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In 2021, hosted the first-ever awards!! HackerNoon Startup of the Year The goal of this campaign was to give recognition to the hardworking startups who pulled through the pandemic -- growing and thriving (despite all of the challenges). More than 44,000 startups were nominated all across the globe! They were selected from over 4,553 cities, with a total number of * cough * “4 billion” votes. Insane, right? To see who is a winner in each respective city, visit and pick a city. The name at the top of the list is the winner. (Compromised awards are under review. Cities with tie votes will be updated to have two winners!) startups.hackernoon.com The will announce the winners per region in their respective cities. Startups Winners Announcement series Here are the winners in the : Asia region Top Startup Cities in East Asia Seoul The Startup of the Year in is with 377 votes! Seoul dable Central is the Startup of the Year! It came out ahead with 121 votes. UpNow Central Sheung Wan came out as the Startup of the Year in with 154 votes. Votee Sheung Wan Tokyo The Startup of the Year in is with 41 votes! Tokyo ACES Wan Chai The Startup of the Year in is with 54 votes! Wan Chai Zetl Osaka, Japan In , is the winner! Osaka Nanophoton Taiwan came out as the Startup of the Year in ! Tico Taiwan Dongcheng, China In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Dongcheng Waiju Taipei came out as the Startup of the Year in ! Tico Taipei Akasaka In , is the winner! Akasaka WAKUWAKU Chuo In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Chuo GO-NET Ginza came out as the Startup of the Year in ! Netyear Ginza Kanazawa In , is the winner! Kanazawa Granzella Minami-aoyama In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Minami-aoyama Tokyo6 Entertainment Shibuya came out as the Startup of the Year in ! Hupro Japan Shibuya Toranomon In , is the winner! Toranomon Small Worlds Toshima In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Toshima Altplus Guangzhou, China came out as the Startup of the Year in ! Leyaoyao Guangzhou Hong Kong, Hong Kong In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Hong Kong Episode Six Kunming In , is the winner! Kunming Green A Sapporo In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Sapporo Polar Star Space Shirokanedai came out as the Startup of the Year in ! Nupp1 Shirokanedai Wuhan In , is the winner! Wuhan CSICEE Baoan, China In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Baoan Jumper Baoshan, China In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Baoshan Renren Games Chengdu, China came out as the Startup of the Year in ! Ju You Xi Chengdu Fujisawa, Japan In , is the winner! Fujisawa Scohia Pharma Fukuoka, Japan In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Fukuoka Kyulux Haidian, China came out as the Startup of the Year in ! 51vv Haidian Hongkou, China In , is the winner! Hongkou Kidstone Jiading, China In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Jiading IMRobotic Kawasaki, Japan came out as the Startup of the Year in ! QD Laser, Inc. Kawasaki Kyoto, Japan In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Kyoto Hacarus Minato, Japan In , is the winner! Minato Visionary Fun Nagoya, Japan came out as the Startup of the Year in ! Prodrone Nagoya Ningbo, China The winner in is . Ningbo OlymTech Corporation Aomori In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Aomori Forte Japan Bandai-cho In , is the winner. Bandai-cho Delta-Fly Pharm Changchun In , the Startup of the Year is . Changchun Kaidi Animation Fuchu In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Fuchu TMS Fukuoka-shi The winner in is . Fukuoka-shi SkyDisc Fukushima In , the Startup of the Year is . Fukushima Matsuri Technologies Gotanda In , is the winner. Gotanda Basset Hachioji In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Hachioji Adriakaim Harbin The winner in is J . Harbin oining Technology Iwaki In , is the winner. Iwaki Tao Engineering Izumo In , the Startup of the Year is . Izumo PuREC Kagoshima In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Kagoshima Farmers Support Kamakura In , the Startup of the Year is . Kamakura KAYAC Kami-meguro The winner in is . Kami-meguro Buzzreach Kanagawa In , is the winner. Kanagawa LoiLo Kashiwa In , the Startup of the Year is . Kashiwa Intelligent Surfaces Kita In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Kita Ax Robotix Kobe The winner in is . Kobe Coconomi Koriyama In , the Startup of the Year is . Koriyama Tocoton Kumamoto In , is the winner. Kumamoto Bloom Technology Kunitachi In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Kunitachi Trys Liaocheng The winner in is . Liaocheng Jinzheng Animation Minami In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Minami ATLAB Miyazaki In , is the winner. Miyazaki Caster Nagano In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Nagano Precision Forestry Nagaoka The winner in is . Nagaoka Plant Form Nihombashi-hamacho In , the Startup of the Year is . Nihombashi-hamacho Shizen Energy Niigata In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Niigata UniBio Japan Nishi-shinagawa In , is the winner. Nishi-shinagawa Play Heart Okayama In , is the winner! Okayama Arch Farm Okinawa In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Okinawa BlogNinja Otemachi In , the Startup of the Year is . Otemachi beBit, Inc Qingdao Shi In , is the winner! Qingdao Shi Manyoubang Quanzhou In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Quanzhou KungFu Animation Group Roppongi The winner in is . Roppongi Holo-X Saitama In , the Startup of the Year is . Saitama GameTector Sendai In , is the winner! Sendai Sendai Smart Machines Setagaya In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Setagaya Skyestate Shenzhen In , the Startup of the Year is . Shenzhen Aiator Shinjuku In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Shinjuku Scalar Shizuoka In , is the winner! Shizuoka PiPhotonics Sumida The winner in is . Sumida Holotch Tachikawa In , the Startup of the Year is . Tachikawa PlusOne Takamatsu In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Takamatsu Ken Robotec Tokushima In , is the winner! Tokushima DennoKotsu Toyonaka In , the Startup of the Year is . Toyonaka FISH BIOTECH Tsukuba In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Tsukuba WARPSPACE Wakayama In , the Startup of the Year is . Wakayama 4D Sensor Xiangzhou In , is the winner! Xiangzhou ALLiN Edutech Group Xianyang The winner in is . Xianyang TONLY Xiaoshan In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Xiaoshan GONGHUI Yamaguchi In , the Startup of the Year is . Yamaguchi Archis Yangpu The winner in is . Yangpu Tmxmall Yau Tsim Mong In , is the winner! Yau Tsim Mong Airnugget Yeoksamdong In , the Startup of the Year is . Yeoksamdong WizSchool Yichang In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Yichang Hubei Kento Electronic Yokohama In , is the winner! Yokohama Next Innovation Yubei In , the Startup of the Year is . Yubei Ophiux Network Yueqing The winner in is . Yueqing Yueqing Easythink Media Zhuhai In , is the winner! Zhuhai Aijuba Hongo In , the Startup of the Year is . Hongo Smile Robotics, Inc Admiralty In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Admiralty BUNCH Southern In , the Startup of the Year is . Southern Retykle Yongdungpo In , is the winner! Yongdungpo Push News Taichung In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Taichung Wondercise Cyberport, Hong Kong In , the Startup of the Year is . Cyberport Animoca Brands Hefei, China In , is the winner! Hefei Tsinglink New Territories, Hong Kong The winner in is . New Territories, Hong Kong Zeek Dezhou In , the Startup of the Year is . Dezhou Dezhou Baji Kitakyushu In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Kitakyushu Reif Seongnam In , is the winner! Seongnam EOFlow Yanshi In , the Startup of the Year is . Yanshi CASI Vision Top Startup Cities in South Asia Hyderabad, India The Startup of the Year in is with 962 votes Hyderabad Quixy Lahore, Pakistan is the Startup of the Year! It came out ahead with 186 votes. SmartWindows Lahore Bangalore, India When it comes to , is the Startup of the Year with 210 votes! Bangalore vBridge Hub Pune, India couldn’t be beaten for Startup of the Year in , it won with 129 votes! InfraCloud Pune Jaipur, India The Startup of the Year in is with 166 votes Jaipur Emizen Tech Lucknow, India is the Startup of the Year! It came out ahead with 279 votes. Keeros Superfoods Lucknow Noida, India came out as the Startup of the Year in with 156 votes! Bagisto Noida Mumbai, India When it comes to , is the Startup of the Year with 96 votes! Mumbai Sequretek Sylhet couldn’t be beaten for Startup of the Year in , it won with 122 votes! DataXpie Sylhet Mylapore, India In , is the winner! Mylapore Yalimart Goa, India In , the Startup of the Year is Goa Filter Coffee Delhi, India In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Delhi EkAnek Networks Karachi, Pakistan The winner in is Karachi Bykea Ahmedabad, India In , is the winner Ahmedabad MageComp Dhaka, Bangladesh The winner in is Dhaka SOLshare Islamabad, Pakistan In Islamabad, is declared the Startup of the Year! TAG Gurgaon, India In , the Startup of the Year is Gurgaon ixigo Bengaluru, India In , is the winner! Bengaluru Prakshep Private Limited Haryana, India couldn’t be beaten for Startup of the Year in ! Footprints Childcare Haryana Kolkata, India In , is the winner! Kolkata Wow! Momo New Delhi, India In , is declared the Startup of the Year! New Delhi Rusk Media Indore, India The winner in is Indore Chattar Patar Kormangala In , is the winner Kormangala Sanctum Technologies Ghaziabad came out as the Startup of the Year in Craftfurnish.com Ghaziabad! Mohali In , the Startup of the Year is Mohali DataKund Mysore The Startup of the Year in is Mysore Excelsoft Karnal came out as the Startup of the Year in ! Dunar Karnal Kolhapur In , is the winner! Kolhapur Zanvar Group Patiya In , the Startup of the Year is Patiya Kloud Project Kathmandu In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Kathmandu Vairav Technology Bangalore City, India In is the winner! Bangalore City, PagarBook Ernakulam The winner in is Ernakulam Epixel Solutions Colombo, Sri Lanka couldn’t be beaten for Startup in the Year in MAs Foods Colombo Andheri, India When it comes to , is the Startup of the Year! Andheri DoorMint Kanpur, India came out as the Startup of the Year in ! ServiceWalaa Kanpur Faisalabad In , is the winner! Faisalabad DigiKhata Nasik The Startup of the Year in is Nasik Sahyadri Farms Patna came out as the Startup of the Year in ! Asvin Tech Patna Chennai, India In , is the winner! Chennai Agnikul Cosmos Faridabad, India In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Faridabad UClean Panjim, India The winner in is Panjim TempoGO Ranchi, India In , is the winner Ranchi Osam Dairy Surat, India In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Surat Wishbook Thane, India In , is the winner! Thane Delight Foods Trivandrum, India came out as the Startup of the Year in ! GenRobotic Trivandrum Vijayawada, India In , the Startup of the Year is Vijayawada Eruvaka Technologies Visakhapatnam, India In , Ltd is declared the Startup of the Year! Visakhapatnam Greenline Labs Pvt Ahmadabad In , is the winner! Ahmadabad KiwiQA Services Bandra came out as the Startup of the Year in ! Car Club Bandra Bombay In , is the winner! Bombay Locobuddy Mobile Technology (Sportobuddy) Cochin In , the Startup of the Year is Cochin Tuttifrutti Interactive Gandhinagar In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Gandhinagar Kroop AI Guwahati In , the Startup of the Year is Guwahati GNRC Hospitals Jamshedpur In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Jamshedpur Intelliber Kabul The winner in is Kabul Miracle Shop (Vocinno Technology) Karur In , is the winner Karur Karur Vysya Bank Kochi The winner in is Kochi BestDoc Kozhikode In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Kozhikode OfficeKit HR Ludhiana In , the Startup of the Year is Ludhiana Trendy Beat Network Madhapur In , is the winner! Madhapur Head Digital Works Mangalore When it comes to , is the Startup of the Year Mangalore Hangyo Nagpur came out as the Startup of the Year in ! UPrudence Agro Nagpur Rawalpindi The Startup of the Year in is Rawalpindi Pro Options Marketing Rishikesh came out as the Startup of the Year in ! Descatuk Rishikesh Secunderabad couldn’t be beaten for Startup of the Year in Prakriti Biosystems Engineering Secunderabad Tirupur In , is the winner! Tirupur Tubeknit Fashions Udupi The winner in is Udupi Krishitantra Top Startup Cities in Southeast Asia Singapore, Singapore The Startup of the Year in is with 6556 votes! Singapore Cake DeFi Hanoi, Vietnam is the Startup of the Year! It came out ahead with 683 votes. DeFi For You Hanoi Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia came out as the Startup of the Year in with 109 votes! Trambellir Kuala Lumpur Pasig, Philippines When it comes to , . is the Startup of the Year with 110 votes! Pasig Quickreach Inc Bangkok, Thailand couldn’t be beaten for Startup in the Year in , it won with 60 votes! Perception Codes Bangkok Johor Bahru In , the Startup of the Year is . Johor Bahru AGR1 Bandung, Indonesia In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Bandung Prosa Portugal The winner in is . Portugal SCEMAI Tangerang, Indonesia In , is the winner Tangerang Yummy Corp Jakarta, Indonesia In , is the winner! Jakarta Tokocrypto Dki Jakarta, Indonesia In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Dki Jakarta Limakilo Bangkok Metropolis In , is the winner! Bangkok Meticuly Medan The winner in is ! Medan DIKA Manila, Philippines In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Manila PawnHero Phnom Penh, Cambodia In , the Startup of the Year is Phnom Penh vKirirom Bali In , is the winner! Bali Radius App Penang When it comes to , is the Startup of the Year Penang EasyParcel Surabaya came out as the Startup of the Year in ! Super Surabaya Setiabudi, Indonesia The Startup of the Year in is Setiabudi Chilibeli Cebu City came out as the Startup of the Year in MiCab Cebu City! Jawa couldn’t be beaten for Startup in the Year in DAUR Jawa Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam In , is the winner! Ho Chi Minh City Pharmacity Selangor, Malaysia is the Startup of the Year! BabyDash Selangor Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia In , is the winner! Jakarta Pusat StickEarn Semarang When it comes to , is the Startup of the Year! Semarang Food Bear Petaling Jaya, Malaysia The winner in is . Petaling Jaya Deemples Kebayoran Baru, Indonesia couldn’t be beaten for Startup in the Year in ! Yogrt Kebayoran Baru Kuningan The winner in is . Kuningan Prinzio Bukit Merah came out as the Startup of the Year in ! DC Alliance Bukit Merah Huai Khwang In , the Startup of the Year is . Huai Khwang AppMan Co.,Ltd Kuta In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Kuta Gringgo Mandaluyong came out ahead as the Startup of the Year! Work Inspire Mandaluyong Midview City In , is the winner! Midview City BioMers Phuket The Startup of the Year in is ! Phuket Sapahn Yangon, Myanmar The winner in is . Yangon Wave Money Denpasar When it comes to , is the Startup of the Year! Denpasar Revasi Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand The winner in is . Nakhon Ratchasima Siam Lottery co., Ltd Taguig, Philippines In , is the winner! Taguig PayMongo Bogor came out as the Startup of the Year in ! TIRANYX Bogor Senai, Malaysia won as the Startup of the Year. Nutrition Technologies Senai Bekasi Kota couldn’t be beaten for Startup in the Year in ! 8villages Bekasi Kota Top Startup Cities in Middle East Tel Aviv, Israel The Startup of the Year in is with 1,065 votes! Tel Aviv hyro Beirut, Lebanon is the Startup of the Year! It came out ahead with 1,276 votes. Hovi Digital Lab Beirut Riyadh, Saudi Arabia With 350 votes, came out as the Startup of the Year in ! Flicron Riyadh Tel Aviv-yafo, Israel When it comes to , is the Startup of the Year with 167 votes! Tel Aviv-yafo Cymbio Haifa, Israel couldn’t be beaten for Startup in the Year in , it won with 183 votes! Pico Haifa Amman, Jordan In , with 141 votes, is the winner! Amman Edexy Dubai, United Arab Emirates In , the Startup of the Year is with 74 votes. Dubai Ziina Doha, Qatar In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Doha SkipCash Tehran, Iran The winner in is . BeyondBoard AR Tehran Jerusalem, Israel In , is the winner! Jerusalem SolidBlock Rishon Le Zion The Startup of the Year in is ! Rishon Le Zion Passparto Ness Ziona, Israel is the Startup of the Year! Soapy Ness Ziona Kuwait, Kuwait came out as the Startup of the Year in ! Brapper Shop Kuwait Manama, Bahrain couldn’t be beaten for Startup in the Year in ! Doctori Manama Lod, Israel is the winner in ! Phinergy Lod Agudat Israel, Israel When it comes to is the Startup of the Year with [vote ] votes! Agudat Israel, Aqaurius Engines Beersheba, Israel In , the Startup of the Year is . Beersheba Visual Estate Ltd Giv'atayim, Israel In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Giv'atayim WSC Sports Modi'in, Israel The winner in is . Modi'in Loginno Nazareth, Israel In , is the winner! Nazareth AR Guide In Medical Ramat Gan, Israel The Startup of the Year in is . Ramat Gan Datos Health Baghdad When it comes to , is the Startup of the Year! Baghdad Mishwar Khobar In , the Startup of the Year is . Khobar Garage Misgav couldn’t be beaten for Startup in the Year in ! Eden Shield Misgav Sharjah came out as the Startup of the Year in ! Bookends Sharjah Affula In , the Startup of the Year is . Affula eMotion Technologies Bene Beraq, Israel In , is the winner Bene Beraq Reflectiz Caesarea, Israel In , the Startup of the Year is . Caesarea CardiacSense Dubayy In , is declared the Startup of the Year! Dubayy North Ladder Muscat couldn’t be beaten for Startup in the Year in ! iLab Marine Muscat Tirat Carmel In , the Startup of the Year is . Tirat Carmel PassCall Advanced Technologies Hod Hasharon, Israel The winner in is . Hod Hasharon Idomoo Holon, Israel came out ahead as the Startup of the Year! OptimalPlus Holon Jeddah, Saudi Arabia When it comes to , is the Startup of the Year! Jeddah Arabian Combustion Technologies Ramat Hasharon, Israel is the Startup of the Year! Lumen Ramat Hasharon Al Khobar came out as the Startup of the Year in ! Swyft Al Khobar Bet Shemesh In , is the winner! Bet Shemesh Degania Medical Binyamina When it comes to , is the Startup of the Year! Binyamina OncoHost Makkah In , the Startup of the Year is Makkah Scimagine Or Akiva Last but not least, couldn’t be beaten for Startup in the Year in the city of ! WMT Or Akiva More Information: If you’re a winner, please answer ! If you’re a reader, participant, just a curious individual, consider answering one of our interviews . this interview here Read the FAQs about or . Startups here here To see all of the winners you may visit , pick any city and view the name that appears at the top. this site If you’re interested in partnering with us, we invite you to look through some of these or reach out to our business department. unique sponsorship options Perhaps creating your very own tickles your fancy or maybe you have a whole new idea for how we can partner! writing contest Thank you to all of our sponsors! We truly appreciate your contribution to the tech world and thus the future! The Startups Awards are sponsored by: , , , , , , , , , , Blockster Brex FreeCodeCamp LaunchDarkly Coil Udacity Udemy Vercel Asia Pacific Transgender Network Bybit Everscale Network The post was written by Kushal Tamrakar and Valerie Ejegi, edited by Hang Ngo. If you have any questions or concerns or would like to report a discrepancy please email ellen@hackernoon.com.

