Hackathons as a means of accelerating scientific discoveries and knowledge transfer

International audienceScientific research plays a key role in the advancement of human knowledge and pursuit of solutions to important societal challenges. Typically, research occurs within specific institutions where data are generated and subsequently analyzed. Although collaborative science bringing together multiple institutions is now common, in such collaborations the analytical processing of the data is often performed by individual researchers within the team, with only limited internal oversight and critical analysis of the workflow prior to publication. Here, we show how hackathons can be a means of enhancing collab-orative science by enabling peer review before results of analyses are published by cross-validating the design of studies or underlying data sets and by driving reproducibility of scientific analyses. Traditionally, in data analysis processes, data generators and bioinformaticians are divided and do not collaborate on analyzing the data. Hackathons are a good strategy to build bridges over the traditional divide and are potentially a great agile extension to the more structured collaborations between multiple investigators and institutions

Spartan Daily, May 2, 2019

Volume 152, Issue 40https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartan_daily_2019/1039/thumbnail.jp

Developing Circular Economy through implementing advanced technologies in Dubai

The UAE and Dubai have made several strides towards sustainability and in recent years Circular Economy started to be recognised in the region. It is crucial to understand that Circular Economy is not only connected to recycling municipal waste. Circular Economy is a strategy that intends to be implemented as a business model across all industries through technological advancements. First, a conceptual and theoretical framework is developed through data analytics to indicates what are the barriers that slows any economy form implementing Circular Economy, how can Circular Economy strategy be developed in Dubai through implementing technological advancements. Secondly, a wide range of selected Circular Economy literature reviews helped in identifying advantages, strategies and implementation plans ranging from international and regional published reports. Missing data points related to Circular Economy strategy, policy and legislation in Dubai were faced while building the research methodology framework. To strengthen the research methodology a framework was built. Starting by collecting relevant Circular Economy data points from a hackathon, conducting a survey and selecting a set of published reports. Then the dataset was cleaned and prepared for data modelling where a machine learning algorithm for unsupervised data set was created, natural language processing, python and IBM Watson Discovery. Finally processing and analysing the data results of the hackathon, survey and reports were linked with the four barriers resulting in a set of twenty-five recommended initiatives linked with Dubai Industrial Strategy 2030 aims

Hackathons as Co-optation Ritual: Socializing Workers and Institutionalizing Innovation in the “New” Economy

Hackathons, time-bounded competitive events where participants write computer code and build apps, have become a popular means of socializing tech students and workers to produce “innovation” despite little promise of material reward. Although they offer participants opportunities for learning new skills and face-to-face networking, and set up interaction rituals that create an emotional “high,” potential advantage is even greater for the events’ corporate sponsors, who use them to outsource work, crowdsource innovation, and enhance their reputation. Ethnographic observations and informal interviews carried out at seven public hackathons held in New York City during the course of a single school year show how the format of the event and sponsors’ discursive tropes, within a dominant cultural frame reflecting the appeal of Silicon Valley, reshape unpaid and precarious work. Writing code and building apps for free becomes an extraordinary opportunity, a ritual of ecstatic labor, and a collective imaginary for fictional expectations of innovation that benefits all. Despite participants’ dual emphasis on the pleasures of participating and the benefits they hope to derive, hackathons are a powerful strategy for manufacturing workers’ consent in the “new” economy

Quantum games and interactive tools for quantum technologies outreach and education

We provide an extensive overview of a wide range of quantum games and interactive tools that have been employed by the quantum community in recent years. We present selected tools as described by their developers, including "Hello Quantum, Hello Qiskit, Particle in a Box, Psi and Delta, QPlayLearn, Virtual Lab by Quantum Flytrap, Quantum Odyssey, ScienceAtHome, and the Virtual Quantum Optics Laboratory." In addition, we present events for quantum game development: hackathons, game jams, and semester projects. Furthermore, we discuss the Quantum Technologies Education for Everyone (QUTE4E) pilot project, which illustrates an effective integration of these interactive tools with quantum outreach and education activities. Finally, we aim at providing guidelines for incorporating quantum games and interactive tools in pedagogic materials to make quantum technologies more accessible for a wider population. (C) The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.Peer reviewe