We’ve entered a puzzling time in this pandemic. No, not a strange time – it’s been strange for a long time – rather a time that is full of bad puns, me blogging again, and, well, puzzles. I haven’t bought or tried a puzzle in years but my newfound freedom to remain at home indefinitely… Continue reading Thinking Like an Algorithm
Tag: algorithms
Algorithms Without Feeling
I was playing around with the Google Maps API’s Autocomplete today. This is the feature that lets you type something like “Vancouver” and turn it into the corresponding city. As you type each letter, it guesses what place you’re looking for. Google, being Google, has put a remarkable amount of intelligence into making this work.… Continue reading Algorithms Without Feeling
Justin Bieber has Swine Flu!
Alright, I admit it, I don’t know if Justin Bieber has swine flu, but you could be forgiven thinking that if you typed “What are the symptoms of swine flu?” into Ask.com: You’re seeing two things: An over-reliance on algorithms. They’re showing other questions asked by people who also asked “What are the symptoms of… Continue reading Justin Bieber has Swine Flu!
Algorithms are Hard :(
Yesterday I was listening to a podcast that referenced Cajmere’s Coffee Pot – commonly referred to as “Percolator” or “It’s time for the percolator”. I was wondering how the original song went, so I figured I’d listen to in on YouTube. All good, but check out that “featured video” in the upper right corner. I’m… Continue reading Algorithms are Hard 🙁
Facebook Thinks I’ve Got Marriage Problems
Wow, I haven’t even been married six months and Facebook already thinks that I’ve got marriage issues. I’d like to think that my marriage is going really well. In fact, I thought that the day we spent today, traipsing around town, was some of the most fun in ages. But Facebook apparently thinks otherwise. In… Continue reading Facebook Thinks I’ve Got Marriage Problems