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PODCAST

Data Skeptic

The Data Skeptic Podcast features interviews and discussion of topics related to data science, statistics, machine learning, artificial intelligence and the like, all from the perspective of applying critical thinking and the scientific method to evaluate the veracity of claims and efficacy of approaches.

technology mathematics

All Episodes

46:14

The Network Diversion Problem

Data Skeptic ·

2025/07/06

In this episode, Professor Pål Grønås Drange from the University of Bergen, introduces the field of Parameterized Complexity - a powerful framework for tackling hard computational problems by focusing on specific structural aspects of the input. This framework allows researchers to solve NP-complete problems more efficiently when certain parameters, like the structure of the graph, are "well-behaved". At the center of the discussion is the network diversion problem, where the goal isn’t to block all

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56:00

Complex Dynamic in Networks

Data Skeptic ·

2025/06/28

In this episode, we learn why simply analyzing the structure of a network is not enough, and how the dynamics - the actual mechanisms of interaction between components - can drastically change how information or influence spreads. Our guest, Professor Baruch Barzel of Bar-Ilan University, is a leading researcher in network dynamics and complex systems ranging from biology to infrastructure and beyond. BarzelLab BarzelLab on Youtube Paper in focus: Universality in network dynamics, 2013

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36:46

Github Network Analysis

Data Skeptic ·

2025/06/22

In this episode we'll discuss how to use Github data as a network to extract insights about teamwork. Our guest, Gabriel Ramirez, manager of the notifications team at GitHub, will show how to apply network analysis to better understand and improve collaboration within his engineering team by analyzing GitHub metadata - such as pull requests, issues, and discussions - as a bipartite graph of people and projects. Some insights we'll discuss are how network centrality measures (like eigenvector and

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17:49

Networks and Complexity

Data Skeptic ·

2025/06/14

In this episode, Kyle does an overview of the intersection of graph theory and computational complexity theory. In complexity theory, we are about the runtime of an algorithm based on its input size. For many graph problems, the interesting questions we want to ask take longer and longer to answer! This episode provides the fundamental vocabulary and signposts along the path of exploring the intersection of graph theory and computational complexity theory.

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37:34

Actantial Networks

Data Skeptic ·

2025/06/01

In this episode, listeners will learn about Actantial Networks—graph-based representations of narratives where nodes are actors (such as people, institutions, or abstract entities) and edges represent the actions or relationships between them. The one who will present these networks is our guest Armin Pournaki, a joint PhD candidate at the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences and the Laboratoire Lattice (ENS-PSL), who specializes in computational social science, where he develops

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41:00

Graphs for Causal AI

Data Skeptic ·

2025/05/24

How to build artificial intelligence systems that understand cause and effect, moving beyond simple correlations? As we all know, correlation is not causation. "Spurious correlations" can show, for example, how rising ice cream sales might statistically link to more drownings, not because one causes the other, but due to an unobserved common cause like warm weather. Our guest, Utkarshani Jaimini, a researcher from the University of South Carolina's Artificial Intelligence Institute, tries to tackle

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41:50

Power Networks

Data Skeptic ·

2025/05/16

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44:12

Unveiling Graph Datasets

Data Skeptic ·

2025/05/08

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40:58

Network Manipulation

Data Skeptic ·

2025/04/30

In this episode we talk with Manita Pote, a PhD student at Indiana University Bloomington, specializing in online trust and safety, with a focus on detecting coordinated manipulation campaigns on social media. Key insights include how coordinated reply attacks target influential figures like journalists and politicians, how machine learning models can detect these inauthentic campaigns using structural and behavioral features, and how deletion patterns reveal efforts to evade moderation or

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17:25

The Small World Hypothesis

Data Skeptic ·

2025/04/21

Kyle discusses the history and proof for the small world hypothesis.

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33:55

Thinking in Networks

Data Skeptic ·

2025/04/12

Kyle asks Asaf questions about the new network science course he is now teaching. The conversation delves into topics such as contact tracing, tools for analyzing networks, example use cases, and the importance of thinking in networks.