Meet the Winners of Startups in Asia

Humans! One interesting twinkle in the dark, vacuous expanse of the cosmos. Trapped on a floating ball of rock to mope into space and be tormented by relentless, conflicting emotions. Prison within and prison without. Awaiting the summon of death. What the hell is this existence and what is its use? At least we have each other. Right? Yes, we do. Plus, the resources of the earth. And most importantly, there's that small voice that keeps telling us to become more. So, we stagger on. Nothing is certain in this great maze of existence but we don't just give in. We grope for purpose in the confusing unknown. We do what we do in search of fulfillment. Thus, we solve problems for those we love. We really dig in and harvest ingenious creations from within us. It makes us happy, so we keep going. We keep chasing that which our heart yearns for. What is it many have asked? What is it that we really want? Some of the smartest among us have given a name to it, and I dare agree with them. It is what it is; Freedom! Freedom from wants, death, and ourselves. Freedom from whatever dares limit us. Freedom from this great bondage that is us. Hence, in our relentless yearning, we build this great bridge of science. Into matter, into space, into life. Into technology! Oh that we may find that which we seek. Oh that we may find; Autonomy! Autonomy Has Always Driven Technology Humans have always been bound by limitations that we constantly rebel against. Imagine the caveman days. Small, slow, and weak as we were, we were completely bound by the harsh laws of the jungle. Dominated by powerful creatures. Yet, our big brain brought us to the very top of the food chain. Inventions like the spear, knife, and arrow with advanced hunting strategies helped us overcome the powerful beasts that ruled the wild. Then, we created our own societies and were ruled by tribal laws. Not very different jungle laws though but strong humans were in charge now. Then came the reign of religion, and priests were in charge. Then came countries with cunning politicians. Then came capitalism with wealthy businessmen who are now running the show. All these changes have been driven by advancements as humans try to take more control of their lives. From being ruled by wild beasts to strong men to priests to politicians and businessmen, people have always invented systems that gave them more control of their lives. And this progress is not only evident in the technology of our leadership but also in the everyday devices that we use. First, we had caves and stone tools, then came villages and metal tools, and then came towns and analog machines. Now, we have cities and digital technology. This drive for autonomy in our technology has culminated in what we call a decentralized internet or web3. Autonomy in Web3 Web 3 remains a relatively recent technology that is yet to be widely understood. Yet, it is already being widely adopted as the advantages are very obvious. Simply put, web3 aims to put the Internet and financial system under the control of everyone and not just a few giant corporations. Why is this necessary you may ask? Well, the answer is simple: "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely!" The internet and financial systems represent the most critical technologies that humans have been able to develop. Hence, there is a great power in the hands of anyone who controls them. It's no wonder that top government officials and tech billionaires dominate the list of most powerful people in the world. This great power which allows such people to exercise control around the world is akin to the legendary absolute power that absolutely corrupts the wielders. And we have already seen this corruption at play. For example; , , , etc. Facebook has recorded multiple user data breaches Twitter has been accused many times of stifling free speech US politicians were caught cheating through insider trading in the stock market Hence, the internet and financial market which have lasting effects on people’s lives need some level of democracy. This is what web3 promises. Cryptocurrencies were introduced as a means for people to transact directly without passing through middlemen in the banking institutions who often benefit fraudulently from people’s money with little or no punishment. Combining crypto with blockchain technology provides the world with a global decentralized financial internet that no one fully controls and everyone can benefit from. Is Autonomy Truly Possible? Many reservations have been raised about the practicality of web3 and whether it can be truly autonomous. For example; fundamental blockchain infrastructures are often hosted on web2 servers with centralized control. Also, mining cryptocurrency is energy intensive which makes the entire system dependent on power companies. Would the power companies and server owners not be the new bosses in town? Well, that's a critical problem that is yet to be solved. However, blockchain technology is slowly solving the centralized server problem through compressed distributed storage of the technology on the devices of its users. Basically, a blockchain is a database, and every device that connects to the blockchain has a version of the database stored on it. This makes it possible for the billions of devices that users use to connect to the blockchain to function as servers distributed around the world instead of just one central server. Fingers crossed for what will come in the future. About the electricity problem, well, most cryptocurrencies have a limited amount of tokens to be mined, hence, mining is not a forever thing. Also, alternative versions of power like solar make it possible for miners to set up affordable sources of personalized power. Hence, centralized power companies can possibly be bypassed. With these considerations, the autonomy that web3 promises can foreseeably be accomplished. Future of Autonomy Picture this... You fall asleep now and awaken in the autonomous age. Robots run the world now. The planet is one big country run by the United Nations and headquartered in Earth City (a giant circular artificial island built in the Atlantic Ocean on longitude 0 degrees and latitude 0 degrees). Networks of underwater hyperloop lines and speed train bridges interconnect all the continents in minutes and the former countries are nothing but political provinces for proper documentation and security. Autonomous vehicles with little or no accidents dominate the roads and autonomous spaceships transverse space to transport people and resources around the solar system. Humans have finally colonized the solar system. The world lives in abundance as automated high-tech farms meet all our agricultural needs. Basic amenities like water, electricity, and education are free, and everyone gets a living wage to cover secondary needs like real estate around the planets, internet access, and transportation. Advanced amenities like technology, art, entertainment, exploration, and financial trading are where businesses operate. Web3 is fully operational. Hologram devices are all over the place for people to experience the dinterverse (decentralized internet metaverse) which uses all those devices as servers. DAOs, running on open-source technology, are the global means of voting, with Auth ID being the prominent open-source platform for decentralized technology. Industry-based crypto coins are the means of exchange (e.g., techon for technology, agrocoin for agriculture, muse for music, etc.) and cryptex trading (forex trading of the time) is the primary means of employment for everyone with people speculating on which industry will do better based on the season. Bitcoin is, however, immortalized as the only currency accepted around the world across all industries. Global poverty has been eradicated and financial inequality is very low around the world with cryptex trading available to everyone. A decentralized financial system was the game changer as it led to an explosion of prosperity through relatively easy cryptex trading. You investigate your trade on your holophone. You're doing very well and will be making another $50,000 this week. You smile to yourself as you glance out the window of your noiseless starjet (silent speed jets that ferry people around the world in minutes). The city below is a great wonder as people said. You're on vacation in Earth City. It's your first time. You came for it. The statue of autonomy or "the human spirit" as it is fondly called. Many weep upon first beholding its glory. The symbol of human victory on the earth. It appears on the horizon. The shiny bust of a crowned androgynous human child stops at the waist so it's neither male nor female. Completely transparent as if entirely made of glass, hence, the name human spirit. With both hands upraised in freedom, it holds Bitcoin (the first global crypto) in the right hand and a scroll in the left. Your ship does the ceremonial circling of the statue. Then it passes the scroll and you behold those legendary words. You read it in a low voice. "We humans hold that all of us are born free. Free to live, free to love, free to prosper!" A smile crawls up your face, and you resolve to uphold this great motto. Then you hear a phone ring. A familiar ancient music. It gets louder and louder. It's your phone. You were dreaming of course. You curse as you pick up your phone. It's your boss calling you to return to work. You cut the call and sigh in disappointment. That dream was just beautiful. Then it occurs to you: The current world is one big nightmare! WHAT DOES THIS MEAN Web3 is upon us. Cryptocurrencies are everywhere and blockchain infrastructure gets more sophisticated every day. Many crypto millionaires roam the earth to prove the real value of the technology. Decentralization is on its way. Below are the predictions you should know about web3; Decentralization is the future. Digital commodities e.g., NFTs, in-game items, virtual real estate, and decentralized exchange (DEX) will create a new industry. Currencies will become more globalized. Companies will become smaller and more personalized. Self-service will become the new way of operating the financial industry. HOW DO I PREPARE FOR AUTONOMY Educate yourself on cryptocurrencies, blockchain technology, and the metaverse. Invest in promising crypto coins. Participate in public web3 forums. Fund web 3 projects if you can. Learn how to make money on your own from the internet.

Behold: The Autonomy We Always Sought

দেখুন: যে স্বায়ত্তশাসন আমরা সবসময় চেয়েছি

Siehe: Die Autonomie, die wir immer gesucht haben

He aquí: la autonomía que siempre buscamos

Voici : l’autonomie que nous avons toujours recherchée

देखिए: वह स्वायत्तता जो हम हमेशा से चाहते थे

見よ、私たちが常に求めていた自律性

보라: 우리가 항상 추구했던 자율성

Eis: a autonomia que sempre buscamos

Вот: автономия, к которой мы всегда стремились

Bakın: Her Zaman Aradığımız Özerklik

Kìa: Quyền tự chủ mà chúng tôi luôn tìm kiếm

看哪：我们一直寻求的自主权

That the world needs to transition to a green economy and follow an alternate vision of growth and development that is both self-sustainable and benign to the environment is not in doubt at all. What needs to be, however, not forgotten is the fact that such a seminal change in the growth model followed by the world cannot come about by good intentions alone. Merely expounding the virtues of wind, solar, geothermal, and other forms of sustainable and non-polluting energy sources without understanding and accounting for the immense challenges that come in the way of implementing such a paradigm change in energy generation methodologies will inevitably lead to failure. Like it or not, fossil fuels are here to stay for a long time. Till the time sufficient technological progress is made in ensuring alternative forms of energy generation are cheaper and more efficiently and conveniently available than fossil fuels, we will continue to use them. That is likely to be the likely scenario, at least for the foreseeable future. There really is no perfect substitute for fossil fuels in terms of wide-scale availability and ever-improving technology for extracting or producing these. It is important to remember that the advent of the fossil fuel age brought about tremendous improvements in the lives of people around the world, setting them on the course of unimaginable progress. Life in the pre-fossil fuel age wasn’t as rosy or utopian as one might imagine. People would clear away vast tracts of forests to use as firewood and building materials. Animal-drawn carts and carriages led to cities, towns, and villages becoming exceedingly dirty and diseases-prone on account of vast amounts of horse and cattle dung lying about on the streets. The modern global economy has come about because of the industrial revolution, which would not have been possible without fossil fuels. That has immense significance in the history of mankind, given that the industrial revolution allowed millions of people to emerge from poverty. It, in effect, made the modern world we see around us. That was how things were, but the world is at a tipping point with regard to the climate crisis brought about by global warming that has been, to a very large extent, caused by the humongous fossil fuel-powered global economy. [1] Challenges faced in transitioning to a green economy There are numerous challenges faced in transitioning to a green economy, the least of which is the high upfront cost accrued because of the adoption of green technology in terms of creating new infrastructure, retrofitting existing infrastructure and facilities, and training people in the use of the new technology. Besides, implementing green technology solutions is a long-term process that involves massive amounts of investment with no prospects of profitable returns for a very long time. Also, there is a limit to how much ground can be used as an alternative source of energy, like wind and solar cover, when it comes to completely replacing conventional sources of energy. If alternative green sources of energy cannot account for more than a quarter of the final energy consumption demand, can the world afford to move to these technologies at any time in the distant future? [2] It is all very well for nations around the world to set up green energy transition goals, but any forced or coercive measures to bring around this change may prove counterproductive. This is something that developing countries like India, which have a long way to go before they can be considered fully developed, have to be cognizant of when planning their growth strategies for the coming decades. Instead of using a green technology or nothing approach, what needs to be done to achieve global sustainability goals is to look at technology-agnostic policies that make it possible for all kinds of clean energy technologies to be given an equal opportunity to prove their worth. Advances in clean fossil technologies, for instance, may show the way for developing countries like India, where the demand for energy is expected to grow enormously as their economies grow in the years ahead. Natural gas, primarily comprising methane, for instance, emits half as much carbon dioxide when burnt than coal. What can also be done to clean up the environmental pollution caused by the use of fossil fuels is to capture the carbon dioxide generated and store it underground using the technique of carbon capture and sequestration. One can also try to enhance the efficiency of fossil fuel-run power plants. This will lead to a lower consumption of fuel and a lower amount of carbon dioxide emission. [3] What ultimately needs to be done is to find an integrated system of energy production and consumption that leaves a minimal impact on the environment, allowing it to repair itself and recover. Advocating romantic notions of living entirely off sunlight, air, and naturally occurring geothermal energy may prevent us from looking at the issue objectively and coming up with an environment-friendly growth and development policy that will actually work. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/why-are-fossil-fuels-so-hard-to-quit/#:~:text=We%20haven't%20found%20a,largely%20true%20for%20natural%20gas. [1] https://energypost.eu/the-dangers-of-green-technology-forcing/ [2] https://news.stanford.edu/2017/10/05/future-energy-fossil-fuels/ [3]

