Quartz reporting on an often ignored, but tragic issue in the world's oceans. The story is based on a report by the UK Overseas Development Institute, an independent think tank on international development and humanitarian issues. The report, Fishing for data, should be lauded for surveying the landscape of actors combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. It … Continue reading Recycled News/Whining: Illegal Fishing is Hampered by Data Gaps

For those living under a rock [Ed: note irony, as it's doubtful this is on your mind], you may be unaware of the tremendous controversy brewing in academic circles on the topic of reproducibility of published research. For those who think this may be a silly intellectual argument, the truth is quite alarming. The whole … Continue reading Statistical Insignificance, Graphic Novel Edition

I recently read an article (paywall) in the WSJ about Paul Allen’s Vulcan initiative to curb illegal fishing. It's insightful and sheds light on Big Data techniques to address societal problems. After thinking on the story, it struck me that it could be used as a pedagogical tool to synthesize data science with domain knowledge. … Continue reading When Data Science Alone Won’t Cut it: Deriving Signal from Observations in the Maritime Domain

For those of you similarly interested (obsessed?) with the changing role of government statistics relative to the explosion of highly dimensional private sector data, I recommend having a look at Innovations in Federal Statistics: Combining Data Sources While Protecting Privacy from the National Academy of Sciences. It's an easy read and offers a solid foundation for those who seek a … Continue reading Government Stats Are Ready for Change (Book Review)

I recently stumbled across a research paper, Using Deep Learning and Google Street View to Estimate the Demographic Makeup of the US, which piqued my interest in derivative uses of data, an ongoing research interest of mine. A variety of deep learning techniques were used to draw conclusions about relationships of car ownership, political affiliation … Continue reading Proxy Indicators: beware of spurious claims

High-tech startups, hailing from Silicon Valley, and large, well-established banks, hailing from Wall St couldn’t be more different. Yet the golden opportunity of FinTech holds the promise of (somehow) bringing them closer together. This post isn’t about disruption, executive pay, alternative credit scoring models or other topics du jour. It’s about a possible future where … Continue reading Prop Trading, Hedge Funds and Startups: Looking for Alpha in All the New Places

Since selling Urban Mapping last year, I’ve spent more time thinking about how data is can be and is used for alternative purposes. To me, the idea of packaging up organisational data exhaust and redirecting it to non-adjacent markets is an opportunity hidden in plain sight. I’ve been whining that one person’s metadata is another … Continue reading Derivative Data