Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Math's Moment

Imagine that it was your job to advise a candidate for president on the following matters:

  • Which potential running mate would help their ticket in battleground states?

  • What issues and lines of attack should the ticket emphasize?

  • In which media markets and on which platforms should they run campaign ads?

Knowing there will be a constant flow of questions like these in the weeks ahead, you have a team of data scientists at your side to help determine the best answers to give your candidate.

The data team runs multi-variable analyses factoring in the demographic trends, party registration, poll data, focus group results, media coverage, local endorsements, recent news events, and various other elements in order to come up with recommendations.

Meanwhile, the election news cycle changes on a daily, even an hourly basis. Something that seemed to be a given yesterday may be irrelevant by tomorrow.

No, it would not be an easy job. But the future of the country may depend partially on how well you do it. And to think that you wondered as a kid, “How will math matter when I’m a grownup?”

HEADLINES:

  • Both Venezuela strongman Nicolas Maduro and opposition claim election win, as US voices ‘serious concerns’ (CNN)

  • Biden proposed term limits for the Supreme Court. How that might work (AP)

  • Harris has super-charged Democratic hopes of taking the House (WP)

  • Trump marginally ahead of Harris in US national polls, but Harris improves from Biden’s polls (The Conversation)

  • Trump Loses It Over Devastating Fox News Poll on Kamala Harris (TNR)

  • How a Trump victory would change the world economy (Financial Times)

  • How Kamala Harris took control of the Democratic Party (WP)

  • The $600 Billion Digital Ad Business Is Hanging on a Few Words From Google (WSJ)

  • Gunman at Trump Rally Was Often a Step Ahead of the Secret Service (NYT)

  • Trump assassination attempt: Texts reveal officers were aware of Thomas Crooks 90 minutes before shooting (Fox)

  • Chimpanzees have similar conversational habits to humans. But the way they take turns with gestures may help strengthen their social bonds — much like we do. (WP)

  • US solar production soars by 25 percent in just one year (Ars Technica)

  • Simone Biles made a stunning return to the Olympics — The gymnast advanced to the all-around final in Paris (WP)

  • OpenAI Fires Shot at Google With AI-Powered ‘SearchGPT’ (PYMNTS)

  • A.I. is getting good at math — and might soon make a worthy collaborator for humans. (NYT)

  • Team USA’s Arrival In France Leaves American Basketball Rims Largely Unguarded (The Onion)

 

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