October began and ended with two tragedies involving the deadly crush of a crowd: On Oct. 1, at least 125 people died in after the police fired tear gas into tightly packed crowds of soccer fans, which set off a deadly stampede. On Oct. 29, at least 150 people were killed in after they were crushed in a Halloween crowd.
How Sam used his passion for music and love of numbers to become the first person to turn Spotify’s podcast APIs into data visualizations
Meet Sam, a new dad who taught high school math in Hawaii before the birth of his first son. Sam decided to move into the in-demand field of data science by enrolling in the IBM Data Science Professional Certificate on Coursera. In the program, he not only gained job-ready skills, but he also discovered ways to combine his passion for music with his data science practice. Read his full story, below!
My name is Sam, and I have always loved math and numbers. While working as a math teacher in Hawaii for 7 years, my wife and I had our son. When you have a child, your whole world changes. You want to provide for them and give them the best life possible. For years, I had been telling my high school math students, ‘Data science is a great job,’ but, finally, I decided to heed my own advice. I knew I was good at math, but I did not have any computer background, so I was always wary about getting into programming. Nobody had ever explained to me that programming is basically logic and number theory. Which I love! After some research and an initial Python course, the IBM Data Science Professional Certificate on Coursera was the first one I picked up, I dove right in, and it was great!
I chose the IBM Data Science Professional Certificate because it had depth and breadth, which was great, especially for my first experience with data science. I was eager to learn all the skills I could, and this course definitely provided a deep, detailed learning experience. I also chose IBM’s program because I did not want to go to just a random place; I wanted to go to a company or institution that had a meaningful name in the industry. My dad and grandpa had both worked at IBM their whole lives, and I also worked there for a summer, so I knew about IBM, and I trusted what they would produce and offer. And I was right – the program was really great!
When I took the IBM Data Science Professional Certificate, I realized that I could combine data science skills with any other passion. I’ve always been interested in music—I actually used to be a drummer in a reggae band—so, once I started playing around with Spotify APIs, taking the skills I learned in the course and doing my own projects with them in my own interest areas, that’s when my growth really exploded. I would encourage people that are struggling or stuck to try to find some area of their life where they think they can apply these skills, and immediately start trying to do that, and you will be so motivated to keep learning.
The IBM Data Science Professional Certificate gave me a lot of confidence. I never saw myself as a computer person, but the program has you do all these complicated things like working in the Cloud and connecting to APIs, and it was so cool to me, to see how easy Watson Studio actually was to use, and how much you could do on it. I ended up messing around with the Spotify API, and I was the first person on the Internet to pull out their podcast data and do visualizations. It’s not that crazy of a task, but you can’t really say too often that you’re the first person on the internet to do something. I even made a tutorial about it to show other data scientists how they can do the same thing, and it felt really good to be able to provide something back to the community of data scientists. You read all these tutorials from other data scientists, but you don’t really imagine yourself being able to provide back. It was a really cool experience to be able to do that with something I’d created myself!
Do You Have Enough Access to Places Where You Can Play and Exercise?
How difficult is it to get to parks, gyms, recreation centers, rinks, fields or courts where you live? Are these public spaces ever too crowded?
Word of the Day: cunning
This word has appeared in 125 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence?
UFOs, is there a scientific explanation?
This question, which resonates with us all, has been the starting point to bring together 16 experts in their field and thus explain the mysteries of hundreds of unexplained cases of UFO sightings.
Image: Jurik Peter/Shutterstock
On this new mission, the official NASA site reveals that “16 people have been selected to participate in its independent study team on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP). Observations of events in the sky that cannot be identified as aircraft or known natural phenomena are classified as UAP.
The mission will take place over the next 9 months and is headed by Daniel Evans, deputy associate administrator for research at NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. The findings will be made public in mid-2023.
Evans commented that the team of professionals is made up of “the world’s leading scientists, data and artificial intelligence professionals, aerospace security experts, all with a specific title, which is to tell us how to apply the complete approach to science and data on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP)”. If you want to know more details of the staff, you can find it on NASA’s own blog.
With this study, the Space Agency clarifies that “there is no current evidence that UAPs are of extraterrestrial origin, or any indication of extraterrestrial life, but the limited number of observations makes it difficult to draw scientific conclusions.”
In fact, they suggest the events could be caused by human-generated “airborne messes” such as leaking balloons or plastic bags, or the result of natural phenomena caused by ice crystals, moisture or heat.
The report admitted that they had no evidence to suggest or rule out an extraterrestrial origin. In any case, this mission has a clear objective: “to help the space agency to draw scientific conclusions” about these phenomena. In addition, keeping the following promise to the global community, “Findings will be released to the public in accordance with NASA’s principles of transparency, openness, and inclusive science”.
