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This semester I was placed in the Data Science Group where we focused on what Data Science really is and an application it corresponds to. I researched material on how techniques of Data Science could help improve cyber security. One major technique I researched on was the Support Vector Machines (SVM) and how they contribute to helping improve cyber security. What I found was that SVM uses equations and algorithms to help determine a hyper plane that separates and categorizes variable based on the data tested on. SVMs are a new aspect to cyber security which has started recently. This technique/classifier can be used to create algorithms to prevent viruses from attacking computers and prevent software malfunction. Since SVM is a new field in cyber security there is still much to be learned. Using SVMs has a disadvantage where the data sets could be wrong if the algorithm used to create the hyper plane is wrong. SVMs are very sensitive, that if the inputs for the classifier is wrong then the data might be incorrectly presented. Learning about this technique and how it contributes to Data Science (and in general the community) has influenced me to learn more about cyber security. I am Computer Science Major and by taking the Career Preparation Seminar I was able to broaden my knowledge out side of computer science and see the correlation between other majors. The SVM is a great example of this because in order to create this classifier one must have knowledge in Computer Science, Mathematics,and any field which uses the data (could be physics, chemistry, or even art). The SVM can be used to analyze data and make assumptions. By taking this course I have gained knowledge in how my major can relate to other majors and not only in making software. It showed me how my career can be.
Hey all,
Our group has done some research into Data Science. More specifically, what Data Science has to do with not only our majors but practical applications of the science to various fields and problems.
For example, my Uncle is a Data Scientist and I had several conversations with him about how the field is rapidly expanding and is going to be in high demand in the very near future. Companies will pay top dollar for skilled personnel with the right attitude and skill set. He said that all you need to break into the field is a background in science and research and a knowledge of statistics. He taught me quite a bit about what it means to be a Data Scientist. For instance, at times its hectic because of large amounts of data to analyze but it is also very rewarding when a trend is spotted, in doing this it becomes a company goal to tweak or create new products geared towards the trend. Give the people what they want and you will make money.
The combination of our majors and the benefit of analytical software gives us the edge of our forefather Data Scientist who have had to sift through data manually. computer languages like R and even Python have become very marketable on a resume for a data science job. Using analytical methods, statistics and common sense it is possible to succeed at this career. Not only is it beneficial and rewarding but it is fairly easy to get into with the correct background.
Now me in particular, I did some digging on how data science plays a part in the National Defense against terrorists and criminals. It turns out that data science is highly sought after by the government, especially as the amount of ways and sources we receive information from explodes exponentially. Social media trends and keyword searches give the government the upper hand in thwarting those who would wish to do us harm, such as ISIS. Twitter is very popular with ISIS and the NSA and CIA constantly monitor it looking for clues, subtle slips ups and weakness the enemy leaves behind. Properly identifying these trends stops attacks in America and overseas.
Computer vision software developed by data scientists and programmers allows for better picture and face recognition for security cameras and drone allowing for us to catch most wanted criminals and terrorists. With the help of data science we keep our country safe and that should be good enough reason for anyone to want to take part in the field.
During those weeks, I and my teammates tested the features of the turtle robots. For example, the tracking feature and the 3d scanning feature. I have learned many knowledges in the robotic and also enjoined my working experience as a researcher. I sincerely appreciate this opportunity to do the research and work with my friends.
I was in Dr. McColgan’s group and we did a couple different projects. In the beginning of the semester, each one of us made a presentation on female scientists. I presented on the chemist Ruth Benerito. We learned a lot from the presentations. Our second project, we decided to learn about the 3-D printer and the process of using it. Dr. McColgan got us started on making our own 3-D printer out of old recycled computer parts and other supplies all totaling only $60. We are still in the process of making it but the finished printer will be used to help increase efficiency in Dr. McColgan’s research.
Surprisingly there are a lot firms out in the world that are in need of data scientist. Data scientist are really crucial for firms and organizations because they are capable of handling huge data collection sets. In order to be a data scientist you are required to have an intersection of abilities including: hacking skills, math skills and knowledge of statistics, and a good sense of knowledge in the field of science. Data scientist are the type of scientist who will stare at data and find unique trends in the data collection that will help bring change to the firm or organization. Being a data scientist will mean that you will have about 60 hours of work per week.
Sentiment Analysis refers to the use of language processing, text analysis, and computational linguistics to identify and extract subjective information in source materials. Firms such as Facebook and Twitter would use sentiment analysis to collect data on how the public reacts to certain events, topics, posts, etc. This will allow Facebook and Twitter to judge how responsive a crowd has been and the data scientist could use word searches and how often the public looks up words to attempt to collect data.
A List of Firms who hire Data Scientists:
– Microsoft
– IBM
– Amazon
– Bank of America
– Ebay
– Twitter
– Yahoo
– Wells Fargo
– Facebook
– SAS
– Google
– FAFSA
– National Defense
– There are so many more firms that higher
One example of a potential Data Science Question: How to determine who to give financial aid to? What is the effect of income on grade point averages for students?
