Bright Lights Big Data: Recent Episodes
Mike and Tammy Armstrong
Urban planner Mike Armstrong and data scientist Tammy Armstrong discuss their industries and interview local change makers in Des Moines, Iowa.
Mike and Tammy talk about commuter rail in the US and the possibility of high speed rail.
Also, check out the Green City podcast episodes where Mike was interviewed:
https://anchor.fm/lynnae-hentzen/episodes/MIKE-ARMSTRONG-e13r0rk
https://anchor.fm/lynnae-hentzen/episodes/MIKE-ARMSTRONG-2-0-e146fco
And register for the Des Moines Data & Analytics NLP Roundtable on August 13th: https://www.meetup.com/Des-Moines-Data-Analytics/events/279938252/
In which Tammy forgets the name of Mod Podge. Mike and Tammy respond to listener questions about how they chose their careers, and what podcasts they listen to. Also, a new edition of Call Me Algorithm.
Mike and Tammy talk about topics inspired by their latest reads: "The Information: a History, a Theory, a Flood" by James Gleick (for Tammy) and "The City We Became" by N.K. Jemisin (for Mike). Topics covered include communication technologies, natural language processing techniques, and places and identity.
Mike and Tammy discuss maps, both real and (deep)fake, and some of the concepts behind image compression.
(Apologies for the audio tragedy that is this episode - think we managed to salvage it but will do better next time!)
Mike and Tammy each come up with reality competition shows for their industries. Netflix, hit us up.
Merch is back! Check out bit.ly/blbdmerch to place your order.
Not our strongest episode for naming things. Mike and Tammy discuss urban planning-related board games, and some of the probability concepts in games in general. Mike also invents several board games.
Games discussed:
Machi Koro
Welcome To
Can’t Stop
Tokaido
Galaxy Trucker
Shows:
My First Errand
Grand Designs
Mike and Tammy discuss billionaire musician Akon's plans for a brand-new cryptocurrency-powered smart city in Senegal. See also: BLBD 49, BLBD 2.
For merch, visit bit.ly/blbdmerch
50th episode? What?!
Mike and Tammy discuss long-held assumptions in their fields, such as the safety of protected bike lanes and valid sample sizes.
Want to check out some merch? Visit bit.ly/blbdmerch
Also, a visual aid: (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
Mike and Tammy discuss the urban planning and data science sides of two video games that have been helping them through the pandemic: Animal Crossing New Horizons and the Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
Mike and Tammy chat about the effects of COVID-19 quarantines on the toilet paper market, air quality, and future transportation planning, as well as diving into Iowa's decisioning tool for if/when to trigger a shelter at home order. Also, a Call Me Algorithm about the movie Serenity. No, not that one. References: Iowa Department of Health Coronavirus Dashboard: https://idph.iowa.gov/Emerging-Health-Issues/Novel-Coronavirus NY Times Github for daily state-by-state coronavirus cases: https://github.com/nytimes/covid-19-data/blob/master/us-states.csv NY Times article tracking states' stay-at-home orders: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-stay-at-home-order.html covidtracking.com data for hospitalization rates: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRwAqp96T9sYYq2-i7Tj0pvTf6XVHjDSMIKBdZHXiCGGdNC0ypEU9NbngS8mxea55JuCFuua1MUeOj5/pubhtml# Iowa's 12-point decisioning tool criteria: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/health/2020/04/02/shelter-in-place-iowa-covid-19-benchmark-guidance-tool-waits-for-hospitalization-outbreaks/5111747002/
We're back at it after a break from recording with an extra-long episode about the data science and urban planning of epidemics, including responding to listener questions. Make sure to listen all the way to the end to hear a brand-new segment.
Vaccination game
Sorry this one is a few days late - don't get the flu! In this episode we conclude our three-part series on autonomous vehicles with discussions on liability and ethics, and listener questions.
Mike and Tammy discuss present-day concerns for self driving cars, the path to a future of autonomous vehicles, and start to ideate on societal impacts.
Mike and Tammy interview Drake University political science professor Rachel Paine Caufield and temporary caucus chair Jordan Murphy about the caucus. What is it? How does it work? Why should people care? Tune in to find out!
Part 1 of our three-part series on self-driving cars! We discuss the history of "classic vehicles", the 5 levels of vehicle autonomy, the complexity of training a car to be autonomous. Our next episode will focus on the Iowa caucuses, so send us your questions!
Mike interviews Aubrey Alvarez of Eat Greater Des Moines for the final installment in 2019's Give Local series, discussing myths surrounding food waste, and her organization's work with food recovery. To support Eat Greater Des Moines, visit their website at https://www.eatgreaterdesmoines.org
Mike flies solo for an interview with Dawn Martinez Oropeza as part of our second-annual Give Local nonprofit series. Learn more about the great work Al Exito does for latinx youth in Iowa.
