataset collected …
This case study describes the educational use of an open dataset collected as part of a thousand mile research walk. The content connects to many hot topics including quantified self, privacy, biosensing, mobility and the digital divide, so has an immediate interest to students. It includes inter-linkable qualitative and quantitative data, in a variety of specialist and general formats, so offers a variety of technical challenges including visualisation and data mining as well. Finally, it is raw data with all the glitches, gaps and problems attached to this.
The case study draws on experience in two educational settings: the first with a group of computer science and interaction design masters students in class-based discussions run by the first author; the second a computer science bachelor's project supervised by the second author.
This short, time-lapse video shows the changes in the Columbia Glacier from …
This short, time-lapse video shows the changes in the Columbia Glacier from May 12, 2007 to August 20, 2010. Narration provides general description of the geophysical dynamics and processes.
This activity introduces students to high precision GPS as it is used …
This activity introduces students to high precision GPS as it is used in geoscience research. Students build "gumdrop" GPS units and study data from three Alaska GPS stations from the Plate Boundary Observatory network. They learn how Alaska's south central region is "locked and loading" as the Pacific Plate pushes into North America and builds up energy that will be released in the future in other earthquakes such as the 1964 Alaska earthquake.
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In this video adapted from Storyknife Productions, Alaska Native pilots share how …
In this video adapted from Storyknife Productions, Alaska Native pilots share how they use traditional knowledge to read the landscape and predict the weather.
In this video adapted from KUAC-TV and the Geophysical Institute at the …
In this video adapted from KUAC-TV and the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska Native students contribute to research on how their environment is changing as a result of global warming.
As reduced sea ice conditions bring increased shipping and development opportunities to …
As reduced sea ice conditions bring increased shipping and development opportunities to the Arctic, Alaska Native Village Corporations are at the table with resource developers, representing the interests of their people and land.
In this Interactive Lecture Demonstration, students will predict the main issues that …
In this Interactive Lecture Demonstration, students will predict the main issues that might be included in short French language videos treating topics such as endangered species, organic farming, the effect of aerosols on the environment, pollution and sustainable development. They will then view short videos on the topics and reflect on how their prior assumptions meshed with reality.
Students are introduced to biofuels, biological engineers, algae and how they grow …
Students are introduced to biofuels, biological engineers, algae and how they grow (photosynthesis), and what parts of algae can be used for biofuel (biomass from oils, starches, cell wall sugars). Through this lesson, plants—and specifically algae—are presented as an energy solution. Students learn that breaking apart algal cell walls enables access to oil, starch, and cell wall sugars for biofuel production. Students compare/contrast biofuels and fossil fuels. They learn about the field of biological engineering, including what biological engineers do. A 20-slide PowerPoint® presentation is provided that supports students taking notes in the Cornell format. Short pre- and post-quizzes are provided. This lesson prepares students to conduct the associated activity in which they make and then eat edible algal cell models.
This research-oriented course will focus on algebraic and computational techniques for optimization …
This research-oriented course will focus on algebraic and computational techniques for optimization problems involving polynomial equations and inequalities with particular emphasis on the connections with semidefinite optimization. The course will develop in a parallel fashion several algebraic and numerical approaches to polynomial systems, with a view towards methods that simultaneously incorporate both elements. We will study both the complex and real cases, developing techniques of general applicability, and stressing convexity-based ideas, complexity results, and efficient implementations. Although we will use examples from several engineering areas, particular emphasis will be given to those arising from systems and control applications.
This is a research-oriented course on algorithm engineering, which will cover both …
This is a research-oriented course on algorithm engineering, which will cover both the theory and practice of algorithms and data structures. Students will learn about models of computation, algorithm design and analysis, and performance engineering of algorithm implementations. We will study the design and implementation of sequential, parallel, cache-efficient, external-memory, and write-efficient algorithms for fundamental problems in computing. Many of the principles of algorithm engineering will be illustrated in the context of parallel algorithms and graph problems.
This course is organized around algorithmic issues that arise in machine learning. …
This course is organized around algorithmic issues that arise in machine learning. Modern machine learning systems are often built on top of algorithms that do not have provable guarantees, and it is the subject of debate when and why they work. In this class, we focus on designing algorithms whose performance we can rigorously analyze for fundamental machine learning problems.
This lesson centers around the How AI Works: Equal Access and Algorithmic …
This lesson centers around the How AI Works: Equal Access and Algorithmic Bias video from the How AI Works video series. Watch this video first before exploring the lesson plan.
In this lesson, students will practice cropping images to uncover the bias underlying the Twitter cropping algorithm. Then, students will read and watch a video about the discovery of this biased algorithm. Finally, students will discuss ways to recognize and reduce bias along with analyzing Twitter's response to the allegations of bias in their cropping algorithm.
This lesson can be taught on its own, or as part of a 7-lesson sequence on How AI Works. Duration: 45 minutes
Today, we're going to talk about five common types of algorithmic bias …
Today, we're going to talk about five common types of algorithmic bias we should pay attention to: data that reflects existing biases, unbalanced classes in training data, data that doesn't capture the right value, data that is amplified by feedback loops, and malicious data. Now bias itself isn't necessarily a terrible thing, our brains often use it to take shortcuts by finding patterns, but bias can become a problem if we don't acknowledge exceptions to patterns or if we allow it to discriminate.
6.890 Algorithmic Lower Bounds: Fun with Hardness Proofs is a class taking …
6.890 Algorithmic Lower Bounds: Fun with Hardness Proofs is a class taking a practical approach to proving problems can’t be solved efficiently (in polynomial time and assuming standard complexity-theoretic assumptions like P ≠ NP). The class focuses on reductions and techniques for proving problems are computationally hard for a variety of complexity classes. Along the way, the class will create many interesting gadgets, learn many hardness proof styles, explore the connection between games and computation, survey several important problems and complexity classes, and crush hopes and dreams (for fast optimal solutions).
This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by …
This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:
"A new algorithm has successfully mapped part of the brain’s circuitry during shock therapy. For those suffering from severe depression, the approach could make for safer and more effective treatment. For brain research at large, it could lead to better ways of untangling noisy neural data to reveal real connections between different focal regions of the brain. Despite the gruesome picture painted by pop culture, modern shock therapy is a mild treatment option. In fact, over 2 million treatments are administered worldwide every year. Under general anesthesia, patients receive a small amount of current to the brain, triggering a brief seizure. The resulting changes in brain chemistry have been shown to reverse symptoms of mental health conditions like severe depression or bipolar disorder. But the procedure isn’t perfect. One of the most troubling side effects is memory loss, a result of poor targeting. To be effective and safe, induced seizures should be restricted to the pre-frontal cortex..."
The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.
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