The Path to a Green Economy Cannot Wash Away Fossil Fuels for the Foreseeable Future

This paper is under CC 4.0 license. available on arxiv Authors: (1) Jingjing Wang, School of Computing; (2) Joshua Luo, The Westminster Schools; (3) Grace Yang, South Windsor High School; (4) Allen Hong, D.W. Daniel High School; (5) Feng Luo, School of Computing. Table of Links Abstract & Introduction Related Work Methodology Experiment Results Discussion References Abstract This paper studies the design of cluster experiments to estimate the global treatment effect in the presence of spillovers on a single network. We provide an econometric framework to choose the clustering that minimizes the worst-case mean-squared error of the estimated global treatment effect. We show that the optimal clustering can be approximated as the solution of a novel penalized min-cut optimization problem computed via off-the-shelf semi-definite programming algorithms. Our analysis also characterizes easy-to-check conditions to choose between a cluster or individual-level randomization. We illustrate the method’s properties using unique network data from the universe of Facebook’s users and existing network data from a field experiment. : Experimental Design, Spillover Effects, Causal Inference, Cluster Designs. JEL Codes: C10, C14, C31, C54 Keywords 1 Introduction Consider a (large) population of n individuals connected under a single observed network. Researchers are interested in conducting an experiment to estimate the global average treatment effect, i.e., the difference between the average effect of treating all versus none of the individuals in the population. Treating an individual may generate spillovers to her friends in the network. To capture such effects, researchers conduct a cluster experiment. Individuals are first partitioned into clusters. Within a cluster, either all units are assigned to the treatment or all units are assigned to the control group. Finally, researchers estimate treatment effects by taking a difference between the average outcomes of treated and control units (possibly adjusting for baseline covariates). The cluster design does not require modeling the dependence of individual outcomes on neighbors’ assignments, but it requires a choice of clusters and some assumptions on the extend of the spillovers along the network. For example, cluster experiments on online platforms require choosing a partition of the social network, and field experiments require choosing the unit of randomization, such as villages or regions. This raises the question of how many and which clusters to use in experiments. Typical approaches in economic research assume prior knowledge of many independent clusters. There are many settings where this information is not available, and instead units in the population have different degrees of connections.[1] This paper provides an econometric framework to choose when and how to design the clusters in cluster experiments. Different from existing clustering algorithms geared towards community detection, we motivate the choice of the clusters based on the task of estimating global treatment effects. The choice of clustering must balance two competing objectives: the larger the clusters (and the smaller the number of clusters), the smaller the bias of the estimated global effect, but the larger its variance. We introduce an algorithmic procedure – entitled Causal Clustering – to choose the clustering that minimizes a weighted combination of the worst-case bias and variance as a function of the network and clusters. The worst-case approach encodes uncertainty over the dependence of individual outcomes on neighbors’ assignments. We study (i) whether to run a cluster-level instead of individual-level randomization; (ii) how to cluster individuals (and how many clusters to use). We focus on a class of models where spillover effects are small relative to the outcomes’ variance but possibly non-negligible for inference. This is formalized in a novel framework of local asymptotics where individual outcomes depend arbitrarily on neighbors’ treatments, and, as n grows, spillovers from neighbors (and possibly also direct effects) converge to zero, but at an arbitrary slow rate (e.g., slower than n −1/2 ). This framework encodes the researchers’ uncertainty on the presence (and magnitude) of spillover effects by modeling first-order neighbors’ effect local to zero, with the convergence rate capturing the expected magnitude of spillovers.[2] The local asymptotic framework we study is consistent with settings with small (but non-negligible) treatment and spillover effects, typical, for instance, in online experiments [e.g., Karrer et al., 2021]. We characterize optimal clustering as a function of the expected magnitude of the largest spillover effects that the experiment can generate. The largest size of the spillover effects is a key input in our algorithms, whose characterization, in practice, is necessary for the design of the experiment but can be challenging. This parameter can be informed by previous experiments, in the same spirit of minimum detectable effects used in power analysis [e.g. Baird et al., 2018], or using some particular modeling assumptions. We provide guidance to practitioners in Section 6. Our analysis proceeds as follows. First, we provide a formal characterization of the worstcase bias and variance. We show that the worst-case bias is closely related to a particular notion of between-clusters connectedness, defined as the per-individual average number of friends in other clusters. The worst-case variance can potentially be an arbitrary function of within-clusters covariances and between-clusters covariances: individuals in the same cluster have identical assignments and in different clusters may share common neighbors. We show that the variance only depends on the average squared cluster size, up to an asymptotically negligible error. This result formalizes the intuition that a larger number of clusters, with a small variance in cluster size, decreases the variance of the estimator. We draw the implications of these results for choosing between a cluster experiment (for a given clustering) or assigning treatments independently between individuals (i.e., Bernoulli design or completely randomized design). Suppose the magnitude of the spillover effects is smaller than the square root of the number of clusters. In that case, the variance component dominates the bias, and a Bernoulli design is preferred (where a Bernoulli design is a special case of a cluster design with clusters containing a single unit). Vice-versa, a cluster design is preferred if the bias dominates the variance. Intuitively, because our objective trades off the bias and variance of the estimator, whenever the number of clusters is small, it is best to run a Bernoulli design for any value of spillover effects local to zero. On the other hand, if the number of clusters is sufficiently large, and the cluster design appropriately controls the bias of the estimator, a cluster design is preferred. We provide practitioners with a simple decision rule between cluster and Bernoulli designs that only depends on the number of clusters and the expected spillover effects’ magnitude. We then turn to the design of the optimal clustering, where the choice is not whether to run a cluster or Bernoulli design, but rather which clustering to use. The choice of optimal clustering reduces to a novel penalized minimum cut optimization problem, with a penalty that depends on the variation in clusters’ size. The program admits a convenient formulation as a sequence of trace-optimization problems, each solved via off-the-shelf semidefinite programming algorithms. We provide an empirical application using unique network data from the universe of Facebook users. We show that our procedure provides an explicit ranking between different clustering algorithms implemented at scale at Facebook. We also illustrate trade-offs in the choice of the clustering algorithm and properties of the graph. A second application using network data from Cai et al. [2015] illustrates the method’s advantages for choosing clusters in field experiments. We show that the choice of the clusters based on village identity is sub-optimal in this application, because the number of village clusters is too small relative to the optimal clustering. We present an alternative choice of clusters. This paper connects to the literature on experimental design, causal inference with spillover effects, and clustering. Existing methods for experimental designs with spillover effects include cluster and saturation designs, studied in Baird et al. [2018], Basse and Feller [2016], Karrer et al. [2021], Pouget-Abadie [2018], Taylor and Eckles [2018], Viviano [2020b], among others. These papers provide an analysis of the properties of particular designs for a given clustering or clustering algorithm. Different from the current paper, these references either do not study the question of the optimal clustering algorithm for experimental design, or only provide heuristic comparisons of different clustering methods. A particular class of clustering algorithms is ε-net clustering algorithms – which consist of assigning sequentially individuals in the same neighborhood to the same cluster [Eckles et al., 2017, Ugander et al., 2013]. Variants of these algorithms have been recently studied in Leung [2022] for spatial spillovers and Faridani and Niehaus [2022] in more general nonEuclidean spaces. These papers provide an optimal rate of the clusters’ size as a function of how interference decays in space for approximately unbiased estimators. Here, instead, we provide an explicit trade-off and novel characterization of the bias and variance, leveraging local asymptotics. It allows us to characterize the optimal clustering as the solution of a trace-optimization program (different from ε-net clustering). The comparison of a cluster and Bernoulli designs through local asymptotics is also a novel contribution. Additional references of experiments with networks in the absence of cluster experiments are Basse and Airoldi [2018b], and Jagadeesan et al. [2020] for estimating direct instead of global average treatment effects studied here; Kang and Imbens [2016] who study encouragement designs, without focusing on the problem of mean-squared error optimal designs; Viviano [2020a] for experiments on networks using information from a pilot study; Basse and Airoldi [2018a] discuss limitations of design-based causal inference under interference. None of these paper study (optimal) cluster designs. The literature on treatment effects under network interference includes Aronow and Samii [2017], Hudgens and Halloran [2008], Manski [2013], Leung [2020], Athey et al. [2018], Goldsmith-Pinkham and Imbens [2013], S¨avje et al. [2021], Ogburn et al. [2017], Manresa [2013], Li and Wager [2022], Leung [2022], among others. The assumption that an individual depends on first-order degree connections is most closely related to Leung [2020].3 None of the above references study experimental designs. Finally, we relate more broadly to the literature on clustering in economics – see Wooldridge [2003], Leung [2023], Abadie et al. [2017] and references therein – with the difference that here we focus on optimal clustering, rather than taking the clusters as given – and the literature on graph clustering, including Von Luxburg [2007], Newman [2013a,b], Lei [2019], Lei et al. [2020], Li et al. [2022], and references therein. Different from this last set of papers on graph clustering, this paper focuses on treatment effect estimation, instead of community detection. The remainder of the paper is organized as follows: Section 2 presents the setup; Section
3 characterizes the bias and variance and contrast cluster and Bernoulli designs; Section
4 formalizes the optimization problem for the optimal clustering; Section 5 presents two
applications and numerical studies and Section 6 contains recommendations for practice. [1] For example, when using villages as clusters, individuals may interact in the same and nearby villages. See Egger et al. [2022] for an example in cash-transfer programs. [2] The assumption of spillovers within first-order neighbors can be relaxed here by assuming that higher order spillovers are an order of magnitude smaller than first-order spillovers.

Is GPT Powerful Enough to Analyze the Emotions of Memes?: Abstract & Intro

Across Africa, live without electricity. If you deep it, that's nearly half the entire population sitting in the dark. Even in places with power access, month-long blackouts are common. over 600 million people In the much smaller country of Malawi, have access to the grid. And most of those lucky few live clustered in cities, not scattered across rural areas. only 11% of citizens But One Village Defies the Odds — Bondo Nestled on the slopes of Mount Mulanje, Bondo is a small village that used to live in the dark. For years, it had no hope of getting connected to the national grid. But things changed when Gridless — a Kenyan company that designs, builds, and operates Bitcoin mining sites — installed a micro-hydro mini-grid in the village. The mini-grid harnesses the power of water to generate electricity, which is then used to mine Bitcoin. By mining Bitcoin, Gridless not only earns income to sustain the mini-grid but also provides affordable electricity to over 1,800 homes in Bondo. Erik Hersman, the CEO of Gridless, said: " ." We are not just mining Bitcoin, we are mining hope The electricity has brought many benefits to the villagers. They can now use light bulbs, fridges, TVs, and phones in their homes. They can also start businesses, preserve food, store medicine, and study at night. The women in Bondo are particularly pleased with the development. They told Ian Birrell, the journalist who first reported about the story, that: "Before, our husbands would lie about going to watch football when they were cheating on us. But now with TVs in our homes, they can't use that excuse anymore!” Truly, Africans Can't Use “No Electricity” As an Excuse Anymore Crypto and blockchain adoption is on the rise across Africa. Nigeria has the highest crypto ownership rate in the world, with 47% of its population having used or owned crypto. Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa also rank among the top countries for crypto adoption. Overall, Africa accounts for over $90 billion in cryptocurrency transactions every year. Yet despite this growth, most activity remains concentrated in urban areas, confined to speculative trading rather than real-world usage. And while Bitcoin mining sustainable energy usage globally, stories showcasing this development remain rare in Africa. has reached 54.5% Efforts to expand electrification in Africa have often struggled, as new technologies feel too risky and communities lack the infrastructure to benefit from them. Some blame poor leadership, but the root cause is the systemic underutilization of the continent’s abundant energy resources. Consider these facts: Africa has almost unlimited solar potential, estimated at 11 terawatts, but only a fraction of it is used. It has abundant hydro resources, estimated at 350 gigawatts, but only 5-6% of them are exploited. It has over 100 gigawatts of wind potential, but only 2% of it is utilized. In addition to these untapped resources, the continent boasts a strong human capital, with technical and entrepreneurial talent. African startups raised $5 billion in 2022, a record high. As Malado Kaba, former finance minister of Guinea, put it: "Africa has all the ingredients for an economic breakthrough if it can activate its raw potential." By cleverly tapping into Bitcoin's promise, the village of Bondo has written a script that other African nations can follow. And in doing so, it just might have established a paradox too: How Can an Isolated Village Finance Electricity Access in Ways Even Major Cities Cannot Yet Deliver? The answer lies in innovation - powering a microgrid through Bitcoin mining. Cryptocurrency mining is hugely energy intensive, with Bitcoin alone consuming (TWh) every year - more than the annual consumption of many countries. This intensity stems from Bitcoin's complex Proof of Work (PoW) system. around 143 terawatt-hours In contrast, Sub-Saharan Africa's per capita energy consumption stands at just 180 kWh. Currently, Africa's total electricity demand is 700 TWh, with North African economies and South Africa accounting for over 70%. Mining Bitcoin requires a voracious appetite for energy. The average Bitcoin miner , enough to power a typical American household for six weeks. Yet, despite this demand, major African cities still struggle to meet needs. generates 1,173 kilowatt-hours per transaction South Africa experiences frequent power outages despite having the most electrified grid in Africa. Nigeria's large gas reserves fail to provide stable electricity for its 200 million citizens. Short-term solutions like generators often fail due to high costs. Remarkably, rural villages like Bondo in Malawi have self-financed electricity access in ways megacities cannot. Companies like Gridless have sustainably electrified homes by tapping into Bitcoin mining revenues. The miners secure blockchains while earning enough to maintain village micro-grids. These projects show the benefits of decentralized off-grid solutions for rural electrification. They avoid the high costs and inefficiencies of extending national grids. They also prevent the instability and corruption of state-owned utilities. They use renewable energy sources like micro-hydro, which have less environmental impact than large dams or diesel. And they enable 24/7 mining, which allows for flexible and affordable pay-as-you-go pricing. But Scaling Them Remains Difficult Easier to say what happened in Bondo can happen anywhere else, but the truth is that scaling is difficult. Many villages lack the technical expertise and funding to set up and maintain such systems, while investors are wary of the risks and uncertainties in rural areas. These challenges require the involvement of NGOs, who can help with community education, project development, and capital mobilization. Gridless echoes the need for collaborative approaches to scale these solutions. Eric Hersman was quoted as saying: " We believe that Bitcoin mining can be a catalyst for energy access, but it needs to be done in a way that is respectful of the environment, the culture, and the laws of each country." Beyond Bondo, there are other projects that use digital currencies to drive innovation. In South Africa, Sun Exchange has solar microgrids that allow people to buy and sell solar power using Bitcoin. In Kenya, Powerhive and BitLumens enable pre-paid power meters that accept mobile money and cryptocurrencies. These projects decentralize energy access and empower local communities. Using cryptocurrencies for rural electrification means innovators can also provide banking services and clean energy to the unbanked. However, some regulators have banned or restricted crypto mining, citing environmental and security concerns. These policies ignore the potential benefits of crypto mining for energy access and development and create obstacles to scaling these solutions. For remote villages, crypto mining enables self-reliant development. By using renewable energy sources and digital currencies, they can improve their living standards and economic opportunities, without depending on external aid. Such innovation could also inspire major cities struggling with blackouts and pollution. The Key to Sustainable Adoption of Bitcoin Mining Is in Starting Small Blockchain mining typically means warehouses full of specialized computers consuming vast amounts of electricity. Yet, in off-grid African villages, we find an overlooked opportunity: blockchain technology strategically empowering energy-poor communities. Starting small and local is key to unlocking blockchain's full potential. Too often, innovation targets the ecosystems with the greatest preexisting resources and demand - cities and governments. But the real test comes when expanding access and opportunity to those with the greatest marginalization and need. Companies like Gridless embody this approach. Rather than building urban-first, they establish village-level renewable microgrids able to sustainably mine crypto. This simultaneously earns them income while powering local homes with affordable, off-grid electricity. The community-governed approach offers several benefits: Financial tools for the unbanked through crypto New business opportunities and jobs for entrepreneurs Funding for local health and conservation efforts Most critically, it gives people direct agency rather than relying on centralized authorities. Locals can now self-finance and self-operate the energy infrastructure uplifting their standards of living on their own terms. Scaling this promise requires collaboration. Governments can pilot projects and develop crypt-friendly policy environments. Investors like can participate through sustainable funding models benefitting both communities and shareholders. But at the core, solutions must be co-designed alongside locals rather than imposed top-down by outsiders. GoMining The future looks hard, but signs of hope exist even in darkness. When focused on human needs, blockchains can empower people to uplift themselves. And "starting small" turns sparks into flames. So, while mining may conjure images of warehouses and megawatts, its most pioneering edge may sprout from the overlooked soil of villages. For here, people are positioned to shape their own decentralized energy futures. Note: If you enjoyed this story, please subscribe for alerts on new posts. I'm also open to collaboration :)

