I used to teach OpenRefine as a part of Data Carpentry workshops, and more than once, I heard people say it changed their lives.

This is that lesson for getting started with OpenRefine. http://datacarpentry.org/OpenRefine-ecology-lesson/

This is a neat project! Another interesting project with self-replicating and evolving computer programs is Avida, developed in Charles Ofria’s lab. http://avida.devosoft.org/ It’s been used to research evolutionary processes in collaboration with Richard Lenski who leads the long term E. coli evolution experiment. e.g. https://www.nature.com/articles/nature01568

There’s also an Avida-ED version designed for classroom use.

Thanks! I hadn't realized but Tierra and Avida are quite similar to SproutLife. I found this video that explains a bit about it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouF8wKxXWFQ&t=1050s

I wonder if they also encountered the issue where the genomes/programs get simpler over time. In some ways one would expect evolution to increase complexity, but what I found happening is that prioritizing reproduction means creating pressure to decrease complexity, thereby increasing the reproduction rate and decreasing the footprint for negative mutations. The way SproutLife counteracted this was to add a "competitive" metric where bigger organism win over smaller ones, kind of like big trees casting shade to block smaller shrubs.

As it seems like you’re seeing, what evolves depends a lot on what you’re selecting for and the environment they’re ‘growing’ in. This is another paper with more details. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7123229/pdf/978... My favorite stories are the ones where the organisms evolved to be able to detect when they were in the test environment and only performed the high-cost, selected-for behavior there.

If you haven’t run across it yet, Karl Sims’ virtual creatures are also really fascinating. https://www.karlsims.com/evolved-virtual-creatures.html And anything by Melanie Mitchell. Her book “An Introduction to Genetic Algorithms” is great.

Thank you for this. I hadn’t seen the teal management approach described before.

Thanks, this is a vital service, especially now when many teens are struggling and virtual is the only option. Designing specifically for virtual may be an advantage over therapists who usually work in person, but are now trying to do the same thing online, but may see challenges in adapting their approach. I didn't see this on your FAQ. Can your counselors prescribe medications, or make referrals if they think it may be needed?

Thanks for the kind words! We do believe designing for virtual first offers a lot of advantages vs. tacking it on to a traditional practice.

You ask a great question, and we'll add it to our FAQ. We currently refer out for the medication prescription needs, and are evaluating bringing the capability in-house.

It is interesting and important to think about ways to support open source project contributors, especially when the projects are being used in commercial organizations. It would have been better to see this license change idea through an RFC before a change though, and with an attorney’s advice. If he does really want this to be an experiment it would have been good for him to have a better background on the types of license models available and an attorney’s help with license language changes and implications.

Excellent point and related to Nadia Eghbal's post on the lack of support for open source infrastructure being the internet's biggest blind spot. https://medium.com/@nayafia/how-i-stumbled-upon-the-internet...

For installation of Jupyter, Anaconda works well across all platforms, even most slightly older OSes.

http://jupyter.readthedocs.io/en/latest/install.html

It does work better for people to install Jupyter with Anaconda, rather than use virtual environments, because there's not the overhead of also having to learn about virtual environments. People tend to think of them as just associated with the class and don't use them as much for their own work outside of the workshop or course.

The book "A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy" by William Irvine is a good book on Stoicism that provides a good practical perspective on using the approach in your life.

Also, not on Stoicism, but "10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works--A True Story" is a book by Dan Harris, a news correspondent, bringing philosophical approaches to everyday life.

A lot of great information here that can be used to think about the viability and sustainability of open source projects.

> Paul: The best startups come from personal experience. It was something you or someone you know needed.

I've seen this comment before. It emphasizes the need for more founders with diverse backgrounds. More types of problems solved and more opportunities to reach new markets.