Hello, New Subscribers!
Welcome aboard
Congratulations on becoming an official Data Diver and part of our Data Dive community.
Brace yourselves for riveting updates, priceless insights, and a sneak peek into my weekly escapades – all landing in your inbox every Thursday
Got queries or itching to chat? Slide into my DMs on Twitter
Grab a coffee, sit back, relax..
And without further ado, let’s dive into it👇🏼
.
.
READ TIME: 4 mins and 22 seconds.
What lies ahead…
What I’ve been working on 🛠
Data Digest: Latest Insights 🚀
Rapid-R Tip 💨
Community Spotlight 🌈
.
.
But First… Say Hello to my New Friend
Sitting proudly on my desk is my trusty sidekick – a rubber duck.
This isn't your ordinary duck; it's the code whisperer, the debugging guru, and the ultimate coding confidant.
The problem is..
He doesn’t have a name yet.
So I want you name suggestions.
Let me know by replying to this Email or DM me on Twitter
What I’ve been working on 🛠
AWS Cloud Practitioner
Last week I mentioned that I had started working towards my AWS CCP certification.
The certification isn’t necessary for an entry level data analyst role
However, I want to stack the odds in my favour as much as possible..
With more and more companies using the cloud I think it’s an important skill to learn
Last week I was 35% of the way through the course
This week I’m now almost 60% through the course!
I hope by this time next week I will have completed 100% of the course
I will then spend a short amount of time revising the topic before booking the exam 👀
I have actually really enjoyed learning about Amazon AWS
It also won’t hurt to put this on my CV for job interviews!
.
.
Udemy - Machine Learning A-Z Course
After 8 weeks I’ve now finally completed the Machine Learning course on Udemy 🥳
Initially, I started learning the course in Python but then switched over to R part way through.
🟠 42.5 hrs
🟣 Data Preprocessing
🟣 Regression
🟣 Classification
🟣 Clustering
🟣 Association Rule Learning
🟣 Reinforcement Learning
🟣 Natural Language Processing
🟣 Deep Learning
🟣 Dimensionality Reduction
& last but not least .
🟣 Model selection and boosting
.
.
This course has been nothing short of incredible.
Clearly explained throughout, with intuition lectures followed by practical application.
.
.
The Instructors:
Kirill Eremenko - Data Scientist
Hadelin de Ponteves- Serial Tech Entrepreneur
I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction (an in-depth one at that) to Machine Learning.
I built countless ML models and many beautiful visualisations.
Most of my work for this is in my GitHub Repo so check that out ✌🏼
So what now?
.
.
Well, I’m by no means going to stop learning about Machine Learning
However, I am going to take a step back from the advanced concepts for now
And instead, focus on the fundamental skills needed for a Data Analyst
This includes: Excel, SQL, Tableau, and also R.
Data Digest: Latest Insights 🚀
AI Revolution: Paralysed Woman ‘Speaks’ via Digital Avatar
Researchers at UC San Francisco & UC Berkeley have developed a revolutionary brain-computer interface (BCI) capable of enabling a paralysed woman to communicate using a digital avatar.
This is the inaugural instance of generating speech and facial expressions directly from brain signals.
Remarkably, the system can translate these brain signals into text at a remarkable speed of nearly 80 words per minute.
This research marks a substantial stride towards reestablishing all-encompassing communication possibilities for individuals who are paralysed.
How does it work?
The BCI decodes brain signals into synthesised speech and facial expressions, enabling paralysed individuals to communicate more naturally.
Instead of detecting complete words, the system identifies phonemes (sub-unit of speech), which enhances speed & accuracy
The voice of the digital avatar was customised to replicate the user's voice prior to their injury. Additionally, facial animations were controlled by software that interpreted the brain's signals to generate a range of facial expressions.
.
.
Python for Excel
Microsoft has recently announced new integrations for Python within Excel
Before now, many teams would manipulate data using Python in an IDE of choice
Then moving it to Excel for it’s user-friendly and easily accessible visualisations
Previously, Virtual Basic for Applications (VBA) would be used within Excel to automate tasks
But now, we can utilise the flexibility of Python to do this (which is a clear advantage)
.
.
Check out the article, have a play around with it, and let me know what you think!
Enjoying the Newsletter so far?
I’d love for you to Subscribe to never miss an issue, and show your support
Thank you ❤️
Rapid-R Tip 💨
Vectorised Operations
Vectorised operations allow you to perform operations on entire vectors, matrices, or data frames at once, instead of using explicit loops.
This will greatly enhance the efficiency and readability of your code
.
.
Benefits of Vectorised Operations
🟣 Code Simplicity
🟣 Performance: Vectors and matrices can be executed much faster than equivalent operations implemented using loops.
🟣 Readability: Vectorised operations read like mathematical expressions, making your code more intuitive and easier for others (and your future self) to understand.
.
.
Use Cases:
Community Spotlight 🌈
This week I’m shining the spotlight on someone who always shows up with a positive and friendly attitude.
She has, continually offered me support and guidance as I’m learning these new skills.
Without further ado, this week’s spotlight is shining on..
.
.
.
Ellie (@elliezub) 🥳
Thanks for all the advice and guidance you have given me since I first DM’d asking for help 😅
Go and drop Ellie a follow, and reach out!
Ps: Anyone I feature in the Community Spotlight will receive exclusive content, discounts, and benefits in the future, as a way to show my gratitude ❤️
And that's a wrap for this week, Data Divers!
If you've had a blast diving into this newsletter, why not spread the knowledge like confetti?
Share it with your friends using this enchanted link adamlowther.substack.com
… It's like a secret handshake that lets me know you're loving it and want more!
Also I’d love if you reached out to me on Twitter or by replying to this Email!
.
.
Catch you on the flip side, Adam x