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☆ Watch an A.I. Learn to Write by Reading Nothing but Jane Austen
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Aatish Bhatia | Aatish Bhatia Spent Weeks Reading Dozens Of A.I. Research Articles | Training Tiny Language Models On His Computer. Before Coming To The Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

This is how language models usually start off: They guess randomly and produce gibberish. Over many, many rounds of training, language models can learn to write. As language models grow larger, the patterns that they learn can become increasingly complex. More is differentOther than the additional fine-tuning stages, the primary difference between nanoGPT and the language model underlying chatGPT is size. Large language models can become highly unpredictable, as evidenced by Microsoft Bing A.I.’s early interactions with my colleague Kevin Roose.

☆ Bill Gates says this is the ‘ultimate test of whether you know a topic’—he even tried it on his kids
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Bill Gates believes there's only one way to know if you truly understand a subject: Can you explain it to a child? If they successfully learn from you — which, in fairness, may also depend on your friend — it's a good sign that you're on the right track. And while they may not have enjoyed the math lessons, Gates still said his teaching sessions were a "great" experience — at least, for him — because they reinforced his own love of math. "One of my favorite things was teaching calculus to the kids ... You have to explain why that's so important, and why they have those funny symbols," Gates said, adding: "It's crazy.

☆ What 20/20 Vision Really Means
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Eugenia Cheng | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Illustration: Tomasz WalentaMathematician Eugenia Cheng explores the uses of math beyond the classroom. Read more columns here. A friend of mine recently had laser eye surgery, after which he was declared to have “20/15 vision.” I was surprised by this way of describing vision that is even better than 20/20 and realized that, despite wearing glasses since the age of 4, I’ve never thought about what 20/20, or indeed my eyeglass prescription, means.

☆ We got an exclusive look at the pitch deck that math education startup Innovamat used to raise $21 million in new funding
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Innovamat is a Barcelona-based edtech startup that uses a new way of teaching math to K-8 students. Now, the team has raised $21 million in Series A funding and will expand into the US. The idea for Innovamat, a startup focused on developing a new way to teach math to K-8 students, came to the company's cofounders when they were students themselves. In 2015, Dotti and Piedra spent their free time working as engineering and math teachers at their university's neighboring academy, which helps first year students study and pass important qualifying exams. Check out the 13-slide pitch deck that Innovamat used to raise $21 million in Series A funding:

☆ The hat: Mathematicians invent 'einstein' tile that never repeats
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Called “The hat” because it vaguely resembles a fedora, the elusive shape is an “einstein” (from the German “ein stein,” or “one stone”). “I’m not really into math, to be honest — I did it at school, but I didn’t excel in it,” Smith said. “The hat,” however, is an aperiodic tile, meaning it can still completely cover a surface without any gaps, but you can never identify any cluster that periodically repeats itself to do so. How ‘The hat’ worksThere’s nothing inherently magical about “The hat,” according to Kaplan. “We’re not trying to protect it in any way,” Kaplan said.

☆ N.C.A.A. Bracket Picks: Where Fans and Experts Diverge
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Josh Katz | Alice Fang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

One avenue is examining the differences between the forecasts of mathematical models and the collective choices of fans. For example, fans are much more likely to have Kansas and Alabama in the Final Four than the experts. The table below shows an aggregate view of the difference between the public’s picks and those of forecasting models. But if you pick the same teams as everyone else, your bracket will look the same, too, something you should consider. There is no guarantee that this approach will work, of course, and part of the draw of the N.C.A.A.

☆ In economics, women's voices still struggle to be heard
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Maria Martinez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

There seems to be a lot to celebrate on International Women's Day in the field of economics. Women head the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, the U.S. Treasury and the European Central Bank. "The pervasive underrepresentation of women in economics is systemic and structural," Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the first woman to head the World Trade Organization, told Reuters. "There are no women in the textbooks and most big names in economics are men," said Sandra Kretschmer, economics researcher and member of the Women in Economics Initiative. Women and men tend to have different research interests, said Alisa Weinberger, economics researcher at Goethe.

☆ Our quest to make AI love us back is futile — and dangerous
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

But that's futile, experts say, because the AI of today can't feel empathy, let alone love. We've spent years trying to get AI to love us back. Experts told Insider that it's futile to expect the AIs that exist right now to love us back. During a simulation in October 2020, OpenAI's GPT-3 chatbot told a person asking for psychiatric help to kill themselves. Halpern, the UC Berkeley professor, told Insider AI-based relationships are perilous also because the entity can be used as a money-making tool.

