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  Feeling a little peckish? What’s your pleasure? If you’re craving something savory, perhaps we should zip on over to Illinois for some deep dish pizza and pierogies. Something a little more substantial? Well, we could feast on chicken fried steak in Oklahoma and bison burgers in Wyoming, before topping everything off with a platter … Continue reading [tasty review] United Tastes of America by Gabrielle Langholtz, Jenny Bowers, and DL Acken

Jules Hedges has written a thought-provoking blog post, On compositionality where he connects the familiar idea of compositionality to the idea of emergent effects in nature, where systems can be understood as either having compositional properties or emergent properties.

The key point about emergent systems is that they are hard to understand, and this is as true for engineering as it is for science. He goes on to say "As a final thought, I claim that compositionality is extremely delicate, and that it is so powerful that it is worth going to extreme lengths to achieve it", so that avoiding emergent effects is a characteristic of good programming language design.

Some thoughts:

1. His examples of emergent systems are biology and game theory from an economic perspective. I would add to this list physics: of his co-authored paper showing that the spectral gap is undecidable, David Pérez-García said "For example, our results show that adding even a single particle to a lump of matter, however large, could in principle dramatically change its properties."
2. Spolsky's famous characterisation of interfaces built on shaky foundations as Leaky abstractions to me makes the distinction between compositional and emergent systems a little less than sharp.
3. We could talk endlessly about the list of what he regards as compositionality-breaking features of PLs. The evils of global state are well-documented, but I find dmbarbour's argument that Local state is poison a very interesting alternative way to look at what properties do we want from code; more generally, what kind of compositionalty PLs offer is very much paradigm dependent. Gotos are considered harmful, but the Linux kernel has little trouble with longjmp because of its mandated coding style: compositionality in engineering is a not just a matter of semantics but also of use. He targets OO and Haskell's type classes - I think he is quite correct - note that within these paradigms one can regain compositionality by restricting to LSP or algebraic classes, and supporting his thesis we see that these ideas have spawned ideas for the design of new, cleaner PLs.

A new introductory book about dependent types, involving some familiar names:

The Little Typer

by Daniel P. Friedman and David Thrane Christiansen.

Foreword by Robert Harper.

Afterword by Conor McBride.

An introduction to dependent types, demonstrating the most beautiful aspects, one step at a time.

A program's type describes its behavior. Dependent types are a first-class part of a language, and are much more powerful than other kinds of types; using just one language for types and programs allows program descriptions to be as powerful as the programs they describe. The Little Typer explains dependent types, beginning with a very small language that looks very much like Scheme and extending it to cover both programming with dependent types and using dependent types for mathematical reasoning. Readers should be familiar with the basics of a Lisp-like programming language, as presented in the first four chapters of The Little Schemer.

The first five chapters of The Little Typer provide the needed tools to understand dependent types; the remaining chapters use these tools to build a bridge between mathematics and programming. Readers will learn that tools they know from programming—pairs, lists, functions, and recursion—can also capture patterns of reasoning. The Little Typer does not attempt to teach either practical programming skills or a fully rigorous approach to types. Instead, it demonstrates the most beautiful aspects as simply as possible, one step at a time.

Seven Sketches in Compositionality: An Invitation to Applied Category Theory

2018 by Brendan Fong and David I. Spivak

Category theory is becoming a central hub for all of pure mathematics. It is unmatched in its ability to organize and layer abstractions, to find commonalities between structures of all sorts, and to facilitate communication between different mathematical communities. But it has also been branching out into science, informatics, and industry. We believe that it has the potential to be a major cohesive force in the world, building rigorous bridges between disparate worlds, both theoretical and practical. The motto at MIT is mens et manus, Latin for mind and hand. We believe that category theory—and pure math in general—has stayed in the realm of mind for too long; it is ripe to be brought to hand.

An enjoyable 25-minute introductory talk: YOW! Lambda Jam 2019 - Ken Scambler - Applied Category Theory (slides)

What do programming, quantum physics, chemistry, neuroscience, systems biology, natural language parsing, causality, network theory, game theory, dynamical systems and database theory have in common?

As functional programmers, we know how useful category theory can be for our work - or perhaps how abstruse and distant it can seem. What is less well known is that applying category theory to the real world is an exciting field of study that has really taken off in just the last few years. It turns out that we share something big with other fields and industries - we want to make big things out of little things without everything going to hell! The key is compositionality, the central idea of category theory.

Previously: Seven Sketches in Compositionality: An Invitation to Applied Category Theory.

(via Brian McKenna)

In 2017, a team from Northeastern University released Turnstile, a framework for implementing propositionally typed languages in Racket; cf. naasking's story Type Systems as Macros. The system was really nice because it allowed type systems to be expressed in a manner similar to the way theoretical PL researchers would in a paper, and because it hooked into Racket's clean compiler backend.