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42:55

Fraud Networks

Data Skeptic ·

2025/04/01

In this episode we talk with Bavo DC Campo, a data scientist and statistician, who shares his expertise on the intersection of actuarial science, fraud detection, and social network analytics. Together we will learn how to use graphs to fight against insurance fraud by uncovering hidden connections between fraudulent claims and bad actors. Key insights include how social network analytics can detect fraud rings by mapping relationships between policyholders, claims, and service providers, and how

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43:35

Criminal Networks

Data Skeptic ·

2025/03/17

In this episode we talk with Justin Wang Ngai Yeung, a PhD candidate at the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University in London, who explores how network science helps uncover criminal networks. Justin is also a member of the organizing committee of the satellite conference dealing with criminal networks at the network science conference in The Netherlands in June 2025. Listeners will learn how graph-based models assist law enforcement in analyzing missing data, identifying key figures in

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29:01

Graph Bugs

Data Skeptic ·

2025/03/10

In this episode today’s guest is Celine Wüst, a master’s student at ETH Zurich specializing in secure and reliable systems, shares her work on automated software testing for graph databases. Celine shows how fuzzing—the process of automatically generating complex queries—helps uncover hidden bugs in graph database management systems like Neo4j, FalconDB, and Apache AGE. Key insights include how state-aware query generation can detect critical issues like buffer overflows and crashes, the challenges

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44:15

Organizational Network Analysis

Data Skeptic ·

2025/03/03

In this episode, Gabriel Petrescu, an organizational network analyst, discusses how network science can provide deep insights into organizational structures using OrgXO, a tool that maps companies as networks rather than rigid hierarchies. Listeners will learn how analyzing workplace collaboration networks can reveal hidden influencers, organizational bottlenecks, and engagement levels, offering a data-driven approach to improving effectiveness and resilience. Key insights include how companies can

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27:48

Organizational Networks

Data Skeptic ·

2025/02/25

Is it better to have your work team fully connected or sparsely connected? In this episode we'll try to answer this question and more with our guest Hiroki Sayama, a SUNY Distinguished Professor and director of the Center for Complex Systems at Binghamton University. Hiroki delves into the applications of network science in organizational structures and innovation dynamics by showing his recent work of extracting network structures from organizational charts to enable insights into decision-making

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43:16

Networks of the Mind

Data Skeptic ·

2025/02/18

A man goes into a bar… This is the beginning of a riddle that our guest, Yoed Kennet, an assistant professor at the Technion's Faculty of Data and Decision Sciences, uses to measure creativity in subjects. In our talk, Yoed speaks about how to combine cognitive science and network science to explore the complexities and decode the mysteries of the human mind. The listeners will learn how network science provides tools to map and analyze human memory, revealing how problem-solving and creativity

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34:47

LLMs and Graphs Synergy

Data Skeptic ·

2025/02/10

In this episode, Garima Agrawal, a senior researcher and AI consultant, brings her years of experience in data science and artificial intelligence. Listeners will learn about the evolving role of knowledge graphs in augmenting large language models (LLMs) for domain-specific tasks and how these tools can mitigate issues like hallucination in AI systems. Key insights include how LLMs can leverage knowledge graphs to improve accuracy by integrating domain expertise, reducing hallucinations, and

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46:27

A Network of Networks

Data Skeptic ·

2025/02/04

In this episode, Bnaya Gross, a Fulbright postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Complex Network Research at Northwestern University, explores the transformative applications of network science in fields ranging from infrastructure to medicine, by studying the interactions between networks ("a network of networks"). Listeners will learn how interdependent networks provide a framework for understanding cascading failures, such as power outages, and how these insights transfer to physical systems like

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40:26

Auditing LLMs and Twitter

Data Skeptic ·

2025/01/29

Our guests, Erwan Le Merrer and Gilles Tredan, are long-time collaborators in graph theory and distributed systems. They share their expertise on applying graph-based approaches to understanding both large language model (LLM) hallucinations and shadow banning on social media platforms. In this episode, listeners will learn how graph structures and metrics can reveal patterns in algorithmic behavior and platform moderation practices. Key insights include the use of graph theory to evaluate LLM

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599 results

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