☆ Use this simple math principle to make better decisions—it's hiding in plain sight, says bestselling author
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Natasha Piñon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The British mathematician, professor and bestselling author writes and speaks about how simple bits of math can benefit people's day-to-day lives. "The math you learn in school is so, so different to what the subject actually is," Fry says. "You leave school with the impression that math is this subject that belongs in dusty textbooks, over there in the nerd corner." The Fermi problemThe Fermi problem might sound familiar, because it's become popular in job interviews. Ahead of the Manhattan Project's first nuclear test, Fermi grabbed a piece of paper and tore it into pieces.

☆ Nvidia results show its growing lead in AI chip race
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Chavi Mehta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, shows the Drive Pegasus robotaxi AI computer at his keynote address at CES in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. January 7, 2018. AI has emerged as a bright spot for investments in the tech industry, whose slowing growth has led to widespread layoffs and a cutback on experimental bets. SPECIALIZED CHIPSGraphics processing units are designed to handle the specific kind of math involved in AI computing very efficiently, while generic central processing units (CPUs) from Intel can handle a broader range of computing tasks with less efficiency. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD.O), whose shares also rose after Nvidia earnings on Wednesday, is the second-biggest player in the GPU industry, with a market share of roughly 20%. Nvidia's strength in the AI industry has also attracted the attention of venture capitalists and startups, which are investing billions of dollars and promising improvements such as lower electricity consumption.

☆ How ‘Russian Math’ Became the Must-Have Extracurricular for Overachieving Parents
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Ellen Gamerman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

American parents are seeking out international alternatives to supplement their kids’ math education, including Singapore math and Russian math. On RussianMathTutors.com, a site promoting a Soviet-era style of math instruction, a sample question involves Masha, a mom who bakes a batch of unmarked pies: three rice, three bean and three cherry. The student must determine how Masha can find a cherry pie “by biting into as few tasteless pies as possible.”While Masha is biting pies, American parents are eating it up.

☆ How ‘Russian Math’ Became a Must-Have Extracurricular for Overachieving Parents
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Ellen Gamerman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Folding Paper Can Smooth Out Problems
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Eugenia Cheng | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Mathematician Eugenia Cheng explores the uses of math beyond theclassroom. Read more columns here. I recently had to send a paper letter for the first time in years, so I found myself folding a sheet in thirds to put it in an envelope. When I was growing up I was baffled about how to estimate the thirds accurately. Finally I learned to roll the paper up and then flatten it, rather than making the folds one at a time.

☆ The week that tech became exciting again
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN Business —Let’s be honest: For much of the past decade, tech events have been pretty boring. In each case, the changes were powered by new AI technology that allows for more conversational and complex responses. And there are already rumors of another event next month for Microsoft to demo similar features in its Office products, including Word, PowerPoint and Outlook. Chinese tech giants Alibaba and Baidu also said this week that they would be launching their own ChatGPT-style services. Microsoft employee Alex Buscher demonstrates a search feature integration of Microsoft Bing search engine and Edge browser with OpenAI on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, in Redmond.

New York City's Department of Education announced a ban on the wildly popular chatbot ChatGPT — which some have warned could inspire more student cheating — from its schools’ devices and networks. It was not immediately clear if the ban applied to the City University of New York system. In New York public schools, ChatGPT can still be made available upon request to classes studying artificial intelligence. In an email statement responding to the New York City public schools ban, a spokesperson for OpenAI said the company "doesn't want ChatGPT to be used for misleading purposes in schools or anywhere else." We’ve always called for transparency around the use of AI-generated text," the spokesperson said.

☆ PM Sunak promises to tackle Britain's most pressing problems
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised on Wednesday to tackle Britain's most pressing problems, from cutting inflation to ending illegal migration, in a speech aimed at reassuring his restive Conservative Party before the next election. Five foundations, on which to build a better future for our children and grandchildren," Sunak said in a speech in east London. So, I ask you to judge us on the effort we put in and the results we achieve," Sunak said. We're either delivering for you or we're not," Sunak said on Wednesday. "I ask you to judge us on the effort that we put in and the results that we achieve."

☆ PM Rishi Sunak sets out priorities for Britain, responds to critics
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Elizabeth Piper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Jan 3 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will set out his priorities for 2023 on Wednesday, using his first speech of the year to try to reassure his restive Conservative Party that he has what it takes to lead them into the next national election. Wednesday's speech will be as much a statement of intent as a reply to critics who doubt whether the man, who failed to win against Truss in the Conservative leadership race in September, has what it takes to help the party win the next election. Billed by his Downing Street office as a speech to set out his priorities for the year ahead and ambition for a better future for Britain, Sunak, 42, will set out his commitment to deliver for the long term on issues such as low numeracy rates. The speech will not come too soon for those in his governing Conservative Party who see little chance of winning the next election, expected in 2024. Reporting by Elizabeth Piper, additional reporting by Muvija M.; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The Magical Curve for Holiday Lights and Sturdy Domes
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Eugenia Cheng | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Mathematician Eugenia Cheng explores the uses of math beyond the classroom. Read more columns here. When we hang strings of Christmas lights or tinsel, we often drape them in curves instead of pulling them taut, to look more festive. In math, the curved shape they take is called a catenary. The word is derived from the Latin for “chain,” as it’s the curve that a chain or rope will make when hanging just by its own weight.