Now Stephen Chang, one of that team, together with new coauthors Michael Ballantyne, Usamilo Turner and William Bowman, have released a rewrite that they call Turnstile+, together with a POPL article, Dependent Type Systems as Macros. From that article's introduction:

Turnstile+ represents a major research leap over its predecessor. Specifically, we solve the major challenges necessary to implement dependent types and their accompanying DSLs and extensions (which Turnstile could not support), while retaining the original abilities of Turnstile. For example, one considerable obstacle was the separation between the macro expansion phase and a program’s runtime phase. Since dependently typed languages may evaluate expressions while type checking, checking dependent types with macros requires new macrology design patterns and abstractions for interleaving expansion, type checking, and evaluation. The following summarizes our key innovations.

• Turnstile+ demands a radically different API for implementing a language’s types. It must be straightforward yet expressive enough to represent a range of constructs from base types, to binding forms like Π-types, to datatype definition forms for indexed inductive type families.
• Turnstile+ includes an API for defining type-level computation, which we dub normalization by macro expansion. A programmer writes a reduction rule using syntax resembling familiar on-paper notation, and Turnstile+ generates a macro definition that performs the reduction during macro expansion. This allows easily implementing modular type-level evaluation.
• Turnstile+’s new type API adds a generic type operation interface, enabling modular implementation of features such as error messages, pattern matching, and resugaring. This is particularly important for implementing tools like tactic systems that inspect intermediate type-checking steps and construct partial terms.
• Turnstile+’s core type checking infrastructure requires an overhaul, specifically with first-class type environments, in order to accommodate features like dependent binding structures of the shape[x:τ]...,i.e., telescopes [de Bruijn 1991; McBride 2000].
• Relatedly, Turnstile+’s inference-rule syntax is extended so that operations over telescopes, or premises with references to telescopes, operate as folds instead of as maps

The code is available at https://github.com/stchang/macrotypes.

A psychopathic hairstylist collects scalps and wears them — in an attempt to escape herself.

Food, art, even public space now seems to revolve around aesthetic value as judged by the social network.

Whether it’s a small new restaurant or a major art gallery exhibition, it seems Toronto’s cultural institutions must cater to the “like” seeking set. The price of success today is a sacrifice made at the altar of Instagram. Of course, to some, it’s not viewed as a sacrifice at all, especially when it boosts business […]

The post Has Toronto Become a City of Instagram Photo Ops? appeared first on Torontoist.

Divestment is “more urgent” in Toronto than NYC

A growing list of large institutional investors around the world – state and provincial pension funds, university endowments, and most recently, New York City itself, have been aggressively divesting from fossil fuel investments so as to do their part in mitigating against climate change. Here in Toronto, it’s been a different story. Prominent institutional investors, […]

The post Habitat: Environmentalists eye city’s investment policies appeared first on Torontoist.

Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh penned a two-page open letter advocating flexibility for college athletes looking to enter the NFL Draft.

Today's xkcd: Mouseover title: "Type IIII error: Mistaking tally marks for Roman neumerals" [sic] I was going to ask for your favorite (quasi-)scientific error examples, but then I realized that this just an inventory of testing-result types, so that things like p-hacking, file-drawer phenomena, confirmation bias, etc., are in a different space.

I can’t tell you how great it is to be home.  I soo missed my family and my friends.  Thank you to my friends the Idea Seekers Spec and Tra who came to my rescue on the planet Earth.  And to think I almost got turned into a Warrior Drone by Jealousy Cloud over thinking my […]

You guys must give a lot of parties because you all have really good ideas!  I can hardly wait to see what Spec and Skeeter choose to do for the celebration party! Tra and Skeeter and I hung out on Friday with some of you.  It was so great to see everyone. I was expecting Spec would show up […]

Near Paris, there is no need to see if there is another car behind you...

When it comes to how to get website traffic, not all traffic types are equal and hold the same value. Many who are new to websites or blogs think that all traffic is one and the same. And while the number of visits might look good you have to actually look at the numbers to see the real story behind those numbers. This is one reason why using sites like Google Analytics or other traffic stat sites is important when it comes to unstanding what kind of traffic your getting. To understand if the traffic you’re getting is good or not you have to know what types of traffic are out there, they are 1. Social Traffic 2. Paid Traffic 3. Word Of Mouth 4. Search Traffic 5. Return Traffic

It used to be that if you wanted to rank well you only had one search to target, which was the main search page. It didn’t matter if you were going to share content with Google or another search engine. If you wanted to rank for a specific keyword or phrase you cold only do this through SERP’s. Fortunately those days are long gone and site owners can promote their content through a number of different channels. The search engines are very hungry for this kind of content, especially Google which is…….well a total whore when it comes to vertical search content.

