Suggested readings week 46/2022

The Mythical Man-Month (Frederick P. Brooks, 1931-2022)

Frederick Phillips Brooks, Jr. joined the pioneering degree program in computer science at Harvard University in 1955 and after earning his PhD was recruited by IBM.

Fast forward to 1964,  Brooks was invited to the University of North Carolina where he founded the University’s computer science department and while teaching and researching he pioneered the use of a haptic force feedback display to supplement visual graphics.

He wrote The Mythical Man-Month in 1977, the most useful book about working in a team and delivering value as software developers.

http://bfwa.com/2012/06/04/rise-the-mythical-man-month-frederick-p-brooks-jr-19751995/

Neurosymbolic Programming

Neurosymbolic Programming (NP): models combine neural and symbolic components to learn complex patterns and representations from data, and have the potential to accelerate scientific discovery.

Using domain knowledge from scientists (prior knowledge and experimental context) to produce interpretable outputs. In the direction of more automation also in scientific research.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2210.05050

The Secret Microscope

Did you know that the Microscope was invented by a Dutch curious researcher?

https://www.wired.com/story/secret-microscope-sparked-scientific-revolution/

Growth

a growing number of countries - 33 by The Economist's count, home to over 1bn people—have managed to increase their gdp while reducing their emissions.

Worth reading, with cautious optimism.

https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/11/10/economic-growth-no-longer-requires-rising-emissions