Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Mathematicians becoming data scientists

quomodocumque.wordpress.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 122 posts

Re: Mathematicians becoming data scientists

#11

Post by M_Grey »

denzil_correa wrote: post #9
M_Grey wrote: post #7

•Can you walk away from a problem when the solution is “good enough,” are you able to switch between tasks or problems with relative ease? Are you OK with simple solutions to problems that could have more complicated solutions, but only with rapidly diminishing returns? Translation: Can you be a good assembly line worker, devoid of pride or curiosity and just do the damned job? If so, great, we can use you! If not, p…

A lot of things in the industry are built via hacks where good enough is good enough. The goal is not to satiate curiosity but to generate business value. This does not equate to lack of pride, just a different goal.

Yeah, like the IoT. I'm sorry, but we've reached the point where that level of blithe pursuit of a "different goal" is becoming destructive on a broad scale.

Re: Mathematicians becoming data scientists

#12

Post by hyperbovine »

M_Grey wrote: post #7

•Can you walk away from a problem when the solution is “good enough,” are you able to switch between tasks or problems with relative ease? Are you OK with simple solutions to problems that could have more complicated solutions, but only with rapidly diminishing returns? Translation: Can you be a good assembly line worker, devoid of pride or curiosity and just do the damned job? If so, great, we can use you! If not, p…

A lot of successful academics I know (including mathematicians) operate on similar principles. Not everybody embraces the Gowers/Perelman/Zhang model, nor should they.

Re: Mathematicians becoming data scientists

#13

Post by ecesena »

11thEarlOfMar wrote: post #10

I've been encouraging my daughter, a statistics major, to pursue data science by including Python/R in her studies and then possibly heading back for an MBA. But not sure if an MBA would be a benefit. Thoughts from actual data scientists?

Personally I think a PhD would be better than an MBA if she really wants to do data science, but generally speaking I'm for as more edu as possible, and I'm sure she'll benefit from an MBA too.

Re: Mathematicians becoming data scientists

#14

Post by laretluval »

M_Grey wrote: post #7

•Can you walk away from a problem when the solution is “good enough,” are you able to switch between tasks or problems with relative ease? Are you OK with simple solutions to problems that could have more complicated solutions, but only with rapidly diminishing returns? Translation: Can you be a good assembly line worker, devoid of pride or curiosity and just do the damned job? If so, great, we can use you! If not, p…

That is not the intended meaning at all. It can be a great point of pride and skill to find a solution that is as good as possible subject to complexity and time constraints that do not exist in academia.

Re: Mathematicians becoming data scientists

#15

Post by fny »

11thEarlOfMar wrote: post #10

I've been encouraging my daughter, a statistics major, to pursue data science by including Python/R in her studies and then possibly heading back for an MBA. But not sure if an MBA would be a benefit. Thoughts from actual data scientists?

I'd recommend she become familiar with Python/R, go work in the data-science/tech industry for a few years, and then head back for an MBA, which might even be sponsored by her company.

IMO, an MBA proves most powerful when backed by real-world experience.

Re: Mathematicians becoming data scientists

#16

Post by ecesena »

M_Grey wrote: post #7

•Can you walk away from a problem when the solution is “good enough,” are you able to switch between tasks or problems with relative ease? Are you OK with simple solutions to problems that could have more complicated solutions, but only with rapidly diminishing returns? Translation: Can you be a good assembly line worker, devoid of pride or curiosity and just do the damned job? If so, great, we can use you! If not, p…

I think in academia you have the same issues, maybe not to deliver a product but to deliver papers. You get use to the good enough and moving to the next thing, and you're constantly switching between projects, students, students projects... I haven't seen much diff in academia and work, except naming the same thing differently.

Re: Mathematicians becoming data scientists

#17

Post by M_Grey »

laretluval wrote: post #14
M_Grey wrote: post #7

•Can you walk away from a problem when the solution is “good enough,” are you able to switch between tasks or problems with relative ease? Are you OK with simple solutions to problems that could have more complicated solutions, but only with rapidly diminishing returns? Translation: Can you be a good assembly line worker, devoid of pride or curiosity and just do the damned job? If so, great, we can use you! If not, p…

That is not the intended meaning at all. It can be a great point of pride and skill to find a solution that is as good as possible subject to complexity and time constraints that do not exist in academia.

And how often does that pride last once you see the application that work is put to? At least if you do good math, you can take pride in that.

Re: Mathematicians becoming data scientists

#18

Post by diimdeep »

>. A big thing about the transition to tech is that you possibly start communicating with people who don’t really know what a vector space is. Be ready to have those conversations. Honestly ask yourself if you’re OK with having those conversations.

This is so snobbish. What here is even think about ?

Re: Mathematicians becoming data scientists

#19

Post by jknoepfler »

M_Grey wrote: post #7

•Can you walk away from a problem when the solution is “good enough,” are you able to switch between tasks or problems with relative ease? Are you OK with simple solutions to problems that could have more complicated solutions, but only with rapidly diminishing returns? Translation: Can you be a good assembly line worker, devoid of pride or curiosity and just do the damned job? If so, great, we can use you! If not, p…

I'm sorry, what? Being a good engineer in the real world means building quality solutions within time and cost constraints. It's a craft. One can be a good engineer and have both pride and curiosity. You also need humility and the ability to put your customer's needs ahead of your ego.

I mean, by all means open up a little boutique data science consultancy that charges three orders of magnitude more for a solution that can't be updated by anyone without a ph.d and only beats an out of the box svm by .1%, where you put your pride and curiosity (your vanity) first. You might even find some suckers to patronize you, but man... I must be misunderstanding you because that is the most clueless and entitled thing I've read in days.

98% of the time data science customers actually just want some basic statistical insights into their data to make better informed decisions. If you aren't willing to help with that, and also can't find a research group to take you in (to work on their projects) and also can't bootstrap your own startup, then yes, stay in academia.

Re: Mathematicians becoming data scientists

#20

Post by M_Grey »

jknoepfler wrote: post #19
M_Grey wrote: post #7

•Can you walk away from a problem when the solution is “good enough,” are you able to switch between tasks or problems with relative ease? Are you OK with simple solutions to problems that could have more complicated solutions, but only with rapidly diminishing returns? Translation: Can you be a good assembly line worker, devoid of pride or curiosity and just do the damned job? If so, great, we can use you! If not, p…

I'm sorry, what? Being a good engineer in the real world means building quality solutions within time and cost constraints. It's a craft. One can be a good engineer and have both pride and curiosity. You also need humility and the ability to put your customer's needs ahead of your ego. I mean, by all means open up a little boutique data science consultancy that charges three orders of magnitude more for a solution th…

We're... not talking about engineers though.
Post reply on HN