Definitely, a fascinating theme, which leaves no one indifferent. If you want to learn more, be sure to visit the following selection of links with interesting recommendations related to the subject:
NASA Announces Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Study Team Members
NASA to Set Up Independent Study on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
NASA Team Begins Independent Study on UFOs
NASA kicks off UFO study with 16-member team
The GIMBAL VIDEO: Genuine UFO or Camera Artifact?
Unidentified: Are UFOs and UAPs Ordinary, Extraordinary Terrestrial, or Extraordinary Extraterrestrial Phenomena?
Why UFOs deserve scientific attention.
NASA is going to study UFOs. Here’s why
THERE’S GOT TO BE SOMETHING OUT THERE.
Defining NASA : The Historical Debate Over the Agency’s Mission
Reinventing NASA: Human Spaceflight, Bureaucracy, and Politics : Human Spaceflight, Bureaucracy, and Politics
You can also enjoy some videos about Roswell, one of the most famous UAP cases about:
The Roswell UFO Incident | COLOSSAL MYSTERIES
Roswell: The UFO mystery that still haunts America | Planet America
History’s Greatest Mysteries: ROSWELL SECRETS Revealed in Eyewitness Journal (Part 1) | History
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Author : Vanessa D”angelo |
Industry Spotlight: Copywriter
They are the wordsmiths. The ones whose words stay with us long after the ink has dried. These individuals know not just how to tell a story but weave it in such a way that you feel invited to be a part of the story. It’s an undeniable skill and talent and we’re shining our industry spotlight on the copywriter. We speak to Kim Mlangeni, a copywriter and businessowner, to tell us more about the industry and everything aspiring copywriters need to know before stepping through the doors.
My introduction to copywriting
Please tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Kim Mlangeni. I work at BlackSwan as a Mid-Weight to Senior Copywriter. I’ve been in the copywriting industry for seven-eight years. I’m a mom, a sister, a friend, a lover. I enjoy discovering new spots. I am a foodie. I love to laugh. Laughter is more than medicine to me. It’s my soul-keeper.
How did you get into copywriting?
I got into copywriting through a journalism internship I did back in 2014-2015 and I fell in love with the art of writing. My career evolved from there to where I was an online editor for a TV channel and then it grew from there.
Life as a copywriter
What does the day-to-day life of a copywriter look like?
At the moment I work for an agency so day-to-day revolves around pushing out content in terms of whatever the brief is. Let’s say, if we are working on a new campaign and some of the elements of the campaign are radio, emailers, social media, and billboards. We would then look at the ‘chase list’. This is a list that tells you when and what flights when. If a client has told us that emailers go out first, the day-to-day would be rolling out those emailers. Or, if we need to brainstorm a new campaign, we’d read the brief, huddle as a team, brainstorm and then meet to discuss ideas. We see what we can put down, we find imagery that speaks to the idea and words that speak to the idea and we build from there.
Not only am I a copywriter, but I’m also a conceptual copywriter or I’m an integrative copywriter, which puts me into different spheres. I don’t just write e-mails. I write social media posts. I brainstorm ideas. I brainstorm campaigns. I work with a production team. I roll out advertisements. I roll out billboards.
What was the most surprising thing you learned about being a copywriter?
I think the most surprising thing I learned about being a copywriter is the power of the copy that I write. Sometimes you write so much copy that for you it becomes just a “job”, but you don’t understand the impact that the emailer or radio script has on the lives of somebody who reads it or listens to it. So, I think that was the most surprising thing for me, when I met someone who had engaged with a piece of copy I had written and they said, “Wow, what you wrote really changed my life and it helped my future.” The work I do is quite amazing.
What was the biggest lesson you learned in your career as a copywriter?
The biggest lesson I learned in my career is not to take my voice for granted. Being black and female and wanting to come into a white-dominated space, a lot of times you would feel you need to close yourself off or let other people lead and you follow them. What I have to say matters. What I have to say is valid because not only am I putting this on paper, but I have heard testimonies from people that what I am doing is “life-changing”.
For aspiring copywriters
What words of advice can you give someone who wants to be a copywriter?
Don’t come into copywriting because you just want a job. You don’t just sit at a desk and write. While there is copywriting like that, but that’s not the kind I do. You have to be passionate about being one. My advice to someone who wants to be a copywriter, is based on where I am in my career. “Don’t just be a copywriter because you can write a few sentences. You must be really passionate about it.”
What skills should every aspiring copywriter have?
You need to have a way with words. You need to be a quick thinker. You need to always be on your feet. You need to keep your ears on the ground and listen to trends, listen to what’s out there, what people are engaging with because when you write, you need to write a piece that engages with people now and not “then”.
The art of writing and writers
What are the big misconceptions about copywriters?
