Non-Profit Knowledge and Data Analysis Communities 3

Big Data Science In Medicine

Finally, this UK-based Non-Profit Community specializes in using Data Science in Medicine and so it comes under both our Data Science and Health and Fitness headings. Interesting recent discussions include how removing 238 Genes might increase your lifespan!

I invite you to connect with them to learn more.  

Big Data Science in Medicine

Non-Profit Knowledge and Data Analysis Communities 2

Human Rights Data Analysis Group

This Data analysis group applies rigorous data analysis techniques to Human Rights violations around the world.

They are involved in analyzing problems in countries as varied as the US, Syria, Chad and Guatemala and are dedicated to making these statistics as accurate as possible so that policy makers around the world have a reliable basis to take action. Their website is here: Human Rights Data Analysis Group.

I invite you to like their Facebook page.

Human Rights Data Analysis Group

Non-Profit Knowledge and Data Analysis Communities 1

The Open Knowledge Foundation Network

This non-profit states it's aim as:

We want to see enlightened societies around the world, where everyone has access to key information and the ability to use it to understand and shape their lives; where powerful institutions are comprehensible and accountable; and where vital research information that can help us tackle challenges such as poverty and climate change is available to all.

They believe that an enlightened public is a powerful public and have chapters and local groups all around the world. Please Like them on their Facebook page!

Open Knowledge Foundation Network

Identifying Northern Right Whales

Identifying Northern Right Whales with Kaggle

Pattern recognition is one of the lesser know areas of Big Data Analysis. A recent competition in Kaggle: NOAA Right Whale Recognition was to help identify Northern Right Whales from photographs. There are thought to be only about 500 Northern Right Whales (or North Atlantic Right Whale) left in the world and tracking them is difficult, expensive, time consuming and needs expert Marine Biologists. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) challenged Kaggle analysts to improve the pattern algorithms that are currently used in their software. This involves being able to identify individual Whales from aerial photographs (see below).    

First place in the competition was won by a company called Deepsense.IO and you can read more about the winning entry and their approach here.

North Atlantic Right Whales

Data Science Non-Profit of the Week: Bayes Impact

Hi Everyone

My Data Science related Non-profit of the this week is a non-profit organisation called Bayes Impact - related to the statistical inference methods named after Thomas Bayes. For more information on Bayesian Analysis, see The International Society for Bayesian Analysis

Bayes Impact is an NGO set up with the goal of using data science to to improve the lives of millions at a scale that is possible only through algorithms.

One interesting project that caught my eye on their site was some work they did with Zidisha, a microfinance organisation, that makes small business loans to people in developing countries who often lack  bank accounts and, even if they could get loans, would be charged very high rates of interest by traditional lenders.

Bayes Impact worked with Zidisha to develop a model that could predict whether a borrower was a good risk based on borrow application history and behaviour. As Zidisha is not a traditional loan company, but one that specializes in poorer borrowers, it has to find a balance between giving out as many loans as it can, but also reducing fraud.


    

Data Science Podcast - What's happening at DataKind?

Hi Everyone

As part of Knowledge Shared; Knowledge Doubled, we will be bring you a series of Podcasts on different subjects. This is the first podcast in the Data Science series, and it's on the subject of DataKind non profit organisation that specializes in doing projects for charities and other institutions.

The link to the podcast is here: Data Science Podcast S01 E01

And you should also be able to subscribe.

Hope you enjoy it!
Duncan.

Kaggle

Kaggle

A great site for learning about data science is Kaggle. Kaggle acts as a meeting point between data scientists and uses competitions supplied by 3rd parties such as companies, public bodies and so on. Some competitions have prizes, some are serious and some are just for fun. It's a great way of trying some data science coding techniques while having fun and doing good at the same time. Current competitions include: classifying photos for Yelp, finding network disruptions for Telstra in Australia and discovering what is going on in Hilary Clinton's emails!