No Power Grid? This African Village Mines Bitcoin for Electricity

Authors: (1) Davide Viviano, Department of Economics, Harvard University; (2) Lihua Lei, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University; (3) Guido Imbens, Graduate School of Business and Department of Economics, Stanford University; (4) Brian Karrer, FAIR, Meta; (5) Okke Schrijvers, Meta Central Applied Science; (6) Liang Shi, Meta Central Applied Science. Table of Links Abstract & Introduction Setup (When) should you cluster? Choosing the cluster design Empirical illustration and numerical studies Recommendations for practice References A) Notation B) Endogenous peer effects C) Proofs 5 Empirical illustration and numerical studies In this section we illustrate the properties of the procedure in two empirical applications, one using unique data from the Facebook friendship and messaging graphs, and one using data from an experiment conducted in rural China by Cai et al. [2015]. We provide further evidence supporting our theoretical analysis using simulated networks in Section 5.3. 5.1 Clustering on Facebook graphs We first study the procedure’s properties for two clustering algorithms implemented at scale on social networks owned by Meta: Louvain algorithm [Blondel et al., 2008], Balanced Partitioning [Kabiljo et al., 2017]. We consider two graphs owned by Meta. In each graph, edges are continuous variables. In the first graph, edges capture the strength of the friendship in the Facebook graph, and in the second graph they capture connections based on messaging on Facebook, in both cases the data was aggregated and de-identified. We compute our statistics by setting the edges to be zero if below the 5th, 10th, and 50th percentile. We will refer to these graphs obtained as dense, moderate (mod), and sparse after thresholding (graphs all have a bounded maximum degree). We report the bias and variance, with the variance weighted by a parameter ξn, defined respectively as Louvain and Balanced Partitioning clustering produce a hierarchical clustering structure with a growing number of clusters. We consider three “types” of such algorithms, corresponding to three levels in the clustering structure hierarchy (i.e., different numbers of clusters), defined as Type 1, 2, and 3, respectively. For Louvain clustering, higher-order types denote more clusters, whereas it is the opposite for Balanced Partitioning. For each clustering, we report log(Kn/n), log-ratio of the number of clusters over the population size. Table 2 collects each of these algorithms’ worst-case bias and variance and the number of clusters per individual. Louvain algorithm dominates Balanced Partitioning both in worstcase variance and bias. A larger number of clusters increases the bias but decreases the variance, which we observe throughout all graphs. The bias increases for sparser networks because the denominator |Ni | decreases. Figure 3 reports the objective function for different graphs, Louvain algorithms, and degrees of sparsity. For ξn ≈ 1, the Louvain algorithm with the largest number of clusters (Type 3) dominates the other two algorithms in all but one case. This result provides some interpretable comparisons for the number of clusters. We also observe a trade-off between the number of clusters and the degree of sparsity of the adjacency matrix as ξn decreases. Louvain clustering with the largest number of clusters (Type 1) is optimal for a dense graph with ξn ≫ 1. Such clustering, however, is sub-optimal as the graph becomes more sparse. This result is intuitive: for denser networks, a larger number of clusters may best control the estimator’s bias relative to the bias induced by other clustering algorithms. These comparisons motivate trade-offs in the choice of the graph (and its density) and the clustering algorithm. We recommend practitioners compare clustering by averaging objective functions over different sparsity thresholding. For example, it is possible to compare clustering based on the average objective across different graphs using some priors on the degree of sparsity without affecting our theoretical results. Finally, note that using Theorem 3.6 it is possible to compute the smallest values of the spillover effects that would motivate using a cluster instead of Bernoulli design. From Theorem 3.6, researchers should prefer a cluster over a Bernoulli design if In summary, our results shed light on using clustering algorithms for large-scale implementation on online platforms. These results suggest that Louvain clustering with possibly many clusters performs best in practice. It confirms intuitive arguments in Karrer et al. [2021] who also recommend Louvain clustering based on AA-tests. 5.2 Clustering in the field We consider as an application the problem of informing individuals to increase insurance takeup studied in Cai et al. [2015]. The authors collected network information in approximately 184 villages in rural China from 48 larger regions. We use network data collected by Cai et al. [2015] to study the properties of the proposed method, where we assume that two individuals are connected if at least one of the two indicates the other as a friend. Because we do not require information from end-line outcomes, we construct a network using information from surveyed individuals as well as their friends. The network has in total 7649 nodes, once we also include individuals who are friends of surveyed individuals (but do not necessarily live in their same village or were surveyed in the experiment). Individuals between villages present on average 50% of their connections outside their village. On the other hand, individuals in different regions (with approximately 50 regions) have 99% of their connections within the same region. We use an adjacency matrix a “weak ties” adjacency matrix, where two individuals are connected if either indicates the other has a friend. We study clustering within each region and report results for different clustering algorithms. Clustering within each region is performed as in Algorithm 1, where we first estimate Xˆ (K) via semi-definite programming, use K-means algorithm to retrieve the clusters from Xˆ (K) and iterate to estimate the optimal number of clusters K. We report the frontier with respect to the absolute bias consistently with Algorithm 1. 5.2.1 How many clusters should we choose? Figure 4 presents the main results. The left-hand side panel reports the average number of estimated clusters, estimated by the proposed method divided by the population size in a given cluster. Different choices of ξn justify a different number of clusters. For ξn = 1, the number of clusters is 7%, the total population size, whereas for ξn = 15, the number of clusters is roughly half the population size. To gain further intuition of its practical implication, take ψ¯ = 0.24 approximately equal to the outcomes’ variance in Cai et al. [2015] and ϕ¯ n = 0.27 as in Table 2 in Cai et al. [2015]. A recommended choice of ξn is approximately ψ/¯ ϕ¯2 n = 3.29. This choice puts slightly more weight on the bias than the variance when λ = 1, and therefore can be considered a conservative choice for the number of clusters.[13] Even with such a conservative choice, the suggested number of clusters is large relative to the population size. In this case, the optimal number of clusters is around 15% of the overall population size, approximately 600 clusters with a surveyed sample size of 3600 individuals. This number is consistent (in scale) with the choice in the number of clusters in other applications in development, such as Egger et al. [2022], Alatas et al. [2012], but larger than the number of villages that we have in the application in Cai et al. [2015]. 5.2.2 Comparison with other clustering methods Next, we compare the procedure (denoted as “Causal Clustering”) with the following alternative clustering algorithms: ε-net clustering as in Eckles et al. [2017] with ε = 3 as suggested in Eckles et al. [2017]; spectral clustering with a fixed number of clusters equal to n/3, where n is the population size in a given region (note that spectral clustering do not optimize over the number of clusters); Louvain clustering with default parameters selected by the R-package igraph; clustering based on village identity of each individual (creating one additional cluster for those individuals whose village is missing in the data). We contrast the objective function with alternative algorithms in the right-hand side of Figure 4. The proposed method achieves the smallest objective function across all competitors, providing suggestive evidence that Algorithm 1 (with a semi-definite relaxation) works particularly well in practice. For a smaller number of clusters the method is closer to the Louvain clustering algorithm, while for a larger number of clusters the objective of the algorithm is close to the objective of the spectral algorithm. Interestingly, clustering based on village identity leads to the largest loss function. This is because individuals are connected within and between villages in this application. Finally, in Figure 5 (first three panels), we report the mean-squared error obtained by simulating the model in Cai et al. [2015] (Table 2, Column 4) and vary the variance of the residuals σ 2 ∈ {1/4, 1/2, 1} to emulate settings with high, medium and low signal to noise ratio. The model in Cai et al. [2015] assumes that individual outcomes depend on neighbors’ treatments, consistently with our Assumption 1. Our method uniformly outperforms competitors in terms of mean-squared error, except for the Louvain algorithm when the signal-to-noise ratio is particularly high, but not in the remaining settings. In the last panel, we consider settings where the local interference assumption is violated, and we calibrate our model to the specification in Cai et al. [2015] (Column 4, Table 5), where the individual outcome depends on the neighbors’ outcomes, violating Assumption 1 and introducing global dependence. We fix the residuals’ variance to be σ 2 = 1/4, whereas the results are robust as we increase σ 2 . In this setup, we observe a larger mean-squared error of all methods, with the proposed method achieving the lowest mean-squared error. 5.3 A numerical study Next, we illustrate the properties of the method in numerical studies. We consider three different data generating processes for the network formation: a geometric network formation, Albert Barabasi network and Erdos-Renyi graph. The geometric network takes the form Ai,j = 1{|Xi,1 − Xj,1|/2 +|Xi,2 − Xj,2|/2 ≤ rn} where rn = p 4/2.75n similarly to simulations in Leung [2020]. Here, Xi,1, Xi,2 are drawn independently from a uniform distribution between [−1, 1]. For the Albert-Barabasi network we first draw n/5 edges uniformly according to Erdos-Renyi graph with probabilities p = 10/n, and second, we draw sequentially connections of the new nodes to the existing ones with probability equal to the number of connection of each pre-existing node divided by the overall number of connections. Finally, the Erdos-Renyi graph is generated with probability of connection p = 2/n. We study the properties of the proposed method and of the same competitors discussed in Section 5.2. Figure 6 showcases that the proposed procedure leads to the lowest objective function. This result is consistent with our theoretical findings. Figure 7 showcases that the number of clusters increases in the sample size, varies substantially across different data generating processes, and increases in ξn. [13] This follows from the fact that ξn is proportional to ψ/¯ ϕ¯2 n for clusters whose bias is of order O(ϕ¯ n), and researcher’s goal is to minimize the worst-case mean squared error (λ = 1). This paper is under CC 1.0 license. available on arxiv