To support Al Exito, visit https://www.alexitoiowa.org
To support Drem Sed, the Al Exito youth-led business, visit http://www.dremsed.org
Mike and Tammy kick off the second annual Give Local series with Tess Cody, Director of ACCESS (Assault Care Center Extending Shelter & Support).
NOTE: this means talking about some experiences of abuse survivors and services/ways to support them.
To donate to ACCESS and learn more about their services, please visit their website https://www.assaultcarecenter.org
Mike and Tammy make some career choices based on fictional worlds -- directly after forgetting every fictional world they've ever encountered.
What would you have picked? Let us know on Twitter (@blbdpod), Facebook, or email brightlightsbigdata@gmail.com!
Mike interview Tammy about her experience volunteering with a campaign for a local election.
City and school board elections are Tuesday, November 5 - go vote!!
Mike and Tammy discuss how closely Sim City games reflect reality, neural networks playing Sim City, and constraint optimization. Also, the cats go nuts and Mike lands some serious relationship points.
Mike and Tammy discuss ethical issues in urban planning and analytics, as well as a primer on neural networks.
Also relevant:
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"You Look Like a Thing And I Love You" by Janelle Shane: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PBVN3YJ/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
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24/7 neural network-generated death metal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwtVkPKx3RA
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Fat Bear Week (Oct 2-8): https://www.facebook.com/KatmaiNPP/?__tn__=%2Cd%2CP-R&eid=ARBOvWcDpgkRPmJpFyRCeBjiwxlio7xa-mluACsbZSZOKIuddLTd-ZQcoOZdRG6eAYuvXC4ZWT0pCDSl
Mike and Tammy talk with Daniel Beck about his work with DMARC's food network data and reporting.
To donate or volunteer, visit https://www.dmarcunited.org or call 515-277-6969.
Mike and Tammy chat with Mike's brother, Nate, about his work as the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at Chicago's PBS station, WTTW. Also, impressions and some dubious family revelations.
Stuff to know:
WTTW: https://www.wttw.com
Rent-a-Swag: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUCzGi11Sto
Center Grove Orchard: https://centergroveorchard.com
Mike and Tammy discuss a famous data set, and respond to a listener request about urban growth boundaries.
Mike and Tammy discuss the urban planning and analytics developments of theme parks - mostly Disney.
Boke Bowl restaurant in Portland, OR: https://www.bokebowl.com
No One Twerks Like Gaston lyrics:
https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/643184-gaston
The second and final part of our movie episode!
Marvel movies ranked by how many trains are in them: https://news.avclub.com/finally-the-marvel-cinematic-universe-films-ranked-by-1834615825
This is a little late because we’ve allll been sick. Part 1 of our 2-part movie review episode. Mike and Tammy each pick 1-2 movies that are good examples of their fields in action.
Some explanations:
Nash from Street Fighter
Billy Bones
Jim Jim Jimmy Jim
Corner Gas
Mike and Tammy chat with Keenan Crow of LBGTQ advocacy group One Iowa about policy issues, drag names, and the labyrinthine nature of the Iowa legislative workings.
Check out https://oneiowa.org for details on One Iowa and their upcoming events.
This week is all about the Women's World Cup! Join us as we discuss the game theory of penalty kicks, the impacts of hosting a major competition, and the gender pay gap in the US Soccer Federation.
Check out this NYT article for more data on the pay gap: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/22/sports/soccer/usmnt-uswnt-soccer-equal-pay.html
Mike and Tammy chat with State Director of AARP Iowa Brad Anderson about AARP's role in advocating for livable cities, fraud protection, and informed voting.
Get involved: www.aarp.org/volunteer
It's Bike Month! And we're celebrating by sharing stories: our own good and bad times on bicycles, and stories from our listeners, as well.
Thanks to twitter users @jscholbrock, @csaxon128, @Sean_McBeth, @frolferguy420, and @Nathan_haunts for sharing your stories!
Mentioned on the show:
Bike Month events in Des Moines: https://www.dsmstreetcollective.org/events
BFF Bikes - https://www.bffbikes.com
The Quick and the Rest - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38122681-the-quick-and-the-rest
Mike and Tammy talk with Rachel Lunsford, vendor manager for the State of Iowa, about RFPs, negotiating contracts, and how governments interact with vendors to get things done.
Mike and Tammy talk with Ethan Standard, President of the Waveland Park Neighborhood Association, about the unique role of neighborhood associations in local government. Also, egg hunts and a bonus Harry Potter firm!
