The Local Maximum

Max Sklar starts off the Local Maximum podcast. He goes over the purpose of the podcast, and the push for 10 episodes. Aaron Bell interviews Max on Bayesian vs Frequentist Statistics. Mathematical reverends, German Enigma's, and Tampered Dice.

Ep. 0 - The great beginning, and how to Update Your Beliefs

In the rest of my discussion with Aaron, we discuss the how Bayes rule can apply to news items like the Hawaii ICBM Scare, the murder of DNC Staffer Seth Rich, Medical Diagnosis, Conspiracy Theories, theology, and politics.

Ep. 1 - Bayesian Inference Applied to the Hawaii ICBM Scare

In my first interview, I speak to Google engineer Maryam Aly who worked on Foursquare's Internationalization Stack for several years. This includes making sure that the foursquare city guide and swarm apps work all around the world. Sometimes, a simple translation isn't enough - we had to deal with the quirks of each language, and puns and cultural references that don't carry through.

Local Maximum

Ep. 2 - Maryam Aly on Building a Global User Base: Translation, Localization, and I18n

I have a discussion with Stephanie Yang about how we used machine learning and sentiment analysis to build Foursquare's critically acclaimed venue rating system. Some anecdotes and what we learn along the way.

Ep. 3 - The Perfect 10, Foursquare's rating system

IN WAS NDE BESN OF NIZES IN WAS NDE WORSN OF NIZES IN WAS NDE ACE OF WISTOZ IN WAS NDE ACE OF FOOLISDGESS IN WAS NDE EPOUD OF BELIEF IN WAS NDE EPOUD OF IGURETMLINY IN WAS NDE SEASOG OF LICDN IN WAS NDE SEASOG OF TARQGESS IN WAS NDE SPRIGC OF DOPE IN WAS NDE WIGNER OF TESPAIR WE DAT EVERYNDIGC BEFORE MS WE DAT GONDIGC BEFORE MS WE WERE ALL COIGC TIREUN NO DEAVEG WE WERE ALL COIGC TIREUN NDE ONDER WAY (I'll explain!)

Ep. 4 - Codebreaking, Bizarro Harry Potter, and the Proper way to Gerrymander

It seems like yesterday when we had to get used to Bitcoin, and now new currencies are cropping up all the time - including the crypto-juggernaut Ethereum. To help us keep up and understand what's going on, I have Ethereum developer Christian Lundkvist from ConsenSys on the show. We talk about why Ethereum is separate from Bitcoin, and what the world-changing applications of these cryptocurrencies might be in the next few years.

Ep. 5 - Bitcoin, Ethereum, and What's a Smart Contract Anyway?

The big news right now is around an analytics company that used a dataset from Facebook - gotten by the company under false pretenses - to help the Trump campaign in 2016. Everyone is SHOCKED - but this kind of data mining was glorified and extolled as a social good when it was used for Obama in 2012. The comparison of the coverage is stark.

How are we going to get out of this? What exactly is the problem? I think that the vast centralization of data services has led to all sorts of problems, and the answer is well articulated in VC Chris Dixon's article from last month about the coming decentralized services. I summarize his article which adds to my optimism about the future.

Ep. 6 - Facebook Data and the Election, Decentralization to the Rescue

Today I talk to famed Foursquare Founder Dennis Crowley. His approach to being a tech entrepreneur has inspired us all! Just listen.

We talk about his approach to trying out new ideas, and also the current landscape for consumer technology and where we may be headed. Finally, we talk about Foursquare's recent foray into bots and beyond.

Ep. 7 - Dennis Crowley on Inspiration, Innovation, and Future Tech

Today I post-game my discussion with Dennis Crowley. I share his goal of wanting people to execute on their ideas, but what are the common blockers? I talk to Aaron about how it broke his code, and the AI couldn't do it on it's own but only with my help - all because my brain was influenced by the power of suggestion. Plus - answer to a listener question about Marsbot!

Ep. 8 - Bad Ideas, the Power of Suggestion, and Marsbot

Today I answer the question of how I would handle moderation for Facebook and Twitter - and I break down the problems that they're facing and why. Don't hold your breath expecting them to try out my proposal!

I also discuss Lindy's Law, which is a helpful rule of thumb in technological and social forecasting. As popularized by @nntaleb, it's another tool in your toolkit for understanding the world.

Ep. 9 - Fixing Facebook and Lindy's Law

Aaron comes back on the program to discuss the Mark Zuckerberg testimony before congress, particularly the part pertaining to moderation and censorship. In the last episode, I described the current approach that companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Google have towards this problem and why it might be flawed. Today, we see this theory play out in the Facebook CEO's answers.