I get scam emails all the time, all claiming that I have untold riches waiting for me. All I need to do is fill out a simple form with either my credit card or social security information or simply send them a cheque to “release my money” It’s hard to imagine that anyone would buy into these scams, but they wouldn’t keep doing them if there wasn’t some poor sucker out there buying into it.

1. AOC insists opportunity knocks for Australia's 2032 Olympic bid  Sydney Morning Herald
2. Tokyo Olympics could be the greatest ever after the coronavirus pandemic, says AOC president John Coates  ABC News
3. Sport boss claims hosting the Olympics could pull Australia out of a post-coronavirus recession  Daily Mail
4. AOC CEO looking at great sporting decade  7NEWS.com.au
5. Channel 7 sweats as Olympics plans still up in the air for 2021  Herald Sun
6. View Full coverage on Google News

1. Should You Get A Nintendo Switch Lite If You Can’t Find Switch Availability? It Depends  Forbes
2. Nintendo Switch Lite is in stock at Amazon and Best Buy: Latest inventory update  CNET
3. Best Switch Games So Far In 2020  Trusted Reviews
4. Nintendo Switch Capture Cards: How to Record Video of Your Gameplay  Screen Rant
5. View Full coverage on Google News

A quick-thinking Helsinki bakery has saved itself from financial ruin due to the new coronavirus pandemic by creating a cake that looks like a toilet roll.

As Thailand's capital cautiously reopens many restaurants shuttered over coronavirus fears, the feline "employees" of the Caturday Cafe are back at work.

Frank Lee designed this gigantic version of Tetris for Philly Tech Week 2014 in Pennsylvania.

Legend has it that Saint Patrick gave a four-leaf clover to a group of his followers; the fourth leaf put there by God to bring…

In Special Relativity relativity of simultaneity is the fact that 2 simultaneous events occurring in a stationary frame does not appear simultaneous in a moving frame. For example, in Einstein’s train thought experiment 2 simultaneous flashes of light on the platform do not appear simultaneous for the observer in the train. But relativity of simultaneity...

Without length contraction, time relativity transformation solves paradoxes and explains incongruent relativistic experiments, which allows us to build a transformation of coordinates without length contraction. For abscissa transformation, Figure 1 shows a spaceship in the frame of O1, its backend is at O1 and frontend at A1. At time zero the spaceship is stationary, from...

A discrepancy-free transformation of velocity is derived using the Time relativity transformation of coordinates because relativistic transformation of velocity creates a discrepancy. The relativistic transformation of velocity expresses the velocity u2 of an object q in frame 2 in terms of its velocity in frame 1. In frame 2 at time tq, the position of...

Analytical derivation of relativistic velocity, mass, momentum and kinetic energy of an accelerated object. For Special relativity the momentum of an object of rest mass m0 and velocity u is expressed by equation (1) which is infinite when u equals c. Is it physically meaningful that the momentum of an object becomes infinite while its...

The theory of Time relativity explains well the weird behavior of the interstellar object ‘Oumuamua. I find that the real solar mass is slightly higher than today’s value, which caused the mysterious Speed Boost of which the value should be 0.217 mm/s above the prediction at perihelion. Time relativity confirms that ‘Oumuamua should slow down...

Michael McEwan speaks to Chris Creegan, Chief Executive of the Scottish Commission for Learning Disability (SCLD) about Learning Disability Week 2017.

The theme for this year is: 'Looking back, thinking forward', which will celebrate achievements, ask searching questions about what needs to happen going forward, and engage the general public on the subject, in the hope of changing attitudes. Chris also gives us some information on SCLD - its ambitions, and current and future focus.

What's on over Learning Disability Week.

Transcript of episode

Music Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free

Paisley Disability Resource CentreThe Paisley Disability Resource Centre actively promotes independent living through various leisure, social, educational and employment activities and services. It aims to be a welcoming, supportive and inclusive place, where people come to socialise and network, as well as taking part in activities.

Michael McEwan speaks to Kevin Cantwell, the arts group facilitator at the Centre, as well as a number of people who take part in the activities which include painting, photography and dancing.

Transcript of episode

Music Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free

The Paisley Disability Resource Centre actively promotes independent living through various leisure, social, educational and employment activities and services. It aims to be a welcoming, supportive and inclusive place, where people come to socialise and network, as well as taking part in activities.

In this second of two episodes, Michael McEwan speaks to Jim Thompson, the web design and movie maker co-ordinator, as well as Duncan Tomlinson, a participant in the activities.

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Music Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free

Learning Disability Week will take place from 14 to 20 May 2018.

Michael McEwan speaks to Linda Mitchell from the Scottish Commission for Learning Disability (SCLD) about the week's activities.