Design of Cluster Experiments: Empirical Illustration and Numerical Studies

Authors: (1) Davide Viviano, Department of Economics, Harvard University; (2) Lihua Lei, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University; (3) Guido Imbens, Graduate School of Business and Department of Economics, Stanford University; (4) Brian Karrer, FAIR, Meta; (5) Okke Schrijvers, Meta Central Applied Science; (6) Liang Shi, Meta Central Applied Science. Table of Links Abstract & Introduction Setup (When) should you cluster? Choosing the cluster design Empirical illustration and numerical studies Recommendations for practice References A) Notation B) Endogenous peer effects C) Proofs Abstract This paper studies the design of cluster experiments to estimate the global treatment effect in the presence of spillovers on a single network. We provide an econometric framework to choose the clustering that minimizes the worst-case mean-squared error of the estimated global treatment effect. We show that the optimal clustering can be approximated as the solution of a novel penalized min-cut optimization problem computed via off-the-shelf semi-definite programming algorithms. Our analysis also characterizes easy-to-check conditions to choose between a cluster or individual-level randomization. We illustrate the method’s properties using unique network data from the universe of Facebook’s users and existing network data from a field experiment. Experimental Design, Spillover Effects, Causal Inference, Cluster Designs. JEL Codes: C10, C14, C31, C54 Keywords: 1 Introduction Consider a (large) population of n individuals connected under a single observed network. Researchers are interested in conducting an experiment to estimate the global average treatment effect, i.e., the difference between the average effect of treating all versus none of the individuals in the population. Treating an individual may generate spillovers to her friends in the network. To capture such effects, researchers conduct a cluster experiment. Individuals are first partitioned into clusters. Within a cluster, either all units are assigned to the treatment or all units are assigned to the control group. Finally, researchers estimate treatment effects by taking a difference between the average outcomes of treated and control units (possibly adjusting for baseline covariates). The cluster design does not require modeling the dependence of individual outcomes on neighbors’ assignments, but it requires a choice of clusters and some assumptions on the extend of the spillovers along the network. For example, cluster experiments on online platforms require choosing a partition of the social network, and field experiments require choosing the unit of randomization, such as villages or regions. This raises the question of how many and which clusters to use in experiments. Typical approaches in economic research assume prior knowledge of many independent clusters. There are many settings where this information is not available, and instead units in the population have different degrees of connections.[1] This paper provides an econometric framework to choose when and how to design the clusters in cluster experiments. Different from existing clustering algorithms geared towards community detection, we motivate the choice of the clusters based on the task of estimating global treatment effects. The choice of clustering must balance two competing objectives: the larger the clusters (and the smaller the number of clusters), the smaller the bias of the estimated global effect, but the larger its variance. We introduce an algorithmic procedure – entitled Causal Clustering – to choose the clustering that minimizes a weighted combination of the worst-case bias and variance as a function of the network and clusters. The worst-case approach encodes uncertainty over the dependence of individual outcomes on neighbors’ assignments. We study (i) whether to run a cluster-level instead of individual-level randomization; (ii) how to cluster individuals (and how many clusters to use). We focus on a class of models where spillover effects are small relative to the outcomes’ variance but possibly non-negligible for inference. This is formalized in a novel framework of local asymptotics where individual outcomes depend arbitrarily on neighbors’ treatments, and, as n grows, spillovers from neighbors (and possibly also direct effects) converge to zero, but at an arbitrary slow rate (e.g., slower than n −1/2 ). This framework encodes the researchers’ uncertainty on the presence (and magnitude) of spillover effects by modeling first-order neighbors’ effect local to zero, with the convergence rate capturing the expected magnitude of spillovers.[2] The local asymptotic framework we study is consistent with settings with small (but non-negligible) treatment and spillover effects, typical, for instance, in online experiments [e.g., Karrer et al., 2021]. We characterize optimal clustering as a function of the expected magnitude of the largest spillover effects that the experiment can generate. The largest size of the spillover effects is a key input in our algorithms, whose characterization, in practice, is necessary for the design of the experiment but can be challenging. This parameter can be informed by previous experiments, in the same spirit of minimum detectable effects used in power analysis [e.g. Baird et al., 2018], or using some particular modeling assumptions. We provide guidance to practitioners in Section 6. Our analysis proceeds as follows. First, we provide a formal characterization of the worstcase bias and variance. We show that the worst-case bias is closely related to a particular notion of between-clusters connectedness, defined as the per-individual average number of friends in other clusters. The worst-case variance can potentially be an arbitrary function of within-clusters covariances and between-clusters covariances: individuals in the same cluster have identical assignments and in different clusters may share common neighbors. We show that the variance only depends on the average squared cluster size, up to an asymptotically negligible error. This result formalizes the intuition that a larger number of clusters, with a small variance in cluster size, decreases the variance of the estimator. We draw the implications of these results for choosing between a cluster experiment (for a given clustering) or assigning treatments independently between individuals (i.e., Bernoulli design or completely randomized design). Suppose the magnitude of the spillover effects is smaller than the square root of the number of clusters. In that case, the variance component dominates the bias, and a Bernoulli design is preferred (where a Bernoulli design is a special case of a cluster design with clusters containing a single unit). Vice-versa, a cluster design is preferred if the bias dominates the variance. Intuitively, because our objective trades off the bias and variance of the estimator, whenever the number of clusters is small, it is best to run a Bernoulli design for any value of spillover effects local to zero. On the other hand, if the number of clusters is sufficiently large, and the cluster design appropriately controls the bias of the estimator, a cluster design is preferred. We provide practitioners with a simple decision rule between cluster and Bernoulli designs that only depends on the number of clusters and the expected spillover effects’ magnitude. [1] For example, when using villages as clusters, individuals may interact in the same and nearby villages. See Egger et al. [2022] for an example in cash-transfer programs. This paper is under CC 1.0 license. available on arxiv

Causal Clustering: Design of Cluster Experiments Under Network Interference

Hi, all! Here is my weekly email discussing mental models, performance, business, and entrepreneurship. If you love this content (please share it), but also… Check out my , connect with me on / , and read my Podcast YouTube Twitter daily newsletter. What’s in today’s newsletter? We now enjoy the most health, freedom, and opportunities in human history - standing on the shoulders of inventors and pioneers who sacrificed to expand potential. But too many people waste this unprecedented access to tools for fulfillment by chasing distraction and pleasure while avoiding reality and responsibility. It's ironic how much progress surrounds us externally, yet how stagnant most individuals are in taking the initiative to actually seize it. Entitlement has bred widespread complacency. We must shake off victim mindsets full of excuses. Progress depends on personal accountability. Inheriting progress means accepting responsibility to compound it. Seize the generosity of past generations as fuel for your own creation. Transform excuses into action. Lift all rising tides through your differentiated efforts right now. The heaviest weight is unfulfilled potential despite an unprecedented opportunity explosion. Fortify resolve beyond comfortable circumstances handed to you. Don't take generational privilege for granted - use it as a foundation for your own progress. “We are living at the peak of human civilization.” I know that sounds hyperbolic. But consider this objectively. You stand now at the highest vantage point in the history of mankind when it comes to opportunity, technology, wisdom, and quality of life. In 75 years, we went from prop planes to commercial space flight. From news communicated by post to video calls on handheld devices transmitted by satellites in space. You can access virtually all cumulative knowledge known to humans in seconds from something in your pocket. Translate between languages instantly via AI. Map travel to remote villages Google hasn’t even photographed yet. But here’s the shocking part most haven’t realized... Despite all this exponential progress around us, most individuals fail to hold themselves to the standards such advancements make possible when it comes to actualizing our potential. We life spanned through a renaissance period that unlocked orders of magnitude more opportunity, tools, and information to enhance performance, well-being, and success... Yet, most trade this inheritance for distraction and limitation. Why Do We Squander Our Potential Despite Having Every Advantage? Make no mistake, you stand at the mountaintop when it comes to opportunity. But most come nowhere near achieving what is newly possible in their lifetime when it comes to fulfillment, human performance, and leaving a legacy. There is an alarming chasm between the acceleration of external potential... And lack of internal initiation to seize it. We’re living through discoveries and technological leaps our ancestors couldn’t even conceptualize. Yet, most use these for distraction and entertainment versus deliberate enhancement. For example, learning mastery was always a privilege of the well-connected or exceptionally motivated self-starter. To be a for most pursuits required intense commitment bordering on obsession. “student of the game” Now, you can access Ivy League-level curriculum from home on nutrition, fitness, finances, starting a business, languages, and more for free or extremely affordable. Yet, how many leverage this privileged panopticon of education handed to them? The mere abundance of opportunity actually has the inverse effect. It creates anxiety. The paradox of choice kicks in. They feel overwhelmed by open doors and unsure which path aligns with innate talents or burns with authentic passion and zeal. We know exponentially more about performance, psychology, wellbeing, and success than prior generations too. But we rarely apply this diligently to transcend the excuses that are holding us back. The pioneer heart still lies dormant within despite overwhelmingly favorable conditions for bold new frontiers. The perfect analogy: you’re standing in a forest, amongst massive Redwoods. You can’t help but be memorized by their grandeur, but you can’t bring yourself to plant a seed yourself. So Why This Tragic Gap Between Peak Potential and Performance? In one word? Entitlement. Entitlement manifests when we inherit reward without risk. Have privileges dropped in our lap without paying dues. Act entitled to outcomes without earned merit. The hallmark of entitled mindsets is desiring results now without requisite work beforehand. A gross sense of entitlement stems from the unusual situation we find ourselves in... We’re thrust into an environment drastically different than what our recent ancestors faced. Like time travelers, we skipped hundreds of incremental steps. We opened our eyes to a life wildly transformed by technology and innovation created before we were even born. Handed gadgets, tools, and abundances like magic. Yet, without direct experience progressively earned through each rung ourselves from the bottom up. We didn’t slowly acclimate across generations to appreciate or have a reference for how good we have it. We just stepped into this future now and accepted it as normal. Numbing ourselves to the heights we stand atop. When you don’t earn through your own blood, sweat, and tears — forced to find opportunity where little exists — you don’t fully respect the competitive advantage and possibilities at your fingertips today. Like trust fund kids aimlessly drifting through privilege not grounded by reality. Without scarcity as a sharp contrast, we lose sight of how overwhelmingly abundant life is now for those taking initiative. We gaze into the infinite realm of potential yet focus only on what remains out of reach still versus claiming all within grasp already. Innovation Alone Doesn’t Elevate Individually Make no mistake, access alone means little without action. Books on the shelf don’t transform until read and applied diligently. Courses mean nothing if never finished. Accountability partners lose their leverage when you stop showing up. As Morpheus reminded... “There is a difference between knowing the path, and walking the path.” Don’t pat yourself on the back simply for discovering life-changing wisdom not utilized. It remains inert potential energy at best. Only through courageous initiation do we embody new standards what expanded possibility now allows for. Step fully through the doorway from old limitations into frontiers before off-limits. Otherwise, we cash our inheritance early for distraction instead of investing and compounding gains. We celebrate progress but don’t individually push progress. Squandering our unprecedented opportunity ultimately just increases disempowerment and entitlement. Until we regress despite external progress lifting most boats. As Viktor Frankl said... “Ultimately man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather realize it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible.” The path is paved, and tools are available to actualize your best life. But it demands responsibility. Owning our personal progression versus making excuses. Amor Fati — loving your fate — regardless of where you start. Seizing opportunity despite disadvantage. Forging your capability despite circumstance. Excuses or Action. Constraint or Creation. You choose daily. Mindset Determines Outcomes Over Environment Here’s an uncomfortable truth most deny... Your external conditions don’t determine outcomes nearly as much as initiative, mindset, psychology, and choices. Environment influences but doesn’t override individual responsibility. Regardless of noise that’s not within control, own what is, with extreme prejudice. This is called displacement theory — where we overfactor context and underappreciate personal accountability. Consider two examples that illustrate the immense leverage of mindset over environment: Immigrants frequently outperform their native peers in academics, income, and home ownership. Despite less access to resources, networks, or cultural familiarity when they start over, many immigrants radically thrive through bottom-up hustle. Conversely, lottery winners ending up worse financially years later is a documented phenomenon. Through entitlement without maturity, they squander windfalls despite luck removing obstacles for them. Or another example... Children of wealthy parents earning trust funds underperform self-made peers substantially, despite infinite safety nets allowing risk and failure. They substitute privilege for individual will and work ethic. Yet, those climbing from nothing showcase immense ambition regardless of environmental factors trying to limit belief in potential outcomes. The Championship Mindset In An Era Of Participation Awards Maybe these realities make you uncomfortable. Good. They are. We want to believe factors out of our control determine destinies. It absolves responsibility to take inventory of decisions and habits within influence that drive outcomes. Blaming society, injustice, or circumstance is easier than reflecting on the dicey notion “If I transformed my psychology and made better choices, I could radically change my results.” But let’s pause here. The goal isn’t condemnation over what have been done or guilt for past approaches. “should” The purpose is illumination, so we pivot forward empowered by truth. Awareness spurs change, not judgment. Transform excuses into energy toward your next phase of actualized potential. Forge opportunity by expanding the possibility of what you believe can be done despite constraints trying to convince you otherwise. Musashi called this having a “championship mindset.” Winners in any domain — sports, art, business, spirituality, relationships — build identity narratives that cut through obstacles in their heads first before ever seeing them manifest physically. Mental fortitude precedes external manifestation. Jelly insides show up as weak results regardless of your potential. Champions hold an almost delusional-level conviction in what they can accomplish if they strategically apply themselves over enough time. They embody the identity of excellence, domination, and impact so completely that it etches their physiology. Confidence is their baseline, not an aspirational boost needing external validation. This unstoppable mindset fuels consistent action towards audacious goals despite hurdles or timelines seeming unreasonable to rest. Great ones know external wins start within long before visible to the outside world. Cultivating sheer efficacy and willpower to turn dreams into plans and then plans into progress. They hold themselves to higher standards constantly. Making incremental improvement daily until the plateau of potential reached elevates baseline. Knowing marginal gains compound over time. This mentality separates those who squander natural talents that the rest wish they had...from those with championship vision who maximize every drop of human potential possessed. Who will you become? Identity drives reality. Claim Your Modern Birthright Manifesting potential starts by taking complete ownership of precious opportunity within your grasp right now. Birthright means an inheritance you’re entitled to by birth. Financial security, status, and assets family members pass down. I challenge you to view the situation you were born into more expansively. Your ancestor just two generations ago likely: Performed backbreaking labor from sunrise to sundown Had health issues we resolve easily today Had way less economic opportunity without global mobility and the internet Access to maybe a few books their whole life in rural areas Die by 60 years old from now preventable causes Just since 1990... Automation replaced 50% of tedious and dangerous jobs Healthcare innovation increased life expectancy over a decade The Internet created millions of economic opportunities Education went from privilege of few to accessible for all Extreme global poverty dropped by 50% The point is you won the cosmic lottery simply by being born in this time and place in history. So before complaining about limitations, perhaps compassionately reflect on how much circumstance-defying potential surrounds you here and now... Then courageously claim it. Sacrifice excuses for initiative. Accept abundance over entitlement. Double down on excellence and accountability. Living through these rare times is a modern birthright. But Destiny's true inheritance must be claimed with both hands despite endless distractions tempting complacency. Compounding This Windfall Part of maturity means realizing you don’t deserve anything simply because you exist. Universal energy rewards those taking responsibility. Actualizing your full potential involves stewarding ALL inheritances — money, knowledge, tools, relationships, inspiration — handed down to responsibly create MORE value as you climb the hierarchy of goals. Think back to stories like the Jesus told. A master going on a journey entrusts servants with bags of gold. In return, two invested and compounded the money. But one simply preserved the original inheritance, digging a hole to hide it without attempting to increase it. “Parable of the Talents” The message is clear: To those faithfully stewarding opportunity: “Well done! You have been trustworthy with small things, I will now give you much more.” But to the servant burying their potential: “You wicked and lazy servant! Take the gold from him and give it to the man enterprising increase.” So think back… Who worked diligently starting with little versus who squandered opportunity? Who multiplied gains versus who generated entitlement? Who owned the identity of excellence versus excuses? Compare where you started to possibilities before you now thanks to external progress. Have you compounded personal capability at an equal rate? Or stagnated in complacent entitlement enjoyed as a birthright? Awaken The Modern Pioneer Spirit Beyond holding yourself to higher standards, adopt the heart and spirit of past pioneers who settled frontiers. The pioneer journeys not for glory itself but so their grandchildren may have opportunities they never dreamed of. Sacrifice in the short term to build foundations for the betterment of future generations. Plant trees under whose shade you may never sit. But know they allow the fruits of your labor to be enjoyed for decades beyond your short, fleeting lifespan. This pioneer spirit is precisely what built the privileged conditions we enjoy but take for granted today. We forget the backs broken with labor and risk so we could have comfort and safety to unlock our creativity. Standing on the shoulders of giants, how will we lift the next wave still higher? The Modern Pioneer Rises What frontiers — physical, spiritual, scientific, personal — will you charge courageously into despite unknowns and fears holding most peers paralyzed? How can we hold ourselves to elevated expectations equal to the abundant privileges we inherited? Where can you multiply opportunity before passing the baton to youth who will one day stand exactly where you stand now? Progress depends on pioneers scraping trails where none exist yet. To blaze so others may follow. To settle where most only daydream of. To actualize imaginary places into inhabitable spaces. You now have guides, tools, and abundance allowing manifestation beyond the wildest dreams of ancestors just decades ago. Much gifted to start farther than they ever imagined. But the modern pioneer can’t rest on generational privilege alone. They must charge forward to meet the future. Create so their young may build upon foundations in place. Ignite sparks today so flames illuminate unforeseen horizons tomorrow. The Bravest Act of Our Times Perhaps this whole discussion seems irrelevant. But I assure you, truly embracing even a fraction of the exponential change swirling around us requires courage and foresight seen only at pivotal transitions in human history. Our complacency and distraction are simply conditioned comfort against risking the unknown frontier. Preference for slow deaths of boredom and limitation over daring greatly into undiscovered possibility. But you can’t selectively inherit the privilege of progress without also accepting responsibility to steward this momentum. Enjoying luxury without risking further elevation is not honorable. Progress depends on pioneers in every generation putting their shoulders to the wheel. To push exponential technology, innovation, and thought even higher. Standing on shoulders while lifting still taller. The bravest act in our times is acknowledging frankly the heights we now stand atop... legacy capital accumulated... gifts and knowledge solemnly passed down to us. Then courageously planting flags further. For not even the sky need be the limit anymore. The Summit Still Beckons Perhaps this brings more questions than concrete steps. It would make sense to feel overwhelmed realizing the progress civilization has made. Opportunities now exist beyond anything known for thousands of generations before. You may also feel anxious realizing you haven’t taken full advantage of what currently surrounds you. Instead, you’ve taken for granted the progress and inventions created by past generations who made this moment possible. That’s completely understandable. The first step is to gain perspective - to accurately see where we are thanks to those who came before us. Consider feeling grateful for the progress made by ancestors you now benefit from. Appreciation carries no judgment, only responsibility. We honor past generations by continuing the march of progress. Their innovations enable us; now, we must execute ourselves and pave the way for those to come. If you enjoyed this article, I’d love to hear from you. Email me at scott@scottdclary.com or at me and I’ll do my best to get back to everyone! tweet , @ScottDClary Also published here

