Previous Hacky Hour Talks
A very HAPpy PhD, Jess Friedersdorff, IBERS, April 27th 2018
Hyper Ammonia Producers (HAPs) are bacteria that breakdown amino acids and peptide for energy, do not metabolise sugars, and produce in the process a significant amount of ammonia, as well as hydrogen and carbon dioxide. I am using bioinformatic approaches to characterise the HAPs using genetic, genomic (and soon transcriptomic) approaches.
Introduction to Super Computing Wales, Colin Sauze, Super Computing Wales/Compsci, April 27th 2018
In this talk i’ll introduce the upcoming Super Computing Wales HPC system.
Simulating UAV LiDAR over Sitka spruce plantations using Monte Carlo ray tracing, Osian Roberts, Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, May 11th 2018
In this talk I will present the challenges of mapping debris cover using optical imagery at various resolutions, and current ideas about algorithm development for automating these algorithms in python. The goal is to take advantage of big data, new algorithms that we can apply at various scales to map debris cover extent using sub-pixel, surface feature detection, neural networks and other techniques. The talk will be open to ideas and suggestions about potential algorithms inspired from other disciplines.
Optimised Framework based on Rough Set Theory for Big Data Pre-processing in Certain and Imprecise Contexts, Zaineb Chelly Dagdia, Department of Computer Science, May 11th 2018
The project entitled “Optimized Framework based on Rough Set Theory for Big Data Pre-processing in Certain and Imprecise Contexts” is about the application of ML techniques and mathematical theories to deal with Big Data which are specified by their Volume, Variety, Velocity and Veracity/Imprecision. Based on these specificities, it has become difficult to quickly acquire the most useful information from the huge amount of data at hand. Thus, it is necessary to perform data (pre-)processing as a first step. In spite of the existence of many techniques for this task, most of the state-of-the-art methods require additional information for thresholding and are neither able to deal with the big data veracity aspect nor with their computational requirements. I work on filling these major research gaps by proposing solutions based on Rough Set Theory for data pre-processing and Randomized Search Heuristics for optimization.
Quantum Chemistry Calculations of Diatomic Molecules, Marie Gorman, May 25th 2018
In this talk an overview of computational methods and programs used to calculate accurate and complete line lists (list of wavelengths with corresponding intensities) for diatomic molecules will be presented. This work is done as part of the ExoMol group which is based at UCL. Previous research as well as future research plans for line fitting will be presented. The range of diatomic molecules studied to date include those which are of interest in brown dwarfs, stellar atmospheres and the interstellar medium.
As a side note I would be very interested to hear from colleagues around the University who may be interested in using computed line lists (e.g. diatomic molecules emitted from volcanoes).
ER Diagrams, Samantha Pendelton, Department of Computer Science, June 22nd 2018
Using Entity Relationship diagrams to perfect your database - a brief introduction to this useful, ‘imperfect’ technique”
Big Data & Distributed Processing Frameworks, Zaineb Chelley Dagdia, June 22nd 2018
The aim of a distributed processing framework is to provide an abstraction to programmers allowing them to use a huge amount of resources while seeing them as a joined piece. The distributed framework offers a practice to handle data and task distribution on the nodes, as well as fault tolerance concerns. Among the most popular frameworks, we will present a quick view of MapReduce and Spark as (among others) they provide a programming model that allows to reason about a large database as a unified pool, and to split it in a number of components processed independently by the cluster’s nodes.
Semi-automated algorithms for debris cover glacier mapping, Adina Racoviteanu, Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, July 6th 2018
In this talk I will present the challenges of mapping debris cover using optical imagery at various resolutions, and current ideas about algorithm development for automating these algorithms in python. The goal is to take advantage of big data, new algorithms that we can apply at various scales to map debris cover extent using sub-pixel, surface feature detection, neural networks and other techniques. The talk will be open to ideas and suggestions about potential algorithms inspired from other disciplines.
The Challenges of dealing with EEG and Eye Tracking Data, Victoria Wright, Department of Psychology, August 3rd 2018
EEG and eye-tracking methods enable researchers to gain insights into many aspects of our everyday cognition. However, these techniques generate vast data sets that can be difficult to process, analyse and visualise in meaningful ways - especially for non-computing experts such as psychologists. In this talk, I will introduce briefly EEG and eye-tracking techniques and outline some of the difficulties involved in making sense of the data they produce. Thoughts on ways to process, analyse and visualise these types of data are particularly welcome.
Super Computing Wales pre-launch demo, Colin Sauze, Super Computing Wales/Compsci, September 14th 2018
In this talk i’ll introduce the upcoming Super Computing Wales HPC system which is due to launch for general availability on September 24th.
ORCID, John Roberts, Research, Business and Innovation, November 9th 2018
A brief overview of how to use ORCID, a system for uniquely identifying researchers on publications.
Handling Spatial Data in the Global-Rural Project, Anthonia Ijeoma Onyeahialam and Jack Reggie Cook, Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, December 7th 2018
This presentation will highlight the GIS and Geovisualisation work undertaken on the Global-Rural Project. It will show the use of GIS to analyse, examine and map global scale globalisation processes, drawing on patterns and relationships to rural communities. This presentation will provide an overview of the methods of analysis, mapping and visualisation, the softwares used, some mapping outputs and challenges faced. For further information please visit: https://www.global-rural.org/