Tag: stem

The Happy Equation

Published on by BriAlys

My next read is definitely a “Geek Read” – Solve for Happy by Mo Gawdat. Solve for Happy is a book about creating and maintaining happiness, written by a top Google executive with an engineer’s training and fondness for thoroughly analyzing a problem, “problems” like self driving cars and Google Glass. Mo applies his engineering skills to the “problem” of happiness and proposes an algorithm based on an understanding of how the brain takes in and processes joy and sadness. 🙌🏽❤️

One of Solve for Happy‘s key premises is that happiness is a default state. If we shape expectations to acknowledge the full range of possible events, unhappiness is on its way to being defeated. To steer clear of unhappiness traps, we must dispel the six illusions that cloud our thinking (e.g., the illusion of time, of control, and of fear); overcome the brain’s seven deadly defects (e.g., the tendency to exaggerate, label, and filter), and embrace five ultimate truths (e.g., change is real, now is real, unconditional love is real). By means of several highly original thought experiments, Mo helps readers find enduring contentment by questioning some of the most fundamental aspects of their existence. panmacmillan

Watch Mo in action below and purchase your copy of Solve for Happy on Amazon (videos, Goodreads).

Google to HBCU for the win!

Published on by BriAlys

THIS is how you change the game… go straight to the source. #STEM #HBCU #ComputerScience #BlackSoftwareEngineer <== 🙋🏽🙋🏽🙋🏽

Read more about Google and Howard’s partnership here. Here’s to hoping this business-to-hbcu trend continues and my Alma Mater is next in line…. 🤔

 

Amazon and GE

Published on by BriAlys

urlI love it when two companies I love parter together to create innovative products! I actually think there is not enough collaborations from major brands and we will see MUCH MORE of this in the future. Amazon’s Alexa, think digital personal assistant, has been a hit for some time. So much so that you can barely get your hands on it. But instead of a black box to house the Siri-like technology, Amazon has partnered with General Electric to put Alexa in a lighting unit. 🙋🏽 #fan

It includes always-on microphones listening for commands and questions, and when it hears one, it’ll react or speak out a response through its built-in speakers. The Verge

amazon-logoBut that’s not all. Amazon is inserting Alexa into everything: speakers, TV’s, lamps, cars, robots, you name it! Google and Amazon are both competing in this space. Who will win? I honestly don’t care! It’s a great example of innovation and competition is good for consumers! Check out the GE lamp powered by Alexa below. It’s supposed to be available in the 2nd quarter of this year. #engineering #computerscience #technology #manufacturing #stem

 

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New Education Bill

Published on by BriAlys

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(Surprisingly) Congress passed a new education bill last week. Forget “No Child Left Behind” rolled to in 2001 and embrace “Every Student Succeeds Act“. So what are the changes?

  • Testing will continue, but STATES – not the U.S. government – will now decide how to use the results in evaluating teachers and schools. The new law encourages states to limit the time students spend on testing, and it will diminish the high stakes for underperforming schools.(Associated Press)
  • Computer Science has been included in the definition of well-rounded education subjects. Its inclusion, for example, will allow computer science educators the same level of access to professional development opportunities as teachers in other subject areas such as science and math. (Wall Street Journal)

(see also The Case for Computer Science)

These are the two main points I saw as I scanned multiple news outlets’ headlines – there may be more. You can read the full details here (it’s only 1,068 pages). #HappyReading

I Can Be a Computer Engineer

Published on by BriAlys

barbieengineerMattel recently released a dual Barbie book titled: I Can Be an Actress/I Can Be a Computer Engineer. Cool! There’s a national focus on Girls and STEM, so this can only be good, right? WRONG! One blogger sums it up this way:

“Despite having ruined her own laptop, her sister’s laptop, and the library’s computers, not to mention Steven and Brian’s afternoon, she takes full credit for her game design— only to get extra credit and decide she’s an awesome computer engineer! “I did it all by myself!“

The problem is that Barbie didn’t actually do any of the work. Another blogger sums it up with an article titled, “Computer Engineer Barbie Needs Men To Write Code, Can’t Reboot Computer“.

My first job out of college was a Software Engineer. I was the only African-American female of about 300 employees (there were probably 10 black people total and maybe 20 women). Reading a book that has Barbie relying on her male counterparts to implement her ideas and then taking credit for it is pretty offensive. Is she not smart enough? Does she not know how to do these types of things? What message are you sending to little girls? Kinda goes counter to the #Girls and #STEM movement!

So what does the Internet do when companies get it wrong? Kathleen Tuite put together a website called Feminist Hacker Barbie, which allows the public to rewrite the book. You basically take a scene from the book and re-write it with a more acceptable story-line! (And post it to social media of course).

If you still don’t believe the hype, check out the reviews for this book on Amazon.