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Cathy O'Neil

10quotes

Cathy O'Neil


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Full Name and Common Aliases

Cathy O'Neil is an American mathematician, blogger, and author who writes under the pseudonym "Math Bites."

Birth and Death Dates

Born on January 14, 1969 (no death date mentioned)

Nationality and Profession(s)

O'Neil is a US citizen and has worked as a mathematician in various fields, including academia and industry.

Early Life and Background


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Cathy O'Neil grew up in New York City. She developed an interest in mathematics at a young age and pursued it throughout her academic career. After completing her undergraduate degree in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), she went on to earn her Ph.D. in mathematics from Harvard University.

Major Accomplishments


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O'Neil's work has spanned various areas, including dynamical systems, ergodic theory, and mathematical biology. She was a professor at several institutions, including Harvard University, the University of California, Berkeley, and Barnard College.

Notable Works or Actions


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Some notable works by O'Neil include:

"Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy" (2016): This book critiques the misuse of data science in decision-making processes, highlighting its potential to perpetuate inequality.
 Math Bites Blog: Her blog provides insightful commentary on various topics, including data science, machine learning, and their societal implications.
* Data Science for Social Good Fellowship: O'Neil co-founded this fellowship program to apply data science to pressing social issues.

Impact and Legacy


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O'Neil's work has been instrumental in bringing attention to the potential risks of big data and its applications. Her critiques have sparked important discussions about accountability, fairness, and transparency in decision-making processes.

Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered

Cathy O'Neil is widely quoted for her expertise in mathematics and data science. Her writing provides a unique blend of technical insight and accessible storytelling, making complex topics more understandable to broad audiences.

Quotes by Cathy O'Neil

Sometimes the job of a data scientist is to know when you don't know enough.
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Sometimes the job of a data scientist is to know when you don't know enough.
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#statistics #data-science
[A] crucial part of justice is equality, and that means, among other things, experiencing criminal justice equally. People who favor policies like Stop and Frisk should experience it themselves. Justice cannot just be something that one part of society inflicts upon the other.
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[A] crucial part of justice is equality, and that means, among other things, experiencing criminal justice equally. People who favor policies like Stop and Frisk should experience it themselves. Justice cannot just be something that one part of society inflicts upon the other.
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#justice-system
We have to learn to interrogate our data collection process, not just our algorithms.
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We have to learn to interrogate our data collection process, not just our algorithms.
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#data #algorithms #big-data
Justice cannot just be something that one part of society inflicts on the other.
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Justice cannot just be something that one part of society inflicts on the other.
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#social-justice
With political messaging, as with most WMDs [Weapons for Math Destruction], the heart of the problem is almost always the objective. Change that objective from leeching off people to helping them, and a WMD is disarmed -- and can even become a force for good.
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With political messaging, as with most WMDs [Weapons for Math Destruction], the heart of the problem is almost always the objective. Change that objective from leeching off people to helping them, and a WMD is disarmed -- and can even become a force for good.
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#politics #math #algorithm #data-analysis
WMDs, by contrast, tend to favor efficiency. By their very nature, they feed on data that can be measured and counted. But fairness is squishy and hard to quantify. It is a concept. And computers, for all of their advances in language and logic, still struggle mightily with concepts.
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WMDs, by contrast, tend to favor efficiency. By their very nature, they feed on data that can be measured and counted. But fairness is squishy and hard to quantify. It is a concept. And computers, for all of their advances in language and logic, still struggle mightily with concepts.
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#mgg #fairness #computers #efficiency
In each case, we must ask not only who designed the model but also what they person or company is trying to accomplish.
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In each case, we must ask not only who designed the model but also what they person or company is trying to accomplish.
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#tech #mgg #motive #motives
Nevertheless, many of these models encoded human prejudice, misunderstanding, and bias into the software systems that increasingly managed our lives.
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Nevertheless, many of these models encoded human prejudice, misunderstanding, and bias into the software systems that increasingly managed our lives.
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#mgg #big-data
The question, however, is whether we've eliminated human bias or simply camouflaged it with technology.
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The question, however, is whether we've eliminated human bias or simply camouflaged it with technology.
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#technology #tech #mgg #bias #big-data
Some two thousand stone-throwing protesters gathered in the street outside the school. They chanted, "We want fairness. There is no fairness if you don't let us cheat." It sounds like a joke, but they were absolutely serious.
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Some two thousand stone-throwing protesters gathered in the street outside the school. They chanted, "We want fairness. There is no fairness if you don't let us cheat." It sounds like a joke, but they were absolutely serious.
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#irony