A Data Science Platform to Enable Time-domain Astronomy

SkyPortal is an open-source software package designed to discover interesting transients efficiently, manage follow-up, perform characterization, and visualize the results. By enabling fast access to archival and catalog data, crossmatching heterogeneous data streams, and the triggering and monitoring of on-demand observations for further characterization, a SkyPortal-based platform has been operating at scale for >2 yr for the Zwicky Transient Facility Phase II community, with hundreds of users, containing tens of millions of time-domain sources, interacting with dozens of telescopes, and enabling community reporting. While SkyPortal emphasizes rich user experiences across common front-end workflows, recognizing that scientific inquiry is increasingly performed programmatically, SkyPortal also surfaces an extensive and well-documented application programming interface system. From back-end and front-end software to data science analysis tools and visualization frameworks, the SkyPortal design emphasizes the reuse and leveraging of best-in-class approaches, with a strong extensibility ethos. For instance, SkyPortal now leverages ChatGPT large language models to generate and surface source-level human-readable summaries automatically. With the imminent restart of the next generation of gravitational-wave detectors, SkyPortal now also includes dedicated multimessenger features addressing the requirements of rapid multimessenger follow-up: multitelescope management, team/group organizing interfaces, and crossmatching of multimessenger data streams with time-domain optical surveys, with interfaces sufficiently intuitive for newcomers to the field. This paper focuses on the detailed implementations, capabilities, and early science results that establish SkyPortal as a community software package ready to take on the data science challenges and opportunities presented by this next chapter in the multimessenger era

Steam Navigation on the Red River of the North 1859-1881

Steam navigation on the Red River of the North began in 1859 when Anson Northup, motivated by a monetary bonus from St. Paul businessmen , placed a steamboat bearing his name upon the river. Navigation continued on a fairly regular seasonal basic between Georgetown and Fort Garry (Winnipeg) for the next three years, highlighted by the appearance of a new vessel, the International, in 1862. Because of low water, Indian problems, and management difficulties, however, the rest of the decade brought years of general lethargy and inconsistency. In 1870 James J. Hill became directly associated with the St. Paul- Winnipeg flatboat trade. The following year he built a steamboat, the Selkirk, and competed with the Hudson\u27s Bay Company\u27s International. The formation of Manitoba and the increased immigration to the Red River Valley boosted the volume of business in the early 1870s, and by 1874, the year in which Hill and Norman Kittson formed the Red River Transportation Company, there were several boats carrying freight and passengers up and down the Red. The Red River Transportation Company\u27s monopoly was briefly but unsuccessfully challenged by the Merchants International Steamboat Line in 1875. The RRTC*s dominance continued on into the late i870s. By this time the railroad was entering the scene, and in 1878 St. Paul and Winnipeg were directly connected by rail. This development signaled the demise of steam navigation as a major mode of commercial transportation in the valley. Though commercial steamboats would continue to ply the Red River until about. l9l5, there was really only one decade—the l870s--when their economic feasibility was unquestionable. As railroad magnate James Hill had correctly perceived, steamboating on the Red was transi tional. in its importance. Though its role was significant in its time and also contributed to the overall commercial development of the Red River Valley, the steamboat proved to be no match for the railroad

Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Boy Scout Project Plan

Following it\u27s foundation on February 8, 1910, the Boy Scouts of America have continued to develop boys into the leaders of tomorrow. To continue this tradition, along with taking advantage of the historical research opportunities associated with the Lewis and Clark bicentennial celebration, a project plan is being developed for the Boy Scouts to participate in the celebration. The Boy Scouts will push for continued progress toward rank advancement and merit badge requirements, while reenacting many activities of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Associated with these activities, advertisement, patches and medals will also need to be accounted for, to make this project a success. Using past lessons learned and constraints as defined by the BSA council, a project plan has been created looking at high level requirements for this project A WBS and Gantt chart were created and available for the project manager to continue the project life cycle. The project manager for this project, along with common PM requirements, will need to have a familiarity with the BSA structure and key contacts to successfully pull in needed resources. Project controls will also be required to keep the project on schedule, under budget and successful in meeting the objectives. The next steps needed are to defined resources, owners and completion dates for project requirements in the current plan. Following execution and completion of the bicentennial celebrations, a post-mortem should be completed to continue building on lessons learned for future projects

Overseas Outsourcing

Overseas outsourcing and off-shoring has become a trend for many US based corporations. In the past year, there has been an increase of about 10% in outsourcing. Much of the outsourcing currently is directed towards Indian companies; however, other countries including China, Philippines, Mexico and Ireland are seeing an increase in US business. Some of the key driving forces for this trend are cost, the ability to acquire specialized skills, and to redistribute employee focus. While some companies manage to gain those benefits and accomplish the goals behind their decision to outsource, there are downfalls associated with outsourcing, including communication barriers and controlling intellectual property as the primary concerns. Challenges associated with outsourcing must also be managed in order to obtain the projected benefits. Companies must also be aware of the strategic management challenges related to implementing an overseas outsourcing contract. Though it seems that there is currently no correlation between US unemployment and outsourcing, this possibility exists if US corporations and government are not reacting to this trend by improving educational systems and improving value-add capabilities to stay ahead of this growing trend

Strategic and Policy Issues: Intel Corporation Corporate Strategies

With the invention of the computer in 1946 and the integrated circuit in 1959, a new industry formed. In July 1968 three pioneers, who were among the eight founders of Fairchild Semiconductors, decided to found Intel Corporation to research, develop and manufacture microprocessors. Intel was founded in what is now called Silicon Valley, which became the world\u27s leading technology center, the birthplace of the personal computer, and the focal point for the coming technologies enabling the digital era. The three Intel pioneers were Bob Noyce, Andy Grove and Gordon Moore all from Fairchild Semiconductors. Bob Noyce was the inventor of the integrated circuit and a popular manager at Fairchild. Andy Grove was an expert in process development and Gordon Moore was in charge of research and development

Strategic and Policy Issues: Intel Corporation Corporate Strategies

With the invention of the computer in 1946 and the integrated circuit in 1959, a new industry formed. In July 1968 three pioneers, who were among the eight founders of Fairchild Semiconductors, decided to found Intel Corporation to research, develop and manufacture microprocessors. Intel was founded in what is now called Silicon Valley, which became the world\u27s leading technology center, the birthplace of the personal computer, and the focal point for the coming technologies enabling the digital era. The three Intel pioneers were Bob Noyce, Andy Grove and Gordon Moore all from Fairchild Semiconductors. Bob Noyce was the inventor of the integrated circuit and a popular manager at Fairchild. Andy Grove was an expert in process development and Gordon Moore was in charge of research and development