We discuss the case of Diamond and Silk, which I mentioned last week but had no idea would appear in the hearings. Also, Facebook's approach of ensuring that it's tools are used for good, and what this directive means for Facebook's future and how the internet will look in a decade.

Also, I finished the 10 episode challenge! This podcast is all grown up now.

Ep. 10 - Zuckerberg Testifies, The Great Moderation War Continues

Engineer and Podcaster Max Sklar shares his story about building software from his time at Yale to the Foursquare Innovation Lab. He’ll cover:
What he has learned about working on vast location databases, building large-scale machine learning algorithms, and designing chatbots and apps that people actually want to use.
Different ways to approach career and on working in teams
His thoughts about where the tech/software industry is going in the next decade and encourage Yalies to follow up on their ideas.

Ep. 11 - Max speaks to CS Undergrads @ The Yale Computer Society

Aren’t you getting tired of using an internet that’s built to waste YOUR time - I know I am!

Product Manager Marissa Chacko and I discuss the promise and perils of these bots and push notifications. We worked on Foursquare's bot Marsbot together, and produced it to help the user first. What are some ways we can focus on building apps that help users, and what are some of the bad habits that have gotten us apps which aren't looking out for our interests?

Ep. 12 - Virtual Friends & Enemies, Building Products that look out for us with Marissa Chacko

I talk to Mariya Yao about AI and Machine Learning as applied to a variety of business problems and across industries. We cover:

- What are some of the misconceptions around AI?
- If I have an AI product, how can I talk about it to business leaders? How do I sell it externally? How does it become a business?
- Where are various industries on this?
- And what are some of the pre-requisites for AI; I’m talking about data collection, and organizational issues.

Ep. 13 - Applied Artificial Intelligence with Mariya Yao

A Washington Post OpEd believes that advances in AI will lead to a new centrally-planned economy. Google's Bots call unsuspecting businesses to save you time - but what are the implications? Bill Gates and Warren Buffet go sour on Bitcoin.

Ep. 14 - Robot Communism Sucks, and AI on line one

Sarah Spagnolo tells us how we turn data insights into news stories. Does marijuana legalization affect bar-going? What's it like to go on TV? I also have to weight in on #teamyanny and #teamlaurel. Plus an update on the news stories we're tracking on Google and Facebook. How far along is Google's conversational AI demo?

Ep. 15 - Poke, Chipotle, Green Needle: Data to Headline with Sarah Spagnolo

Today's concept is underfitting vs. overfitting. Someone who underfits doesn't adapt quickly enough to new data. But if you think that's bad, an overfitter will read TOO MUCH into new data and come up with wild ideas. How do you balance between them and what are some examples?

We also talk about Warren Buffet's Recent statements on Bitcoin as Rat Poison Squared, and the response from Union Square Venure's Fred Wilson. How does Bitcoin get it's value? We look at underfitters and overfitters in the crypto space.

Finally, the value of the Turing Test. When General AI comes, will it be the fabled machine that can pass as human, or will that idea be sidelined as more profitable uses taken precedent.

Also, we learn what an Ornithopter is, and get an update on Yanny-Laurel.

Ep. 16 - Overfitting Toddlers and Underfitting Curmudgeons

Run Your Mouth Podcaster and Stand-Up Comic Rob Bernstein joins me on the Local Maximum to talk about Comedy, Podcasting, Facebook, AI, Big Data, and of course MS Paint.

Ep. 17 - Comedy and Big Data Mixed Up with @robbiethefire

An article about MIT research claims that they've built a psychopathic AI. We think the article is a little off base, and try to determine what's actually going on. We cover related examples, of Microsofts Twitter Bot learning from the worst people, and a cool Google Image Program that sees animals everywhere.

I also check in with Christian Hubbs, host of Artifically Intelligent, about his podcast. I was interviewed for todays episode, so check that out!

I also define a Convolutional Neural Net, but only on the highest of high level! More on that could come in future episodes.

Ep. 18 - AI Gone Psychopathic, Embellishment vs Fact

Daniel Kronovet and Max discuss the world of information theory. We go into how it was invented by Claude Shannon at Bell Labs, the meaning of information and entropy, and the difference between measurement and processing. Catch references to a Jim Carrey movie and the Belmont stakes!

Ep. 19 - Information Theory with Daniel Kronovet, Horse Racing, and Fractional Bits

Father of 2, aerospace engineer, occasional podcaster.

The Local Maximum

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