Inspiring Computing

Gareth Thomas

The Inspiring Computing podcast is where computing meets the real world. This podcast aims to trigger your curiosity by talking to proficient and advanced users of MATLAB, Python, Julia who use these tools to deepen their understanding of the world, simulate, explore trade-offs and gain insights that help companies add more value. In addition to proficient users we will also talk with the product marketing, toolbox authors, package developers and library maintainers to see what drives the development and what issues they are solving for others to benefit from. read less
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Episodes

Mark Kittisopikul - Computational Biology Unleashed: Exploring the Power of Julia.
May 8 2024
Mark Kittisopikul - Computational Biology Unleashed: Exploring the Power of Julia.
In this episode, we dive into the fascinating world of scientific computing with Mark Kittisopikul, who has a background in computational biology. He shares insight into his career journey. And the critical role of scientific computing and modern research. Scientific computing involves leveraging computers to analyze interpret experimental data, bridging the gap between theoretical models and real world outcomes. Despite his non-computer science background, Mark helps his colleagues in biology. And other fields with computational tasks emphasizing the importance of data interpretation. He takes us through his journey, experimenting with various programming languages before discovering Julia. Which he now prefers for sufficiency in ease of use, especially in scientific applications. Mark illustrates the benefits of Julia with the specific challenge he faced managing data from 10 cameras in a very specific microscope. Showcasing how Julia provided the solution by being able to parse gigabytes of data per second. We also explored the vibrant community around Julia and the upcoming JuliaCon conference highlighting the inclusive nature of the community and the opportunities for calibration and growth. So join us as we uncover the pivotal role of scientific computing in modern research and the advantages of using Julia for computational tasks in biology and beyond.Support the Show.Subscribe to mailing list here.
Adyen - Engineered for ambition
Apr 10 2024
Adyen - Engineered for ambition
This episode (recorded late 2023) of Inspiring Computing features Nikki, a tech lead in machine learning at a company called Adyen.  She discusses her journey into AI and our role at adjunct. Nikki initially studied econometrics, but found it lacking in practical application. She then delved into programming, building apps and websites, and eventually combined her love for mathematics and programming. She worked at KLM as a software engineer, primarily on C++ plus before transitioning to ING. Was she, when she began working on extensively with Python and data related projects.  At Adyen Nikki explains that the company facilitates payment processes for various businesses, ensuring integration with different payment methods for companies like streaming services and eclipse Cromer's platforms. She elaborates on the, behind the scenes process of payments, including the risk checks authentication. Emphasizing agent's role as a payment. Gateway and its banking license, which allows for same day payment processing. Nikki discusses the complexity of payment optimization due to different messaging protocols and the rules across banks, particularly. With visa and MasterCard edge and maintain standards and smooth transition of these protocols. Leveraging machine learning models, trained on past data to adapt, to changes and ensures seamless payment processing across various banks and regions. They experiment different models per region, per group, and companies to optimize this performance. Support the Show.Subscribe to mailing list here.
Dexter Forecast & Trade Optimization Powered by AI
Apr 3 2024
Dexter Forecast & Trade Optimization Powered by AI
In this podcast episode, we delve into the intricacies of power markets and energy forecasting with Tom Lemmens  who has firsthand experience in the field. Starting his career at an energy company, our guest explains the complexities of short-term power markets, focusing on generation forecasting for wind and solar power, as well as price forecasting.We learn about the crucial role of forecasting prices as a proxy for balancing the grid, and the importance of portfolio optimization in maximizing asset value. After transitioning from a data science consultant back to the energy sector, our guest became one of the early joiners at Dexter Energy, a company providing generation forecasting and trade optimization services.Dexter Energy specializes in forecasting solar and wind power generation, along with short-term power prices, to help companies make informed trade strategies and optimize their assets. The guest highlights the significance of utilizing Python in their work and explains the process of translating data into expected power output using machine learning models.Moreover, we explore the challenges and rapid changes in the energy transition, particularly in regions with increasing adoption of renewable energy sources like solar panels. Tom shares insights into the continuous evolution of their models and the technology stack used at Dexter Energy, including Python, Google Cloud, Airflow, and various databases.Finally, we uncover the data sources for weather data, essential for accurate forecasting, and the iterative process of determining model usefulness through backtesting. This episode provides a comprehensive overview of the dynamic energy market and the vital role of data-driven solutions in optimizing energy trading strategies.Support the Show.Subscribe to mailing list here.