We're Living in the Greatest Time in History (Yet Most Squander It)

আমরা ইতিহাসের সর্বশ্রেষ্ঠ সময়ে বাস করছি (তবুও এটি সবচেয়ে বেশি নষ্ট করে)

Wir leben in der großartigsten Zeit der Geschichte (und doch verschwenden die meisten sie)

Estamos viviendo el mejor momento de la historia (aunque la mayoría lo desperdicia)

Nous vivons la plus grande époque de l’histoire (et pourtant, la plupart la gaspillent)

हम इतिहास के सबसे महानतम समय में रह रहे हैं (फिर भी सबसे अधिक इसे बर्बाद कर रहे हैं)

私たちは歴史上最も素晴らしい時代に生きています（しかし、最も多くの人がそれを浪費しています）

우리는 역사상 가장 위대한 시대에 살고 있습니다(그러나 대부분은 그것을 낭비하고 있습니다)

Estamos vivendo o melhor momento da história (ainda que a maioria o desperdice)

Мы живем в величайшее время в истории (однако большинство его растрачивают)

Tarihin En Harika Zamanını Yaşıyoruz (Fakat Çoğu Kişi Bunu İsraf Ediyor)

Chúng ta đang sống trong thời đại vĩ đại nhất trong lịch sử (Tuy nhiên, hầu hết đều lãng phí nó)

我们生活在历史上最伟大的时代（但也是最浪费的时代）

Many UX researchers find themselves immersed in data analysis daily. However, I believe that the essence of our research should not stray from the experiential core – the people involved and the contextual environment. This is what captivates me most about this profession, allowing me to step into diverse communities, understand their thoughts, and contribute to shaping the future they envision. Over the years, friends often inquire about my field research experiences, so I've decided to share two small stories. Story 1 — Transformative Love After Trauma I once participated in a project utilizing AI in home healthcare. Data revealed that over ninety percent of stroke patients abandoned rehabilitation within a month after returning home. The primary reason, as indicated by surveys, was a lack of motivation for rehab at home. Simple exchanges with family members only yielded comments like, "He (the patient) is lazy and unwilling to move, so I have to help him." Is it just laziness? Understanding the true reasons only became clear when I immersed myself in the patient's daily life. I interviewed a stroke survivor, a former professor, whose wife asked me to touch his upper arm. In that moment, I felt the atrophy of his deltoid muscle, almost detached from the bone. It was then that I realized the so-called "laziness" was due to muscles no longer under voluntary control, exacerbated by potential cognitive impairment common in stroke survivors. As I listened to the professor, in his 60s, crying out like a child, I, as an observer, couldn't bring myself to witness such scenes. It was hard to fathom the psychological struggles faced by the patient's family. For family members, the challenge wasn't just caring for their loved ones day and night but fundamentally changing the way they expressed love after their partner fell ill. This is a cruelty most people cannot fathom, let alone achieve. It's this unbearable burden that leads many families, in their eagerness to care, to inadvertently forsake their loved ones before forsaking treatment. This interview was the only one I had to cut short due to overwhelming emotions. In the latter part, I silently accompanied the professor and his wife through muscle strength exercises. As we parted ways, the professor insisted on seeing us off to the roadside to wait for a ride, a habit he maintained, his wife explained, since their early days together. "This habit is the only thing he remembers." His wife smiled faintly, patting his hair. After integrating the insights from this research into the design concept, we developed a smart home rehabilitation device that connects patient health data to hospital networks. This provides real-time professional guidance for those unable to undergo long-term in-hospital rehabilitation, with the first step being to disseminate basic knowledge and avoid missing the optimal recovery window due to overzealous family care. Story 2 — Impacting Men's Mindset: A Means of Caring for Pregnant Women and Children Several years ago, I traveled to Uganda to assist a local telecom operator and NGO in establishing a mobile-based consulting platform to improve the nutrition of pregnant women and children. Each day, accompanied by a local social worker/ translator, I visited various villages to understand the dietary habits and changes during pregnancy. As we shared a local lunch, I interviewed a woman who had recently given birth to her third child. I asked her husband, who earned a living by selling egg pancakes, about the lunch he prepared for his wife. "Same as usual, maize flour porridge (posho). She can't eat too much; the baby will be too big for delivery." "Do you not eat egg pancakes yourselves?" "No, we don't. The eggs are for selling." "What do you feed the other two children?" "They love pineapples, and I bought some for them for 500 shillings (equivalent to the price of two eggs)." "Why spend so much on buying fruit for them? Do you know the benefits of fruit for their health?" "I don't know, it just tastes good. If I earn more, they can have the food they like. When they grow strong and smart, they can lead a good life for the family." "What would you most like to buy for the children to eat?" "Pork." He whispered mysteriously in my ear. The pork was the most expensive food in their eyes. The social worker/ translator waved us off, accusing him of boasting and saying he couldn't afford pork. I realized that this might be the most crucial discovery of the day. Fathers hold the purchasing power for food, own mobile phones, and can access nutritional education information. Rather than focusing on mothers, we need to impact men’s mindset. In the end, these on-the-ground insights were successfully integrated into our research findings. Using the Theory of Reasoned Action model, we analyzed elements such as family members' behavior attitudes and motivations, constructing an opportunity roadmap to change dietary habits for pregnant women and children in rural Uganda. Statistical Data Out of Context is Meaningless I've often encountered skepticism regarding the scientific rigor and credibility of qualitative research. I want both those familiar and unfamiliar with ethnographic research to know that we value insights from real-life situations, ensuring our data stays rooted in the complexity of the real world rather than confined to statistical objectivity. As Nate Silver mentioned in "The Signal and the Noise," "Data is meaningless without context." The key to making effective predictions is not restricting oneself to quantitative information but rather striking a proper balance between qualitative and quantitative information. David Brooks, in "Heroes of Uncertainty," suggests that many fields, including economics, education, and psychiatry, have been distorted by hard scientific standards. He argues that a mixed mindset will be more suitable for these fields, one that occupies a place in both science and the humanities and can bring multiple advantages. Engaging in experience research is no different. As UX researchers, we always advocate the joint interpretation of objectivity and subjectivity, carefully considering the relevance and causality of data and information. As experience research has evolved from focusing solely on interactive experiences to diving deeper into users' implicit motivations, and specific contextual needs, and even considering business strategies, it demands the integration of resources and the use of innovative methods to tackle challenges and opportunities. This is why, at tech companies, the Experience Research team collaborates closely with the Data Science team. For example, intriguing patterns identified in Data Science experimental data can be combined with contextual research for thorough analysis and insights, revealing the underlying causes of observed phenomena. This collaborative approach helps bridge gaps and overcome biases from each perspective, enabling us to formulate precise research questions and attain more profound, confident results. Will the Era of Big Data and Algorithms Devalue "Feelings"? Every day, we find ourselves submerged beneath an overwhelming deluge of information. This makes us increasingly doubtful of the reliability of our feelings and judgments, rendering it easy to surrender trust to algorithms. In his book, "21 Lessons for the 21st Century," Yuval Noah Harari discusses the issue of data hegemony and human fairness, presenting a daunting vision: “As authority shifts from humans to algorithms, we may no longer see the world as the playground of autonomous individuals struggling to make the right choices. Instead, we might perceive the entire universe as a flow of data, see organisms as little more than biochemical algorithms, and believe that humanity’s cosmic vocation is to create an all-encompassing data-processing system – and then merge into it.” This is a future we, as researchers in user experience, do not want to see. Users becoming conditioned data-generating creatures and the datafication of experiences might result in manipulating judgments and choices, rendering human minds and feelings inconsequential. Any platform or product with access to data must respect the values and experiences of users, returning autonomy to them. Data and information should be used to help us create more value for users and better experiences. Cherish the emotions we have, for the future cannot be a Truman Show.

Empathy in Data: Unveiling the Human Stories Behind UX Research

Intelligent DevOps: 8 Lessons Learned from Nature

ইন্টেলিজেন্ট ডিওঅপস: প্রকৃতি থেকে শেখা ৮টি পাঠ

Intelligentes DevOps: 8 Lektionen aus der Natur

DevOps inteligente: 8 lecciones aprendidas de la naturaleza

DevOps intelligent : 8 leçons tirées de la nature

इंटेलिजेंट DevOps: प्रकृति से सीखे गए 8 सबक

インテリジェントな DevOps: 自然から学んだ 8 つの教訓

지능형 DevOps: 자연에서 배운 8가지 교훈

DevOps Inteligente: 8 Lições Aprendidas com a Natureza

Интеллектуальный DevOps: 8 уроков, извлеченных из природы

Akıllı DevOps: Doğadan Öğrenilen 8 Ders

DevOps thông minh: 8 bài học rút ra từ thiên nhiên

智能 DevOps：从大自然中汲取的 8 个教训

How to Effectively Evaluate Your RAG + LLM Applications

কীভাবে কার্যকরভাবে আপনার RAG + LLM অ্যাপ্লিকেশনগুলিকে মূল্যায়ন করবেন

So bewerten Sie Ihre RAG- und LLM-Anwendungen effektiv

Cómo evaluar eficazmente sus solicitudes RAG + LLM

Comment évaluer efficacement vos candidatures RAG + LLM

अपने आरएजी + एलएलएम अनुप्रयोगों का प्रभावी ढंग से मूल्यांकन कैसे करें

RAG + LLM アプリケーションを効果的に評価する方法

RAG + LLM 지원서를 효과적으로 평가하는 방법

Como avaliar efetivamente suas inscrições RAG + LLM

Как эффективно оценить ваши заявки на RAG + LLM

RAG + LLM Başvurularınızı Etkin Bir Şekilde Nasıl Değerlendirebilirsiniz?

