Where am I?

Google knows. 

This crazy article about how Google builds their maps pretty much blew my mind. And unless you're the only person still using MapQuest (shoutout to Mom, their most loyal customer!) you probably use Google Maps to tell you how to get places, via pretty much any method of transportation save horseback, or what your destination actually looks like in real life, or even how long it will take you to get from A to B. In current traffic. 

To achieve this goal of bridging online and offline information, Google uses cameras on cars. (And bikes - I have seen many Google employees in Kendall Square with a camera atop their bike helmet ...and may be caught gawking at them in the street view of this are. Haven't looked; ignorance is bliss.)

Enough of my pro-Google bloggin'. The coolest part of the article speaks for itself:

"Google is up to five million miles driven now. Each drive generates two kinds of really useful data for mapping. One is the actual tracks the cars have taken; these are proof-positive that certain routes can be taken. The other are all the photos. And what's significant about the photographs in Street View is that Google can run algorithms that extract the traffic signs and can even paste them onto the deep map within their Atlas tool."

YouTube Win

Mom gets credit for this one. Do not watch when laughter is inappropriate.

But, do watch if you like:

• Comedy about everyday life
• Accents
• Recounting of awkward moments
• Zippers

... now you're curious, aren't ya?

The Last First Day (...maybe)

Today is potentially the last first day of school for me - bittersweet. It's obviously wicked sweet that I'll get to stop giving BU inordinate amounts of money every few months, after many years of doing so, but I have loved this program and it has absolutely changed me... which makes me thirsty for more education. Dork? Yes.

Anyway, this semester I am taking "Assessment and Planning for Health Promotion" which is required for my concentration. Our pre-assignment was to poke around on the Population Health Forum website, which has been, I'll say it, fun and eye-opening. I won't get into all of the awesome data-hound details, but here are some PHF links to check out if you're interested in public health, inequality, or just data in general:

• The "L curve" site - it's helpful for interpreting all of the huge numbers in the news every day.
• Gapminder for their (really cool!) interactive graphs of income vs. different health outcomes.
• A game! And it's been mentioned in Sex at Dawn, called the Prisoner's Dilemma. Play to see how high you can score... and what the best strategy is.

That's all for today. I'm off to gather my notebooks, Dr. Grip, tasty snack and raingear and look forward to another mind blowing semester. Wish me luck!