The folks working in the field of Information Technology and related industries would be well aware of 'Machine Learning'. Hardly a day goes by without us reading one or the other news about how the machines are getting better at analyzing, predicting, and in some cases taking over the various fields once dominated by us.
If like me, you too are a newbie to this Next Big Thing, and wondering about where you can get a bird's eye view, this book is a good place to start.
In 'The Master Algorithm', author Pedro Domingos begins with real-life, familiar examples of how ML pervades our lives even today. Next, we get an overview of various high-level methodologies that comprise ML. The book concludes with an insight into a 'master algorithm', a mind-boggling concept, one that means the rise of learning machines that would create more learning machines.
This book makes for a persuasive and captivating read. Of course, it barely scratches the tip of a giant iceberg, and the author is quick to admit that the current techniques may not only evolve vastly but in many cases, there could be completely unforeseen breakthroughs.
No matter what your area of work is, one thing seems certain: Machine Learning is going to impact all of us, it is here to stay and evolve into general artificial intelligence.
As humans, we better be scared... And be better prepared.
If you are a casual/amateur chess player, then the Chess app from AI Factory is for you.
This mobile app, available on Android and iOS, allows you to play chess either with the software or another human player.
The chess engine is pretty strong, and you can adjust its strength at levels 1 to 12 (which correspond roughly to Elo ratings 700 to 2100). There is an excellent 'Tutor' that can suggest and analyse each move.
The user interface is very intuitive and graphics are top-notch. After a game, you can record it, replay it, save it, or share it online. In short, this app offers all you can expect from a free mobile game, and much more.
After installing it last week, I have played 15 games so far across various levels, with 9 wins and 6 losses. Interestingly, no draws so far.
I was feeling withdrawal symptoms after the Game of Thrones Season 7 ended. So, last weekend, I went back and watched some episodes from another series.... and enjoyed them as much as I did the first time almost 9 years ago!
“The Big Bang Theory” was/is a popular series on CBS from 2007 onward, revolving around a group of scientists and their antics. Most of the nerds could identify themselves with the razor-sharp repartees of Sheldon, the good-natured humour of Leonard, the lovable personality of Raj and the sleazy but witty Howard.
Interestingly, although Leonard was perhaps the lead character, Jim Parsons as Sheldon did such an amazing job that he practically swept up the show, earning a couple of Grammy awards in the process.
And then, there was Penny… Oh, she deserves a special write-up, but... ahem, perhaps for a select audience 😉
The show was unique in the sense that quite a few of REAL scientists, including Stephen Hawking and NASA astronaut Mike Massimino, appeared on it in cameo roles.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching first 5 seasons. Seasons 6 and 7 were also quite good; but there was a feeling that the show was having less and less of nerdiness and more leaning towards a generic sitcom like ‘Friends’. I stopped watching it after a few episodes of 8th season, and haven’t watched seasons 9 and 10.
It seems that season 11 will be aired this year (Sept 25, 2017) and season 12 the next year. Perhaps it’s a good time to catch up on these old friends.
Mossad, the secret service of Israel, is widely regarded as the deadliest agency in the world. Be it the daring rescue of Israeli hostages from the Entebbe airport, or the abduction of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann from Argentina, or the 'Operation Wrath of God' that destroyed Black September terrorists... Missions of Mossad have been the stuff of folklore, yet these are just the tip of a vast iceberg.
For six decades since its inception Mossad has been conducting equally daredevil yet clandestine missions.
And this book covers 20 of best of them.
This is a world of legendary spymasters like Isser Harrel, Meir Amit, and Meir Dagan, from whom even James Bond could borrow a few notes and tips. We meet the intrepid commandos of Sayeret Matkal, who would make acts of Mission: Impossible seem like kids play. We learn of fantastic gadgets and poisons that seem like the stuff of science fiction. And, we come to admire the gutsy politicians like Golda Meir and Benjamin Netanyahu who put country first and foremost.
Reading this book was never a dull moment. The only thought after finishing it was: Wish there had been an equally detailed book about missions of India's secret service, RAW.
Garry Kasparov is a multifaceted personality. He is an author of several critically-acclaimed books, much sought-after orator, political opponent to none other than the mighty Vlad Putin... And, did I mention that he is a former World Chess Champion and widely regarded as one of the greatest chess players of all time?
I have been a die-hard Kasparov fan (except when he was playing against the Indian chess prodigy V. Anand), and yet I was reluctant to pick up this book, thinking it to be some half-baked pseudo-science.
Boy, was I so happy to be proved thoroughly wrong!
"Deep Thinking" has three main threads running in parallel throughout the book.
At the core of it, Kasparov writes about his chess 'wars' with Deep Blue, the IBM supercomputer.
On top of this, he elaborates the history of chess-playing machines: Deep Junior, Hydra, Fritz, et al.
Encompassing this, he muses about machine learning, human-machine interfaces and artificial intelligence in general.
You need not be a chess pro or an AI expert to enjoy this book. Kasparov has an engaging writing style, and his razor-sharp, no-holds-barred approach makes for a delightful read!