Mike and Tammy each build a consulting firm composed of four characters from the Harry Potter series. And have serious questions about magical labor laws.
This episode is about books, we swear. Mike and Tammy each share three book recommendations from or adjacent to planning and analytics.
Titles:
Competing on Analytics by Thomas H. Davenport and Jeanne G. Harris
The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs
The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver
Happy City by Charles Montgomery
Creative Confidence by Tom and David Kelley
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Song credit:
300 MB by Neil Cicierega (from the album Mouth Moods)
We had a ton of fun recording this episode about our current least-favorite topic. Unfortunately, our sound equipment did not have a great time, and this episode is a little rough around the edges. We’ll do better next time!
In the meantime, please still enjoy this episode about some of the many planning implications of snow, and what we can learn about statistical uncertainty from weather forecasts!
Mike and Tammy each pick two terms from their respective industries' jargon and define them: big data, smart cities, machine learning, and equity.
Enjoy a recording of our first-ever live show on Friday January 25 at the Iowa Commission of Latino Affairs’ 2nd Annual Latino Day on the Hill.
Mike and Tammy chat with Marlu Abarca about her work with bilingual programming at the Des Moines Public Library.
DMPL Annual Report: https://www.dmpl.org/about-us/annual-report
DMPL/Evelyn K Davis Digital Literacy Class: https://www.dmpl.org/events/digital-literacy-class-0#.XDwWBy3MzEY
Latinos in Iowa 2018 report: https://www.iowadatacenter.org/Publications/latinos2018.pdf
Latino Day on the Hill LIVE SHOW: https://humanrights.iowa.gov/cas/la/events/2019-latino-day-hill
Mike and Tammy reflect on personal and professional highlights of 2018, noteworthy urban planning and analytics headlines from the past year, and the exciting things to come in 2019... such as our first-ever live show! Details: https://www.facebook.com/events/267874697253638/
Also check out:
Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic - storytellingwithdata.com
Janelle Shane (Twitter) - https://twitter.com/janellecshane?lang=en
Des Moines Bicycle Collective - https://www.dsmbikecollective.org
Mike and Tammy chat with Sarah Myren to learn more about the impactful work of the Young Women's Resource Center. Part 2 of the holiday giving series.
Learn more and donate: https://ywrc.org
Mike and Tammy chat with Toby O'Berry to learn more about the transformational work Iowa Homeless Youth Centers does in our communities. Part 1 of the holiday giving series.
Learn more and donate: http://www.iowahomelessyouth.org
Mike and Tammy explore urban planning and analytics themes in The Good Place. Season 1 spoilers!
Mike and Tammy chat with Democratic candidate for Iowa State Auditor, Rob Sand, and wrap up their introduction to problem solving series with a discussion on making and implementing recommendations.
“Don’t Be a Lawyer” song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs-UEqJ85KE
Rob Sand’s website - https://robsand.com
Tammy and Mike discuss the role of the Polk County Soil and Water Conservation District with Commissioner Katie Rock.
Check out their website at https://www.polk-swcd.org
Mike and Tammy chat with Polk County Auditor Jamie Fitzgerald about his office’s role in administering elections, paying the county’s bills, and more.
https://www.polkcountyiowa.gov/auditor/election/
Our latest entry in our Problem Solving series focuses on data exploration and is chock full of cooking analogies.
Mike and Tammy discuss data collection as the next logical step after problem definition.
Mike and Tammy chat with Deidre DeJear, Democratic candidate for Iowa Secretary of State, then discuss voter registration data and barriers to public participation.
Link to animated voter registration maps:
Party Density - https://bit.ly/2vDJVGY
Registration Density - https://bit.ly/2OAzb3l
Deidre DeJear’s website: https://www.dejearforiowa.com
Kyrstin Delagardelle Shelley of the Des Moines School Board talks to us about her work. We also discuss shifting metrics, and a brief history of one of the most common statistical tests.
We talk with Josh Mandelbaum of the Des Moines City Council about policy, politics, and transportation, and discuss how to calculate traffic congestion.
Sign up for Josh Mandelbaum's newsletter: http://www.joshmandelbaum.com
Grateful Chef: https://www.thegratefulchefdsm.com
We talk with Jessica Avant of the Des Moines Park and Recreation Board about parks, food security, and floods. Little did we know how prophetic one of those would be.
Map of food deserts available at blbdpod.com
Tammy tries desperately to squeeze Mike’s world of wicked problems into her problem solving framework. Also: bad accents, stroads, and naming Batman movies.
Recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017359-sheet-pan-chicken-with-potatoes-arugula-and-garlic-yogurt
Start here if you want to hear who we are, why we're doing this show, and get a preview of our interview format. Skip to Episode 1 for the good stuff.