The biggest misconception about copywriters is that we are well paid. LOL. The biggest misconception about copywriters is that we think we are ‘know-it-alls’. No. We are just people who take the extra step to research and look into more detail at the information we want to bring across and give to people.
Is writer’s block real and if so, how do you overcome it?
Writer’s block is a real thing. There’s nothing worse than experiencing writer’s block when you have a deadline. How do I overcome writer’s block? I usually step away from whatever I am working on. I focus my attention on something else. If I am working on my PC, I stop and get a paper and a pen and jot my ideas down. I try and string some sentences together and build that way. In my writer’s block, I don’t just sit with it, I try and work my way out of it.
What gets your creative writing juices flowing?
I love a good and exciting campaign. I love youth-driven products. I love anything that speaks to me or generations younger than me. I love informing and educating. I love something that I can relate to.
Becoming a copywriter
What should one look forward to when entering the job market as a copywriter?
Don’t expect people to love you at first glance. Don’t expect people to understand your style of writing at first read. Sometimes you find yourself in a space where people are so in tune or engraved in their way that they don’t see your style as something that their audience can relate to you. Sometimes it’s not what they are looking for, and they want someone who will write in a boring style. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles.
What’s the biggest challenge you have faced as a copywriter?
One of the biggest challenges faced being a copywriter is feeling validated and feeling like what I say matters. As I spoke about earlier, sometimes you write something, and your seniors will make you feel like they could have written it themself. But that’s my personal interpretation of what I thought I needed to do. The biggest challenge is feeling like I’m not heard, or my feelings don’t matter.
Career paths copywriters
What are the career paths available for a copywriter?
You get your mainstream copywriter. You get your conceptual copywriter. Scriptwriters, song writers. There are different types of copywriting streams you can go into. It’s now taking me to art and creative directing. There are different channels you can move towards and into.
Final words
What are some of the tips to survive and thrive as a copywriter?
Stand your ground. Don’t dim your light or shine. You will get naysayers who think you are too forward, or the writing style doesn’t interest the masses. It’s not in tune with what we want. But stick to your guns. Sharpen your craft. Every single chance you get – sharpen. Learn. Find out what is out there. Try and go the extra mile. Also, pen to paper. Jot things down. Make notes. Sometimes, try to focus on the main thing and then show how the other smaller things and ideas came about.
Interested in becoming copywriter? Below are a few courses you take to enhance and hone your copywriting skills:
Digest #166: Perfectionism in Education
By Carolina Kuepper-Tetzel
“Perfection is the opposite of done!” I came across this statement recently and it made me think about how perfectionism really affects one’s work and studying. Growing up, I always thought of perfectionism as a good thing, as something to aspire to. However, more recently I am questioning this thought. It adds unnecessary pressure that it difficult to live up to and sustain. I see that many issues that my students are experiencing can be traced back to perfectionism. To incredibly high goals and standards that are impossible to achieve and that makes your work not being “good enough” – when it actually is. The consequences of high perfectionism can be manifold and in today’s digest, I’d like to offer an overview of resources on perfectionism in education.
1. Perfection paralysis, Hidden Curriculum resources from educators across Ontario, Canada
This resource provides a good introduction into the topic of perfectionism and its consequences. It also comes with practical teaching resources on how to shift the students’ views on perfectionism and embracing the idea that imperfection leads to error correction and learning.
2. Perfectionism can harm even the most talented student – but schools can make a difference, Dr Andrew P. Hill for The Conversation
An article on perfectionism in highly able students and the specific challenges that come with that; plus, what schools can do to support these students. The author also put together a video that nicely complements the article and more resources can be found on the National Association for Able Children in Education (NACE) website.
3. Perfectionism Among Young People Significantly Increased Since 1980s, Study Finds, American Psychological Association
This is the summary of a published paper that looked at how perfectionism changed over the course of years – between 1989 and 2016. Awareness of this trend is the first step towards changing the narrative.
4. The dangerous downsides of perfectionism, Amanda Ruggeri (@amanda_ruggeri) for BBC Future
This one is a longer read, but it highlights the many facets of perfectionism looking at different published research. It discusses where perfectionism may stem from and will provide you with a better understanding of the topic.
5. Combatting perfectionism in the chemistry classroom, Louise Hussein for Education in Chemistry
This resource provides many tips on how to support students and tweak one’s teaching practice to help them overcome the negative effects of perfectionism.
How Far Is Too Far in the Fight Against Climate Change?
Climate protesters threw tomato soup on a van Gogh painting. Were their actions counterproductive, or were they justified in the face of a climate emergency?
Vaping
Is vaping a problem among the students at your school?
Word of the Day: jetsam
This word has appeared in seven articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence?
