Online courses are just the tip of the iceberg
I can still recall the day when my math professor said, “Data science is the answer to all your questions.”
It was the first time I had heard the term “data science.” I must admit, it sounded scary — especially since the term is similar to “rocket science.”
I went straight home, fired up my computer, and Googled “data science.” I expected the engine to produce a list of articles that would provide insights into data science. Instead, I was overwhelmed by a multitude of data science online courses spearheaded by Coursera.
As a newbie to data science, I started…
Programming
And why they advocate static languages like C++
In my previous article, about the slowest modern programming languages, I discussed how dynamically typed languages like Python are user-friendly and less error-prone.
It turns out not everyone agrees.
Many senior developers stated that they find working with dynamically typed languages a pain in the neck. The response below collected the bulk of the claps.
“Excuse me, what? Dynamically typed languages are less error-prone than statically-typed? Sorry, but, not in my 21 years of software development.” — Rasmus Schultz
Following this answer, I decided to compile the main reasons that would make senior developers dodge dynamically typed languages and lay…
Programming
And the reasons as to why they are slow
Programming languages have been out there for decades. Each language is built to satisfy a certain need.
As of today, the world counts about 700 notable programming languages. While about 250 managed to stay afloat, the rest was dumped by the programming community. (Latest data from Wikipedia)
Performance has been always an alarming matter for programmers. While before, execution time could be measured in calendars, nowadays, it is measured in fractions of seconds. Credits go to advancements in electronics.
The speed rate by which computers evolve follows Moore’s law:
programming
Polish your code with elegant if-else statements
Take a piece of writing. Remove the cohesive devices (However, Therefore…). And read it. Does it make sense anymore? NO! The same thing applies to code without if-else statements.
Conditional branching is a basic and mandatory programming concept. It flags a reasoning shift. The wise utilization of conditionals results in having a short, maintainable, and readable code.
That said, ever since I started coding, I took it upon myself to dedicate as much time as possible reading both senior and entry levels programmers’ codes. Here I lay the track I follow to demystify advanced code.
Surprisingly, the more I read…
A shepherd at 15. An entrepreneur at 18. A millionaire at 56.
Rare are those who pulled themselves up with their bootstraps and hit billionaire status. Even rarer are those who legitimately became crazy rich without education.
This was the case for Miloud Chaabi, the real estate magnate who amassed a fortune estimated at 3 Billion dollars according to Forbes Magazine. And to pile it up, this milestone was reached in an African developing country, Morocco.
Early life
Miloud was born in a remote village on the outskirts of Essaouira. He had a harsh upbringing along with a succession of unparalleled misfortunes.
His family had suffered grinding poverty for 8 years. And one of…
Practical steps to demystify any code
Suppose you were working on your code when your manager shows up and says:
“Mark! Anthony has gone sick today and I need his program up and running by tomorrow. Are you up to this?”.
This opportunity is a double-edged sword. Either you show off your skills and introduce yourself as a reliable employee ready to adapt whatever are the circumstances. Or you retreat quietly telling some sort of silly excuses.
You don’t want to be the guy who misses a shortcut to promotion by opting for the second option. …
Great programmers don’t always use one-liners. You shouldn’t too.
“Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand”. Martin Fowler said.
Programmers are in demand more than ever. The problem is that everybody is looking for good programmers. Yet, those aren’t ubiquitous.
What sets good developers apart from their peers is quite subtle. It all boils down to code refactoring skills. The purpose of refactoring is to improve the design, structure, and/or implementation of software while preserving its functionality.
Unfortunately, there is no shortcut to boosting code refactoring prowess. …
There is more to data science than Python and its libraries
Ever since the emergence of data science, Python’s popularity skyrocketed overnight as Python became an essential tool for data analysis.
Python received such praise and attention mainly because of its data science libraries and user-friendliness. This is no surprise since the high-level programming language uses an English-like syntax.
Another important factor that contributed to Python being ubiquitous, is that it is an open-source programming language meaning it does not incur any cost.
Data science coupled with Python is a promising adventure. It allows developers to tackle contemporary business problems in sectors ranging from healthcare to industry.
Insights extracted from data…
The secret behind fifteen years of a Hollywood marriage.
Certainly, long-lasting relationships are hard to come by in Hollywood. Every now and then scandals, divorces, and lawsuits occur. Yet, Matt Damon managed to be among the very few Hollywood actors who are successful both professionally and personally. So, what is the secret sauce behind his marriage?
To get a clear picture of Matt and Lucianna Barroso's marriage, perhaps it is worth knowing how they met in the first place.
The couple first met in Miami while The Martian star was shooting the comedy Stuck on You. The crew members wanted to go out and accidentally dragged the prominent figure…
It’s time to mull over space exploration
Imagine you could travel to the moon and beyond in a spaceplane. Imagine you could own a piece of land on Mars. Imagine you could book a capsule in a space station.
Everyone must have reflected on these thoughts. The mega-wealthy, Elon Musk, a serial entrepreneur and Founder of Tesla and Paypal, stepped out of his comfort zone and set out in the quest of turning these dreams into realities by creating a private spaceships manufacturing company, SpaceX.
SpaceX on Saturday, 30 May 2020, sent skyward its rocketship Falcon 9, carrying two American astronauts, Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, from…
