Monthly Archives: November 2015

What Do You Just “See”?

One of my cousins is a totally extroverted, outgoing “superconnecter”. She is all people, all the time. She’s been everything from a restaurant hostess to a greeter and mascot’s assistant at Pittsburgh Pirates games to a small businesswoman with multiple … Continue reading

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An Effective Framework for Verification, Validation, and Accreditation

I recently encountered a formal methodology for conducting VV&A efforts that I think is worthy of your consideration. Briefly, Verification shows whether a system works as specified, Validation shows whether the specification addresses the correct problem, and Accreditation shows whether … Continue reading

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The Greatest Field Improvisation Ever

When I was working on a furnace control system in Thailand I witnessed one of the coolest feats of engineering ever. The field service guy needed to measure the flow of gasses and a manometer was nowhere to be found. … Continue reading

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How Not to Miss Things in a Discovery Process

I’ve been part of a lot of discovery efforts and have found a few ways to increase the chances of identifying all the relevant factors. I plan to discuss these only informally. Volumes of ink and electrons have been spilled … Continue reading

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Building Tools

Most generally, a tool is a means of accomplishing some end. If one uses the right tool for the job it is a more efficient and effective means than other alternatives. Naturally we’re always trying to use the optimal tool. … Continue reading

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Calculus… or Statistics?

Most roads in mathematics instruction seem to lead to calculus before any but the most basic statistics. Many statistical techniques require calculus to derive, but it isn’t usually necessary, short of advanced or novel applications, to know calculus when applying … Continue reading

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