Cách đánh giá hiệu quả các ứng dụng RAG + LLM của bạn

如何有效评估您的 RAG + LLM 申请

Craig Wright And What The Judges  Said About His Claims

ক্রেগ রাইট এবং বিচারকরা তার দাবি সম্পর্কে কি বলেছেন

Craig Wright und was die Richter zu seinen Ansprüchen sagten

Craig Wright y lo que dijeron los jueces sobre sus afirmaciones

Craig Wright et ce que les juges ont dit à propos de ses allégations

क्रेग राइट और न्यायाधीशों ने उनके दावों के बारे में क्या कहा

クレイグ・ライトと彼の主張について裁判官が言ったこと

크레이그 라이트(Craig Wright)와 판사가 그의 주장에 관해 말한 내용

Craig Wright e o que os juízes disseram sobre suas reivindicações

Крейг Райт и что судьи сказали по поводу его претензий

Craig Wright ve Hakimlerin İddiaları Hakkında Ne Söylediği

Craig Wright và những gì các thẩm phán nói về tuyên bố của ông

克雷格·赖特和法官对他的主张的评价

Craig Wright Is NOT Satoshi Nakamoto

ক্রেগ রাইট সাতোশি নাকামোতো নন

Craig Wright ist NICHT Satoshi Nakamoto

Craig Wright NO es Satoshi Nakamoto

Craig Wright n'est PAS Satoshi Nakamoto

क्रेग राइट सातोशी नाकामोटो नहीं हैं

クレイグ・ライトはサトシ・ナカモトではありません

크레이그 라이트는 나카모토 사토시가 아니다

Craig Wright NÃO é Satoshi Nakamoto

Крейг Райт НЕ Сатоши Накамото

Craig Wright Satoshi Nakamoto DEĞİLDİR

Craig Wright KHÔNG phải là Satoshi Nakamoto

克雷格·赖特不是中本聪

A Treatise on Painting by da Vinci Leonardo, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . LANDSCAPE. here MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS. LANDSCAPE. Chap. CCCXXIII.— Of Objects seen at a Distance. Any dark object will appear lighter when removed to some distance from the eye. It follows, by the contrary reason, that a dark object will appear still darker when brought nearer to the eye. Therefore the inferior parts of any object whatever, placed in thick air, will appear farther from the eye at the bottom than at the top; for that reason the lower parts of a mountain appear farther off than its top, which is in reality the farthest. Chap. CCCXXIV.— Of a Town seen through a thick Air. The eye which, looking downwards, sees a town immersed in very thick air, will perceive the top of the buildings darker, but more distinct than the bottom. The tops detach against a light ground, because they are seen against the low and thick air which is beyond them. This is a consequence of what has been explained in the preceding chapter. Chap. CCCXXV.— How to draw a Landscape. Contrive that the trees in your landscape be half in shadow and half in the light. It is better to represent them as when the sun is veiled with thin clouds, because in that case the trees receive a general light from the sky, and are darkest in those parts which are nearest to the earth. Chap. CCCXXVI.— Of the Green of the Country. Of the greens seen in the country, that of trees and other plants will appear darker than that of fields and meadows, though they may happen to be of the same quality. Chap. CCCXXVII.— What Greens will appear most of a blueish Cast. Those greens will appear to approach nearest to blue which are of the darkest shade when remote. This is proved by the seventh proposition, which says, that blue is composed of black and white seen at a great distance. Chap. CCCXXVIII.— The Colour of the Sea from different Aspects. When the sea is a little ruffled it has no sameness of colour; for whoever looks at it from the shore, will see it of a dark colour, in a greater degree as it approaches towards the horizon, and will perceive also certain lights moving slowly on the surface like a flock of sheep. Whoever looks at the sea from on board a ship, at a distance from the land, sees it blue. Near the shore it appears darkish, on account of the colour of the earth reflected by the water, as in a looking-glass; but at sea the azure of the air is reflected to the eye by the waves in the same manner. Chap. CCCXXIX.— Why the same Prospect appears larger at some Times than at others. Objects in the country appear sometimes larger and sometimes smaller than they actually are, from the circumstance of the air interposed between the eye and the horizon, happening to be either thicker or thinner than usual. Of two horizons equally distant from the eye, that which is seen through the thicker air will appear farther removed; and the other will seem nearer, being seen through a thinner air. Objects of unequal size, but equally distant, will appear equal if the air which is between them and the eye be of proportionable inequality of thickness, viz. if the thickest air be interposed between the eye and the smallest of the objects. This is proved by the perspective of colours, which is so deceitful that a mountain which would appear small by the compasses, will seem larger than a small hill near the eye; as a finger placed near the eye will cover a large mountain far off. Chap. CCCXXX.— Of Smoke. Smoke is more transparent, though darker towards the extremities of its waves than in the middle. It moves in a more oblique direction in proportion to the force of the wind which impels it. Different kinds of smoke vary in colour, as the causes that produce them are various. Smoke never produces determined shadows, and the extremities are lost as they recede from their primary cause. Objects behind it are less apparent in proportion to the thickness of the smoke. It is whiter nearer its origin, and bluer towards its termination. Fire appears darker, the more smoke there is interposed between it and the eye. Where smoke is farther distant, the objects are less confused by it. It encumbers and dims all the landscape like a fog. Smoke is seen to issue from different places, with flames at the origin, and the most dense part of it. The tops of mountains will be more seen than the lower parts, as in a fog. Chap. CCCXXXI.— In what Part Smoke is lightest. Smoke which is seen between the sun and the eye will be lighter and more transparent than any other in the landscape. The same is observed of dust, and of fog; while, if you place yourself between the sun and those objects, they will appear dark. Chap. CCCXXXII.— Of the Sun-beams passing through the Openings of Clouds. The sun-beams which penetrate the openings interposed between clouds of various density and form, illuminate all the places over which they pass, and tinge with their own colour all the dark places that are behind: which dark places are only seen in the intervals between the rays. Chap. CCCXXXIII.— Of the Beginning of Rain. When the rain begins to fall, it tarnishes and darkens the air, giving it a dull colour, but receives still on one side a faint light from the sun, and is shaded on the other side, as we observe in clouds; till at last it darkens also the earth, depriving it entirely of the light of the sun. Objects seen through the rain appear confused and of undetermined shape, but those which are near will be more distinct. It is observable, that on the side where the rain is shaded, objects will be more clearly distinguished than where it receives the light; because on the shady side they lose only their principal lights, whilst on the other they lose both their lights and shadows, the lights mixing with the light part of the rain, and the shadows are also considerably weakened by it. Chap. CCCXXXIV.— The Seasons are to be observed. In Autumn you will represent the objects according as it is more or less advanced. At the beginning of it the leaves of the oldest branches only begin to fade, more or less, however, according as the plant is situated in a fertile or barren country; and do not imitate those who represent trees of every kind (though at equal distance) with the same quality of green. Endeavour to vary the colour of meadows, stones, trunks of trees, and all other objects, as much as possible, for Nature abounds in variety . ad infinitum Chap. CCCXXXV.— The Difference of Climates to be observed. Near the sea-shore, and in southern parts, you will be careful not to represent the Winter season by the appearance of trees and fields, as you would do in places more inland, and in northern countries, except when these are covered with ever-greens, which shoot afresh all the year round. Chap. CCCXXXVI.— Of Dust. Dust becomes lighter the higher it rises, and appears darker the less it is raised, when it is seen between the eye and the sun. Chap. CCCXXXVII.— How to represent the Wind. In representing the effect of the wind, besides the bending of trees, and leaves twisting the wrong side upwards, you will also express the small dust whirling upwards till it mixes in a confused manner with the air. Chap. CCCXXXVIII.— Of a Wilderness. Those trees and shrubs which are by their nature more loaded with small branches, ought to be touched smartly in the shadows, but those which have larger foliage, will cause broader shadows. Chap. CCCXXXIX.— Of the Horizon seen in the Water. By the sixth proposition, the horizon will be seen in the water as in a looking-glass, on that side which is opposite the eye. And if the painter has to represent a spot covered with water, let him remember that the colour of it cannot be either lighter or darker than that of the neighbouring objects. Chap. CCCXL.— Of the Shadow of Bridges on the Surface of the Water. The shadows of bridges can never be seen on the surface of the water, unless it should have lost its transparent and reflecting quality, and become troubled and muddy; because clear water being polished and smooth on its surface, the image of the bridge is formed in it as in a looking-glass, and reflected in all the points situated between the eye and the bridge at equal angles; and even the air is seen under the arches. These circumstances cannot happen when the water is muddy, because it does not reflect the objects any longer, but receives the shadow of the bridge in the same manner as a dusty road would receive it. Chap. CCCXLI.— How a Painter ought to put in Practice the Perspective of Colours. To put in practice that perspective which teaches the alteration, the lessening, and even the entire loss of the very essence of colours, you must take some points in the country at the distance of about sixty-five yards from each other; as trees, men, or some other remarkable objects. In regard to the first tree, you will take a glass, and having fixed that well, and also your eye, draw upon it, with the greatest accuracy, the tree you see through it; then put it a little on one side, and compare it closely with the natural one, and colour it, so that in shape and colour it may resemble the original, and that by shutting one eye they may both appear painted, and at the same distance. The same rule may be applied to the second and third tree at the distance you have fixed. These studies will be very useful if managed with judgment, where they may be wanted in the offscape of a picture. I have observed that the second tree is less by four fifths than the first, at the distance of thirteen yards. Chap. CCCXLII.— Various Precepts in Painting. The superficies of any opake body participates of the colour of the transparent medium interposed between the eye and such body, in a greater or less degree, in proportion to the density of such medium and the space it occupies. The outlines of opake bodies will be less apparent in proportion as those bodies are farther distant from the eye. That part of the opake body will be the most shaded, or lightest, which is nearest to the body that shades it, or gives it light. The surface of any opake body participates more or less of the colour of that body which gives it light, in proportion as the latter is more or less remote, or more or less strong. Objects seen between lights and shadows will appear to have greater relievo than those which are placed wholly in the light, or wholly in shadow. When you give strength and precision to objects seen at a great distance, they will appear as if they were very near. Endeavour that your imitation be such as to give a just idea of distances. If the object in nature appear confused in the outlines, let the same be observed in your picture. The outlines of distant objects appear undetermined and confused, for two reasons: the first is, that they come to the eye by so small an angle, and are therefore so much diminished, that they strike the sight no more than small objects do, which though near can hardly be distinguished, such as the nails of the fingers, insects, and other similar things: the second is, that between the eye and the distant objects there is so much air interposed, that it becomes thick; and, like a veil, tinges the shadows with its own whiteness, and turns them from a dark colour to another between black and white, such as azure. Although, by reason of the great distance, the appearance of many things is lost, yet those things which receive the light from the sun will be more discernible, while the rest remain enveloped in confused shadows. And because the air is thicker near the ground, the things which are lower will appear confused; and . vice versâ When the sun tinges the clouds on the horizon with red, those objects which, on account of their distance, appear blueish, will participate of that redness, and will produce a mixture between the azure and red, which renders the prospect lively and pleasant; all the opake bodies which receive that light will appear distinct, and of a reddish colour, and the air, being transparent, will be impregnated with it, and appear of the colour of lilies. The air which is between the earth and the sun when it rises or sets, will always dim the objects it surrounds, more than the air any where else, because it is whiter. It is not necessary to mark strongly the outlines of any object which is placed upon another. It ought to detach of itself. If the outline or extremity of a white and curved surface terminate upon another white body, it will have a shade at that extremity, darker than any part of the light; but if against a dark object, such outline, or extremity, will be lighter than any part of the light. Those objects which are most different in colour, will appear the most detached from each other. Those parts of objects which first disappear in the distance, are extremities similar in colour, and ending one upon the other, as the extremities of an oak tree upon another oak similar to it. The next to disappear at a greater distance are, objects of mixed colours, when they terminate one upon the other, as trees, ploughed fields, walls, heaps of rubbish, or of stones. The last extremities of bodies that vanish are those which, being light, terminate upon a dark ground; or being dark, upon a light ground. Of objects situated above the eye, at equal heights, the farthest removed from the eye will appear the lowest; and if situated below the eye, the nearest to it will appear the lowest. The parallel lines situated sidewise will concur to one point. Those objects which are near a river, or a lake, in the distant part of a landscape, are less apparent and distinct than those that are remote from them. Of bodies of equal density, those that are nearest to the eye will appear thinnest, and the most remote thickest. A large eye-ball will see objects larger than a small one. The experiment may be made by looking at any of the celestial bodies, through a pin-hole, which being capable of admitting but a portion of its light, it seems to diminish and lose of its size in the same proportion as the pin-hole is smaller than the usual apparent size of the object. A thick air interposed between the eye and any object, will render the outlines of such object undetermined and confused, and make it appear of a larger size than it is in reality; because the linear perspective does not diminish the angle which conveys the object to the eye. The aerial perspective carries it farther off, so that the one removes it from the eye, while the other preserves its magnitude. When the sun is in the West the vapours of the earth fall down again and thicken the air, so that objects not enlightened by the sun remain dark and confused, but those which receive its light will be tinged yellow and red, according to the sun’s appearance on the horizon. Again, those that receive its light are very distinct, particularly public buildings and houses in towns and villages, because their shadows are dark, and it seems as if those parts which are plainly seen were coming out of confused and undetermined foundations, because at that time every thing is of one and the same colour, except what is enlightened by the sun. Any object receiving the light from the sun, receives also the general light; so that two kinds of shadows are produced: the darkest of the two is that which happens to have its central line directed towards the centre of the sun. The central lines of the primitive and secondary lights are the same as the central lines of the primitive and secondary shadows. The setting sun is a beautiful and magnificent object when it tinges with its colour all the great buildings of towns, villages, and the top of high trees in the country. All below is confused and almost lost in a tender and general mass; for, being only enlightened by the air, the difference between the shadows and the lights is small, and for that reason it is not much detached. But those that are high are touched by the rays of the sun, and, as was said before, are tinged with its colour; the painter therefore ought to take the same colour with which he has painted the sun, and employ it in all those parts of his work which receive its light. It also happens very often, that a cloud will appear dark without receiving any shadow from a separate cloud, according to the situation of the eye; because it will see only the shady part of the one, while it sees both the enlightened and shady parts of the other. Of two objects at equal height, that which is the farthest off will appear the lowest. Observe the first cloud in the cut, though it is lower than the second, it appears as if it were higher. This is demonstrated by the section of the pyramidical rays of the low cloud at M A, and the second (which is higher) at N M, below M A. This happens also when, on account of the rays of the setting or rising sun, a dark cloud appears higher than another which is light. Chap. CCCXLIII.— The Brilliancy of a Landscape. The vivacity and brightness of colours in a landscape will never bear any comparison with a landscape in nature when illumined by the sun, unless the picture be placed so as to receive the same light from the sun itself. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. da Vinci Leonardo (2014). A Treatise on Painting. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/46915/pg46915-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

Of Objects seen at a Distance

Scientific American, Vol. XXXVII.—No. 2. [New Series.], July 14, 1877 by Various, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . The Extension of the Plague. here The Extension of the Plague. Our recent English medical exchanges mention, with undisguised apprehension, the fact that already early this spring authentic observers state that the plague has broken out in Bagdad, and is rapidly increasing there; and information from other sources renders it probable that the disease has shown itself in other places in the vicinity of that city, some of which have not suffered before since the new development of the disease in Mesopotamia, three or four years ago. The progress of the epidemic in and about Bagdad last year shows that each year since its reappearance in that district it has covered a wider area, and it will be remembered that last year it crossed the Turco-Persian frontier, and broke out at Shuster, in Khuzistan. From the phenomena of the epidemic to this period it was feared, especially by the physicians on the spot, that, if it should recur in the present year, it must be expected to extend over a still wider area, and show itself in even a more aggravated form than had yet been observed. This opinion is concurred in by Surgeon-Major Colville, the medical officer attached to the British Embassy at Bagdad, and is expressed in his official report, on the subject of the last and previous year's outbreak. The Turco-Russian struggle in Asia Minor, and the massing of Persian troops on the western frontier of that country, add an additional and most grave factor to this ominous intelligence. It has been so long since Christian Europe has suffered from this terrible disease that most medical men have never seen a case, and, indeed, for awhile, epidemiologists flattered themselves it had "died out." They yet say that a thorough system of sanitation will certainly check its advance. Let us hope so; for of all pestilences which have ever scourged humanity, and desolated empires, none approach in magnitude those of the plague. Under the name of "the black death," it fills, as Hirsch remarks, one of the darkest pages in the history of the human race. It devastated every known country of the earth, and penetrated to the remotest mountain hamlets and granges, sometimes sweeping away in a few days every inhabitant, leaving not one to remember the name or to inherit the goods of the family or the village. Long years afterward, travelers would come upon these unknown villages, the houses rotting, the bones of the plague-stricken owners bleaching in the rooms and streets, and no one to say who they had been. As an epidemic disease, it no doubt spreads from India, that mother of pestilence, where, in the province of Kutch and Guzerat, it is found as an endemic of great malignancy. Far more fatal in its historical appearance than the cholera, it is well that the medical mind of Europe is on the alert to meet its approach with the most energetic measures; and should they fail, it will devolve upon us to lose no time in taking up the defensive in the most energetic manner.— Medical and Surgical Reporter. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Various (2012). Scientific American, Vol. XXXVII. —No. 2. [New Series.], July 14, 1877. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/38481/pg38481-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