☆ The founder of a Houston hostel is closing in on a key hire thanks to a talent mentor unlike any she's had before
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Alexandra York | In Partnership With | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Entrepreneur Deidre Mathis made an effort to not Google Donna Harris, her new business mentor, before their first meeting. Through the mentorship relationship, Mathis identified her values and mission, and enshrined those in her company culture. One of Mathis' goals was to hire a manager. With these documents, Harris coached Mathis through the values-creation process, where the two determined the ethos of Mathis' business based on her personal values and priorities. "As a small-business owner, your personal values and your business values are an overlapping Venn diagram," Harris said.

☆ 5 reasons to applaud the smart, speedy jury that convicted the Trump Organization of tax fraud
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

A Manhattan jury convicted Donald Trump's company of all 17 tax-fraud counts on Tuesday. But he would not implicate anyone named Trump — not Donald Trump, who he worked for since the 1980s. And not any of Trump's three eldest kids — Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, or Ivanka Trump, who have all served as Trump Organization executive vice presidents. Back during jury selection in late October, defense lawyers had the darnedest time finding Manhattan residents who didn't hate Donald Trump. They certainly did not look like Donald Trump's C-suite of well-paid, white-collar white men.

☆ Rats blamed for eating 500 kilograms of cannabis stored by Indian police
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Vedika Sud | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New Delhi CNN —Rats in northern India have been accused of eating hundreds of kilograms of cannabis seized from drug dealers and stored in police warehouses. Court documents said the police had been asked to provide 386 kilograms of cannabis, but the prosecution flagged to the court that more than 700 kilograms of marijuana stored in various stations across Mathura could be impacted by the rat infestation. However, accounts regarding the exact sequence of events that followed the rats’ alleged consumption of the cannabis appear a little hazy. A 2016 study by the University of British Columbia found the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana made lab rats lazy. The rats typically chose the harder – and more rewarding – task, but after being given marijuana, the same rats picked the easier task.

☆ World-renowned Puerto Rico telescope won't be rebuilt after collapse
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The National Science Foundation announced Thursday that it will not rebuild a renowned radio telescope in Puerto Rico, which was one of the world’s largest until it collapsed nearly two years ago. Instead, the agency issued a solicitation for the creation of a $5 million education center at the site that would promote programs and partnerships related to science, technology, engineering and math. The decision was mourned by scientists around the world who used the telescope at the Arecibo Observatory for years to search for asteroids, planets and extraterrestrial life. The education component is very important,” said James Moore, assistant director for education and human resource directorate at NSF. He said by phone that one of the agency’s priorities is to make STEM more accessible and inclusive and that the proposed education center would fill that need.

☆ When Is a Doughnut Like a Coffee Cup?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Eugenia Cheng | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Mathematician Eugenia Cheng explores the uses of math beyond the classroom. Read more columns here. The Association of Women in Mathematics has produced a deck of cards featuring a female mathematician on each one, with a short biography. I was amused to find that the one for me says I was born in the “late 20th century,” whereas a friend of mine who’s only a few years older has “mid-20th century.” I think of her as around the same age as me, but those descriptions make us sound a generation apart.

2022 and 2023 federal income tax brackets by filing statusBelow are the federal income tax brackets for single filers, heads of household, and married people who file either jointly and separately for 2021 and 2022. Your marginal tax rate is the highest tax rate your taxable income falls into. For one thing, it's because you can only determine your effective tax rate by going through the machinations of figuring out your marginal tax rate and the resulting total tax liability. Once you know your marginal tax bracket, you know how much tax you'll pay on each dollar of income. You can then calculate your effective tax rate based on your total tax liability for the year.

2021 and 2022 federal income tax brackets by filing statusBelow are the federal income tax brackets for single filers, heads of household, and married people who file either jointly and separately for 2021 and 2022. Your marginal tax rate is the highest tax rate your taxable income falls into. For one thing, it's because you can only determine your effective tax rate by going through the machinations of figuring out your marginal tax rate and the resulting total tax liability. Once you know your marginal tax bracket, you know how much tax you'll pay on each dollar of income. You can then calculate your effective tax rate based on your total tax liability for the year.

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