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Write a blog post about how computation applies to your interests. This could be a subject you've studied, a job you've worked, a personal hobby, or a cause you care about. What projects do you imagine making this term? What projects do you love?
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This is probably how middle schoolers these days get scolded by their teachers for starting their essays in such a way, but: ChatGPT defines computation as the process of performing mathematical or logical operations on data, typically by following a set of instructions or algorithms. It involves transforming input data into output results, often with the help of tools like computers, calculators, or other mechanical devices. (I have cross-checked with a definition by Merriam-Webster and it seemed about right.) According to this definition, computation was initially something I wanted to run away from, which I later learned to embrace at a certain degree.
My majoring in statistics for undergrad was a choice, but not a natural one. I was never good at math. It was common for me to make arithmetic mistakes, and concepts I learnt at school I never knew by heart. I was always running out of time for math exams, which caused me great anxiety. Because I wanted and needed good math scores, I memorized how to solve math problems by their types. Everything that seemed math-related was my Achille’s heel; I wanted to stay away as far as possible. As such I shunned programming as well, as it all seemed to fall under the same category. In fact, there was plenty of opportunities and resources for me to learn programming as my father is a college professor in computer science. This image of my math and science whiz father kept me further away. However, I made a choice to major in statistics because I felt that knowing how to understand numbers would be a crucial skill in a cause I care about.
When I first started off in college, I was fascinated by marketing. I wanted to know what measures were effective in making people change their minds, and how we measure that effect. This was why I chose to major in statistics, against my natural preferences. My interests broadened into the overall strategy realm, and I realized I liked things that are measurable. Out of many psychology subfields I enjoyed cognitive psychology the most. My personal approach to change is that of effective altruism, where quantifying and prioritizing possible solutions are key. As I became more and more familiar with dealing with numbers I gradually became to enjoy and appreciate reading through numbers and congregating them into an actionable idea.
For projects using computation, at first I thought I’d be into visualization. However I found out that the visualization part, separate from the analysis part, required a different set of skills - that of visual fluency and front-facing code. Also, while I knew that visualization of data could be a powerful tool for communication, as I knew how data could be manipulated to be viewed in a certain way, I had mixed feelings about this form. That most hi-fi forms of data visualizations (mostly seen in publications) are of static data also makes me feel queazy, because in reality data constantly flows and in another snapshot things could be showcased in a totally different way.
As of now, it seems interesting to create a project in which qualitative data can be converted into quantitative data and where data is constantly flowing or evolving and changing. As I talk with my peers I realize that I am not really familiar with interactive art, and I don’t have a specific work to name, but some sort of a vessel that collects multiple people’s qualitative inputs are converted and combined to be shown in a quantitative way where people did not expect it to would seem interesting. Something that comes close is Neil Harbisson: I listen to color where something as mundane as the experience of browsing things at a supermarket(=qualitative data) is converted to vibrant sonic signals(=quantitative data). I am not sure to what extent I will be able to make in this term, but I will try my best.