Potential Approaches that a Data Scientist might make in order to solve this problem:
– Data sets retrieved from Census by regions
– Data sets of Income retrieved from Census by regions
– Create surveys to get sense of data on GPA
– Find all colleges average GPA and average need Based aid
My group worked on researching data science and the application of cyber security. I mainly researched the background of data science and what it is. Data science is the combination of three different abilities which are hacking skills, knowledge of math and statistics, and expertise in one field of science. This related to mine, Koushik and Felicia’s majors as well which made it more interesting to learn about.
Hacking skills are necessary because you will be dealing with a lot of electronic data that needs to be received, cleaned, and manipulated. Knowledge of math and statistics are also important in data science because it allows for the proper selection of which methods and tools to use in order to gain knowledge from the data collected. Finally, being an expert in one, or more, fields of science is possibly the most important element because it enables you to create questions, develop hypothesis’, and lets you better interpret results.
A lack of competence in one area of skill out of the three mentioned before, can lead to mistakes in data science. Knowledge of only math and statistics and expertise in one other field of science is defined as traditional research and is not considered data science. Having only hacking skills and knowledge of math and statistics is machine learning and doesn’t require scientific motivation. Additionally, hacking skills combined with scientific expertise is particularly dangerous because it can lead to incorrect analyses.
Data science can be applied to many different areas. There are data scientists that interpret twitter data to see what is trending. Data science is also big in the business world to help companies see how to connect to their buyers and learn what they want. Data science can be connected to a very broad range of specialties.
My group was focused on data science and how it related to each of our majors. As a chemistry major, I looked into careers that combined both data science and chemistry. I found that data science is present in the pharmaceutical field, which is also a growing field. Data scientists collect data on what drugs are sold and in what quantities. This can be used to predict what drugs should be further made to be sold or other alternative drugs that would have the same effect. The two fields are working together to expand to the worlds needs most effectively. It combines both chemistry and various areas of math, both of which are topics of interest to me.
As a sophomore physics student here at Siena I am an overly stressed and overclocked being. My remaining semesters here will have the maximum credit allowance, many sleepless nights, and my roommate wondering why I pay for room and board if I live in Roger Bacon. In the beginning of the Fall ’14 semester Danny, Elena, and Kayla were just three people who were in a seminar I also was in, so I was bummed when I found that I wasn’t placed into a group with any of my friends. But it wasn’t bad at the end of it because being in the TVS group has alleviated some stress by knowing on Thursday night a few friends could meet up on the computer science floor, have some fun and take something away from it at the end of the year.
Our assigned group was to focus on robotics. When I think robots the picture in my head is the assembly line robots that weld cars together, the stepper motors that turn the plate on a microwave, I am the industrial thinker you can say. Danny Li, sophomore, sees the fun side of robots. The nine inch one that will follow you and make snappy comebacks as you talk to it, the tutrlebot that brought him to laughing because the robot was looking at itself in the glass trying to follow a reflection, he saw the funner parts that robots can be applied to. Our freshman Kayla saw the competition behind robotics. She, like myself, came from a high school that was blessed with a robotics team, Pat-Med 329! (my high school’s team), she had zero interest in my applications of it and sided more with Danny’s view of the fun.
By the end of it we can all were able to take something new away. When Danny saw the robotics I was familiar with he was dead quiet looking at the screen, with a woah on his face. A robotic arm that has the same amount of mobility as our arm that works on 6 major joints that can do anything you need it to do. They weld, paint, assembly, cut, move, become an amusement park ride, anything is possible with these things as long as they are equipped with the right tools. When Danny brought out his turtle bot or the videos of the thinking robots I was amazed. He made me realize that they aren’t just toys or hobbies they can have actual application to the world we live in, possibly keep you company one day like the robot Honda produced.
All in all TVS class was not another brick in the wall. You didn’t walk up to the meetings every week thinking only 1 hour and I can go back to my dorm and sleep (What is sleep?). I made some good friends who I will see for the next year and be proud to see walk on the stage at graduation.
In Tech Valley Scholars, my group, Robotics, learned about the various aspects of robotics and their relevance in industry. We researched the various companies that are currently doing research in robotics, who they are hiring, and what level of education they’re looking for. Some of us had a background in robotics, particularly John and myself. We were both on FIRST robotics teams in high school and we spoke about this background and its relevance to robotics in industry. We also spoke about programming, a quintessential skill when doing work in robotics. Everyone in my group had background experience in programming except for me, but they were kind enough to explain the fundamental concepts to me. Danny demonstrated a turtle bot, which uses sensors to map the world around it in three dimensions. While our assigned professor never had time to meet with us, I found this to be a worthwhile experience that taught me more about the impact of robotics in the world.
This past semester, we worked in small groups on interesting projects. My group focused on robotics. We did some research to learn more about the field, and we found some very interesting information. We found that robotics has become an important facet of manufacturing today, with robotic arms performing actions to manufacture everything from machinery to food. A lot of this information can be seen in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFKbpbe_9pw.
In our group, we also looked at some of the things that a robot called Turtlebot (http://www.turtlebot.com/) could do. Turtlebot can map a room, which we looked at a little in the Computer Science open lab on the third floor of Roger Bacon Hall. We also looked at another function of Turtlebot – its ability to follow a moving person. It was really interesting to walk around the room and have the robot follow me. We also saw a limitation of the software, as the Turtlebot got a little confused and occasionally tried to follow a reflection instead of the actual person.