The Extension of the Plague

Exercises are intended to be used

Scientific American, Vol. XXXIX. No. 6. [New Series.], August 10, 1878, by Various, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . BUSINESS AND PERSONAL here BUSINESS AND PERSONAL The Charge for Insertion under this head is One Dollar a line for each insertion; about eight words to a line. Advertisements must be received at publication office as early as Thursday morning to appear in next issue. Lubricene.—A Lubricating Material in the form of a Grease. One pound equal to two gallons of sperm oil. R. J. Chard, New York. Assays of Ores, Analyses of Minerals, Waters, Commercial Articles, etc. Technical formulæ and processes. Laboratory, 33 Park Row, N. Y. Fuller & Stillman. Manufacturers of Improved Goods who desire to build up a lucrative foreign trade, will do well to insert a well displayed advertisement in the Scientific American Export Edition. This paper has a very large foreign circulation. Cutters, shaped entirely by machinery, for cutting teeth of Gear Wheels. Pratt & Whitney Co., Manufacturers, Hartford, Conn. 18 ft. Steam Yacht, $250. Geo. F. Shedd, Waltham, Mass. Electrical instruments of all kinds. One Electric Bell, Battery, Push Button, and 50 feet Wire for $4.00. Send for catalogue. H. Thau, 128 Fulton St., N. Y. Wheels and Pinions, heavy and light, remarkably strong and durable. Especially suited for sugar mills and similar work. Pittsburgh Steel Casting Company, Pittsburgh, Pa. Boilers ready for shipment, new and 2d hand. For a good boiler, send to Hilles & Jones, Wilmington, Del. Best Steam Pipe & Boiler Covering. P. Carey, Dayton, O. Foot Lathes, Fret Saws, 6c., 90 pp. E. Brown, Lowell, Ms. Sperm Oil, Pure. Wm. F. Nye, New Bedford, Mass. Power & Foot Presses, Ferracute Co., Bridgeton, N. J. Kreider, Campbell & Co., 1030 Germantown Ave., Phila., Pa., contractors for mills for all kinds of grinding. Punching Presses, Drop Hammers, and Dies for working Metals, etc. The Stiles & Parker Press Co., Middletown, Conn. All kinds of Saws will cut Smooth and True by filing them with our New Machine, price $2.50. Illustrated Circular free. E. Roth & Bro., New Oxford, Pa. "The Best Mill in the World," for White Lead, Dry, Paste, or Mixed Paint, Printing Ink, Chocolate, Paris White, Shoe Blacking, etc., Flour, Meal, Feed, Drugs, Cork, etc. Charles Boss, Jr., Williamsburgh, N.Y. A Practical Engineer and Machinist, 24 years' experience. Best of reference, marine or stationary; forge; fit; repair. W. Barker, 433 2d Ave., N. Y. Hydraulic Presses and Jacks, new and second hand. Lathes and Machinery for Polishing and Buffing metals. E. Lyon & Co., 470 Grand St., N. Y. Nickel Plating.—A white deposit guaranteed by using our material. Condit, Hanson & Van Winkle, Newark, N. J. Cheap but Good. The "Roberts Engine," see cut in this paper, June 1st, 1878. Also horizontal and vertical engines and boilers. E. E. Roberts, 107 Liberty St., N. Y. The Cameron Steam Pump mounted in Phosphor Bronze is an indestructible machine. See ad. back page. Presses, Dies, and Tools for working Sheet Metals, etc. Fruit and other Can Tools. Bliss & Williams, Brooklyn, N. Y., and Paris Exposition, 1878. The Scientific American Export Edition is published monthly, about the 15th of each month. Every number comprises most of the plates of the four preceding weekly numbers of the scientific American, with other appropriate contents, business announcements, etc. It forms a large and splendid periodical of nearly one hundred quarto pages, each number illustrated with about one hundred engravings. It is a complete record of American progress in the arts. Bound Volumes of the Scientific American.—I will sell bound volumes 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 28, and 32, New Series, for $1 each, to be sent by express. Address John Edwards, P. O. Box 773, New York. For Solid Wrought Iron Beams, etc., see advertisement. Address Union Iron Mills, Pittsburgh, Pa., for lithograph, etc. Pulverizing Mills for all hard substance and grinding purposes. Walker Bros. & Co., 23d and Wood St., Phila. 2d hand Planers, 7' x 30", $300; 6' x 24", $225; 5' x 24", $200; sc. cutt. b'k g'd Lathe, 9' x 28", $200; A. C. Stebbins, Worcester, Mass. J. C. Hoadley, Consulting Engineer and Mechanical and Scientific Expert, Lawrence, Mass. Best Wood Cutting Machinery, of the latest improved kinds, eminently superior, manufactured by Bentel, Margedant & Co., Hamilton, Ohio, at lowest prices. Water Wheels, increased power. O. J. Bollinger, York, Pa. We make steel castings from ¼ to 10,000 lbs. weight. 3 times as strong as cast iron. 12,000 Crank Shafts of this steel now running and proved superior to wrought iron. Circulars and price list free. Address Chester Steel Castings Co., Evelina St., Philadelphia, Pa. Diamond Saws. J. Dickinson, 64 Nassau St., N. Y. Machine Cut Brass Gear Wheels for Models, etc. (new list). Models, experimental work, and machine work generally. D. Gilbert & Son, 212 Chester St., Phila., Pa. Holly System of Water Supply and Fire Protection for Cities and Villages. See advertisement in Scientific American of last week. The only Engine in the market attached to boiler having cold bearings. F. F. & A. B. Landis, Lancaster, Pa. The Turbine Wheel made by Risdon & Co., Mt. Holly, N. J., gave the best results at Centennial tests. Hand Fire Engines, Lift and Force Pumps for fire and all other purposes. Address Rumsey & Co., Seneca Falls, N. Y., U. S. A. For Shafts, Pulleys, or Hangers, call and see stock kept at 79 Liberty St. Wm. Sellers & Co. Wm. Sellers & Co., Phila., have introduced a new Injector, worked by a single motion of a lever. NEW BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS. Metals and Their Chief Industrial Applications. By Charles R. Alder Wright. London: Macmillan & Co. 12mo; pp. 191. Price $1.25. In this neat little volume we have the substance of a course of lectures delivered at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in 1877, with thirty or more engraved illustrations of various metallurgical operations. The author discusses briefly, yet with sufficient fullness for popular purposes, the principal processes for reducing metals from their ores, the natural sources of metals, the metallurgy of the different metals, the physical properties of metals, and their thermic, electric, and chemical relations. The style is simple and the matter well chosen. Dosia. A Russian Story. Translated from the French of Henry Greville, by Mary Neal Sherwood. Boston: Estes & Lauriat. Price $1.50. This is the seventh of the Cobweb Series of choice fiction, a bright, wholesome but rather thin story, as befits its associations. Novel readers will find it an amusing companion for a rainy day in the country, or for beguiling the tedium of a summer journey. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Various (2013). Scientific American, Vol. XXXIX. No. 6. [New Series.], August 10, 1878. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/19406/pg19406-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

BUSINESS AND PERSONAL

Scientific American Supplement, No. 711, August 17, 1889, by Various, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . ANCIENT LAKE DWELLINGS. here ANCIENT LAKE DWELLINGS. Among the many traces which man has left of his existence in long past ages on the face of the earth, says a correspondent of the , none are more interesting and instructive than the lake dwellings of Switzerland and other countries, which have been discovered within the last fifty years or so. Although these relics of the past are far more modern than those which we referred to in a late article on "Primeval Man," and are probably included within the range of Egyptian and other chronologies, yet they stretch far beyond the historic period, so far as Europe is concerned, and throw a flood of light on the habits of our ancestors, or at any rate predecessors, in these regions. We are tolerably well acquainted with the history of the Jews when David worked his way up from the shepherd's staff to the royal scepter, or when Joshua drove out the Canaanites and took possession of their land, but of what was going on in Europe in these times we have hitherto had no knowledge whatever. These lake dwellings, however, were in all probability inhabited by human beings somewhere about the time when the events we have referred to took place, and may have been inhabited before the earlier of them. Scotsman The first hint we had of the existence of these remarkable dwellings was obtained in 1829, when an excavation was being made on the shore of a Swiss lake. Some wooden piles, apparently very old, and other antiquities were found by the workmen. Not much attention, however, was paid to this discovery till 1854, when a Mr. Aeppli drew attention to some remains of human handiwork found near his house, in part of the bed of a lake which had been left dry during a season of great drought. The workmen employed in recovering some land from the lake found the heads of a great many wooden piles protruding through the mud, and also a number of stags' horns, and implements of various descriptions. Stimulated by this discovery, search was made in various lakes, and the result was truly astonishing. In every direction remains of the habitations of prehistoric man were discovered, and relics were found in such abundance that the history of this unknown past could be traced through long ages, and the habits of the people ascertained with a very considerable amount of probability. The details are so numerous that it would be impossible in the space at our disposal to go into them all. Of course, during the long time that has elapsed since these structures were erected, their remains have been reduced to mere ruins, and it is only by comparing one with another that we are able to picture to ourselves what they were originally like and what sort of life was led by the men who inhabited them. The oldest of these dwellings belong to the stone age, when man had not acquired any knowledge of the use of metal; when all his instruments were merely sharpened stones, fixed in wooden handles, or pieces of bone, horn, or other natural material. They are therefore somewhat roughly finished, but at the same time exhibit considerable ingenuity and skill. The method of construction seems to have been somewhat as follows: A suitable situation, not far from the shore, where the water was not very deep, having been fixed upon, these prehistoric builders drove into the muddy bottom of the lake a number of piles or long stakes, arranged generally pretty close together, and in some sort of regular order. These piles were formed generally from stems of trees, with the bark on, but occasionally from split wood. The ends were sharpened to a point by the aid of fire or by cutting with stone axes. On a sufficient number being driven in, and their upper ends brought to a level above the surface of the water, platform beams were laid across, fastened by wooden pegs, or in some cases fixed into notches cut in the heads of the vertical piles. The platform was generally very roughly made, just a series of unbarked stems placed side by side and covered with layers of earth or clay, with numerous openings through which refuse of all kinds fell into the water beneath. In many cases connection with the shore was made by means of a narrow bridge or gangway, constructed in the same manner. On this rude platform huts were erected by driving small piles or stakes which projected above the floor, and to these were fastened boards standing edgeways like the skirting of our ordinary rooms, and marking out the size of each building. The walls of the huts were formed of small branches of twigs interwoven and plastered over with clay. The roof was made of straw or reeds like a thatched cottage. In size these huts were probably eighteen to twenty feet long, eight or ten feet broad, and about six feet high. They may have been divided into rooms, but there is no evidence of this. Each was provided with a hearth formed of three or four slabs of stone. The number of huts in each settlement must have been considerable, in fact, they must have formed villages of no mean extent, for as many as forty, fifty, or even a hundred thousand piles have been found spread over a large extent of ground, forming the foundation of one such settlement. It is probable, however, that these were not so numerous when first erected, but were gradually added to as the population increased. This fact, along with many others, shows that these dwellings were inhabited for long periods of time, during which the population pursued their ordinary life in comparative peace and quietness in their island homes. Such is, in brief, a general account of these remarkable structures. Of course there were several variations in the methods of fixing these piles, one of which may be mentioned as showing the ingenuity of the builders. Where the piles did not get a firm hold of the lake bottom, they carried out in boats or rafts loads of stones, which they threw down between the piles, thus firmly fixing them, just as modern engineers sometimes do for a similar purpose. As to the habits of the people who dwelt in these lake dwellings, we get a considerable amount of information from the various implements, refuse, etc., which fell through the imperfectly closed platforms into the lake, and which have been preserved in the mud at the bottom. They were fishers, hunters, shepherds, and agriculturists. Skeletons of fish are found in large abundance, and in some settlements even the fishing nets, and hooks made of boar's tusks, have been discovered. Then again there is an abundance of remains of the hunter's feast; bones of the stag, wild boar, bear, wolf, otter, squirrel, and many other wild animals are found in rich profusion, and often these are split and the marrow extracted. These ancient men, however, did not entirely rely on such precarious provision for their wants, but were so far advanced in civilization that they kept cattle and domestic animals of various kinds. They possessed dogs in great numbers, as well as cows, sheep, goats, and pigs, and in winter time had these housed on their settlements, as among the remains found are litters of straw, etc., which had evidently served as bedding for these animals. This, of course, necessitated the gathering of grass or other material for their food. They also cultivated wheat, barley, flax, and a number of other vegetable products. Their methods of cultivation were no doubt very rude, consisting of a mere scratching of the ground with crooked branches of trees or with simple instruments made of stags' horn; but, nevertheless, they succeeded in getting very good results. Among the relics which they have left are found stones for crushing corn, the grain which they used, and even the very cakes or bread which they made. There are also fruits, such as the apple, pear, nut, etc.; so that the bill of fare of prehistoric man was by no means contemptible. He had fish, game, beef, mutton, pork, bread, and fruit, besides a plentiful supply of water from the lake at his door. He was acquainted with the potter's art, and manufactured earthen vessels of various kinds. He seems to have produced two kinds—a coarser and a finer; the former made from clay mixed with a quantity of grains of stone, and the latter of washed loam. These he ornamented in an elementary fashion with certain lines and marks. Some of the vessels he used have been found with a burnt crust of the porridge which he had been making adhering. As to his clothes, these were probably formed in great part from the skins of wild or domestic animals, but he also used fabrics made from flax, which he had learned to weave, as remains of cloth, twine, rope, etc., are not infrequently found in his dwellings. One prominent feature in the history of these lake dwellers is their gradual advance in the arts of civilization. While the main features of their settlements remain very much the same during the whole period of their residence, there is a gradual improvement in the details; the settlements become larger, and the implements, etc., better finished. And this is especially observable in the change of material which the dweller uses. In the earlier stages of his existence stone is the predominant feature, all his knives, saws, chisels, axes, etc., are made from this substance; but as time rolls on, one or two implements are found made of bronze, which is a mixture of tin and copper, and requires for its production a certain amount of knowledge and mechanical skill. Gradually the number of bronze implements increases until eventually stone is superseded altogether, and improved forms of weapons of war make their appearance, and his work has a more finished look, arising from his improved implements. Whether the manufacture of bronze was an original discovery of his own, or whether it was an importation from some more advanced race, is not certainly known; but as he undoubtedly had intercourse with the East, it is probable that the first bronze was imported, and that afterward he discovered the way to manufacture it himself. However this may be, it seems evident that the introduction of this material greatly aided his development. As stone gave place to bronze, so in the course of time this latter gave place to iron, probably introduced in the same manner some considerable time before the dawn of history; and this metal held its place until these habitations were finally abandoned. With regard to the religion of these lake dwellers, if they had any, nothing is known. From some curious objects formed somewhat like the crescent of the moon, which are found in considerable numbers, it has been supposed that they worshiped that body; but there seems to be really no evidence for this supposition, and these objects may only have been ornaments, or perhaps charms, fixed above the doors of their huts something after the manner of the horse shoe nailed over the door in modern times to keep away evil spirits. So far as can be inferred from the remains that have been examined, the same race seems to have inhabited these dwellings from their commencement to their end. There is no appearance of invasion from without; all seems continuous. Probably his race came in early time from the East, and were a pastoral people, with flocks, herds, and domestic animals, and built their peculiar habitations to protect themselves from human enemies. Certainly the arrangements were well fitted for the purpose in those days, when the club and the spear were almost the only weapons of offense. Dr. Keller, who has investigated this subject with great care, is of the opinion that these lake dwellers were a branch of the great Celtic race. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Various (2004). Scientific American Supplement, No. 711, August 17, 1889. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. 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ANCIENT LAKE DWELLINGS

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