Transcript of episode

Music Credit: Something Elated by Broke For Free

Building the future: shaping our social work identity newly qualified social worker conference was held on 31 May 2018 in Edinburgh. Delivered with the University of Edinburgh (in partnership with the Higher Education Heads of Social Work Group), Iriss, Scottish Social Services Council, the Scottish Association of Social Work, Social Work Scotland and the Scottish Government, it provided an opportunity for newly qualified social workers to come together to connect and reconnect.

In this episode, Susan Taylor, past President of Social Work Scotland, provides the keynote on leadership and professional identity, focusing particularly on the post-qualifying period.

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Music Credit: Make your dream a reality by Scott Holmes

Building the future; shaping our social work identity newly qualified social worker conference was held on 31 May 2018 in Edinburgh.

Delivered with the University of Edinburgh (in partnership with the Higher Education Heads of Social Work Group), Iriss, SSSC, SASW, Social Work Scotland and the Scottish Government, it provided an opportunity for newly qualified social workers to come together to connect and reconnect.

Viviene Cree introduces the conference, and is followed by a presentation by Jane Johnstone who provides some thought provoking asks of attendees.

Transcript of episode

Music Credit: Make your dream a reality by Scott Holmes

Our roving reporter on disability issues, Michael McEwan, attended a number of events over Learning Disability Week 2018 (14-20 May) and spoke to the organisers.

We hear about 'Be the Change' campaign created by Enable Scotland, Project Ability and Mind the Gap theatre performance organised by the Scottish Commission for Learning Disability (SCLD).

Transcript of episode

Music Credit: Make your dream a reality by Scott Holmes

Michael McEwan speaks to Ian Buchanan about Disability Equality Scotland, focusing more specifically on Disability Access Panels.

As the umbrella body for Access Panels in Scotland, Disability Equality Scotland offers support and training opportunities to help Access Panels operate efficiently, link together as a network and learn from each other.

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Music Credit: Make your dream a reality by Scott Holmes

For the launch of Learning Disability Week 2019, Michael McEwan spoke to Libby Clement from Scottish Commission for Learning Disability (SCLD); James Morton, Bake Off finalist; and Jonathan McKinstry, a nominee in the 2018 Learning Disability Awards.

This year's theme is 'community'. Communities are at their best when everyone is active in their community, connected to people within their community, and feels included by their community.

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Music Credit: Make your dream a reality by Scott Holmes

Social Security Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government that is tasked with managing a number of devolved benefits to improve the lives of Scottish people.

These benefits include pregnancy and baby payment, Carers' Allowance, disability benefit and housing and heating support.

Michael McEwan spoke to Rachael McKechnie about Social Security Scotland's work to date and its ambitions for the future.

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Music Credit: Make your dream a reality by Scott Holmes

On 11 March, Stuart Muirhead from Iriss hosted a group discussion on the Duty of Candour with representatives from the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), the Coalition of Care and Support Providers (CCPS), the Care Inspectorate and Care Concern Group.

We hear more about the Duty of Candour provisions which set out what needs to happen when unexpected or unintended harm has occurred to a person, and the views of organisations that represent the health and social care workforce in Scotland.

In partnership, the SSSC has produced an e-learning module on the Duty of Candour to support implementation.

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Music Credit: Make your dream a reality by Scott Holmes

Thousands of strangers working together, almost entirely online, to effectively solve an urgent, global challenge is remarkable—and it’s happening, right now. Recently, we published a post titled, “Open-Source Medical Hardware: What You Should Know and What You Can Do” examining the collaborative efforts by volunteer groups, universities, and research centers to solve the medical supply … Read More "Just One Giant Lab Co-Founder Leo Blondel on the Power of Community and Open Source During COVID-19"

The post Just One Giant Lab Co-Founder Leo Blondel on the Power of Community and Open Source During COVID-19 appeared first on Creative Commons.

In November of 1993, a week after the death of celebrated Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini, the New York Times published an article by Bruce Weber in which he made clear his impatience with the supposedly opaque, perplexing movies of directors like Fellini. One person who read the piece was Martin Scorsese–he responded by letter. (Source: New

REALITY you are probably not cybering with her

In 2013-15, the Scottish Government funded 16 projects proposed by criminal justice partners across Scotland to develop community services for women who offend. Developments were based on existing service provision and to ensure changes could be sustained locally at the end of the funding. Funding varied in amount and timeframes. Most of the projects were undertaken by local authority criminal justice social work1 (CJSW) departments with partner providers, including public and third sector agencies. The national evaluation examined how the 16 women’s community justice services (WCJSs) were implemented and to what extent they contributed towards positive outcomes for women. A further aim was to build local capacity for self-evaluation in WCJSs. Findings were drawn from two phases of interviews with practitioners and women, secondary documents, and quantitative data for 1,778 women who were in the WCJSs between April and December 2014. This included outcomes data for 406 women.