# Dr. Randal S. Olson

> AI Researcher & Builder. Co-Founder & CTO at Goodeye Labs, where we build AI products that point frontier models at the business outcomes that actually matter. Creator of TPOT (early AutoML tool) and 50+ peer-reviewed publications in AI/ML. The blog covers data visualization, data science, machine learning, and applied AI.

## About

- [Home / About](https://www.randalolson.com/): Bio, recent work, contact links
- [Resume](https://www.randalolson.com/resume/): Credentials, publications, talks
- [Work with me](https://www.randalolson.com/work-with-me/): Consulting and collaboration

## Series

- [Beautiful Charts with AI](https://www.randalolson.com/beautiful-charts-with-ai/): Teaching an AI agent to make Tufte-quality data visualizations, end to end

## Recent posts

- [The people who use AI the most are also the most worried about it](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/25/ai-heaviest-users-most-worried/) (2026-06-25): Pew's 2026 data shows the youngest U.S. adults use AI chatbots the most, yet they are also the most likely to expect AI to harm society.
- [In AI-exposed jobs, only the youngest workers are losing ground](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/22/ai-jobs-hit-youngest-workers/) (2026-06-22): Since ChatGPT, employment for U.S. workers aged 22 to 25 in the most AI-exposed jobs has fallen about 12%, while every older age group held steady or grew.
- [The Strait of Hormuz is Asia's oil lifeline, not the U.S.'s](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/21/strait-of-hormuz-oil-dependence/) (2026-06-21): As the 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis stoked U.S. oil fears, only about 7% of U.S. crude imports actually pass through it. Asia relies on it far more.
- [The world's richest person has never been this far ahead of No. 2](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/18/worlds-first-trillionaire-gap/) (2026-06-18): Elon Musk became the world's first trillionaire on June 12, 2026. His fortune is now about 3.7x the second-richest person, the widest gap on record.
- [The 2026 NBA Finals drew the biggest TV audience since 1998](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/17/nba-finals-viewership-2026/) (2026-06-17): The 2026 Knicks-Spurs Finals averaged 20.6 million viewers, double last year and the most since 1998, reversing a long slide in NBA TV ratings.
- [GLP-1 use peaks in middle age, then drops at 65](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/15/glp1-use-peaks-middle-age/) (2026-06-15): About 1 in 8 U.S. adults now take a GLP-1 like Ozempic, but use peaks in middle age: 22% at ages 50-64, falling to 9% at 65+ as Medicare stops covering it.
- [ICE detention hit a record, and most detainees have no conviction](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/12/ice-detention-no-criminal-conviction/) (2026-06-12): U.S. immigration detention hit a record 70,000+ people in early 2026, and TRAC data shows about 7 in 10 detainees have no criminal conviction.
- [U.S. abortions rose after Dobbs, driven by mailed pills](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/12/us-abortions-rose-after-dobbs/) (2026-06-12): Dobbs was supposed to cut U.S. abortions. It did not. The national total rose after 2022, and the whole increase is telehealth: abortion pills by mail.
- [Curaçao is the smallest nation ever at a World Cup](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/10/world-cup-2026-population-gap/) (2026-06-10): The 48 nations at the 2026 World Cup span a 2,181x gap in population, from the United States (340M) to Curaçao (156,000), the smallest ever to qualify.
- [The rise in LGBTQ+ identification is mostly young women](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/09/lgbtq-identification-by-generation/) (2026-06-09): Nearly 1 in 3 Gen Z women in the U.S. identifies as LGBTQ+, versus 12% of Gen Z men. Gallup data shows the generational surge is mostly about women.
- [Honey bees are dying at record rates, but the colony count holds steady](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/07/us-honey-bee-colony-paradox/) (2026-06-07): U.S. beekeepers lost a record 55.6% of their colonies in 2024-25, yet the total number of managed honey bee colonies has barely moved in 15 years.
- [CO2 is piling up faster every decade, and 2026 just set a record](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/05/co2-rising-faster-every-decade/) (2026-06-05): Atmospheric CO2 hit a record 432 ppm in May 2026, but the deeper story is the pace: CO2 is now piling up about 3 times faster than it did in the 1960s.
- [New U.S. college grads now have higher unemployment than the average worker](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/04/recent-grad-unemployment-flip/) (2026-06-04): A recent U.S. college degree long meant lower unemployment than the average worker. That edge flipped in 2019, and the gap is now the widest on record.
- [Gas prices feel like a record in 2026. Adjusted for inflation, they are not](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/03/us-gas-prices-inflation-adjusted-1973-2026/) (2026-06-03): U.S. gas prices jumped nearly 60% since January in the 2026 oil crisis, but adjusted for inflation they sit below the 1981, 2008, and 2022 peaks.
- [The countries that work the most hours produce the least per hour](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/02/oecd-hours-worked-vs-productivity/) (2026-06-02): Across 40 OECD economies, the countries that log the most annual hours have the lowest output per hour. Why working longer rarely means producing more.
- [U.S. World War II veterans are fading from living memory](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/01/wwii-veterans-fading/) (2026-06-01): Of the 16.4 million who served in World War II, the VA projects about 31,000 U.S. veterans are still alive in 2026, nearing zero by the early 2040s.
- [How chess openings rose and fell, 1850 to 2026](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/05/28/chess-openings-over-time/) (2026-05-28): A streamgraph of 1.2 million master-level games shows the King's Pawn losing ground, the Queen's Pawn rising, and the Sicilian taking over after 1945.
- [The Misery Index Stopped Predicting the National Mood](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/05/27/consumer-sentiment-vs-misery-index/) (2026-05-27): By the misery index the U.S. economy is unremarkable, yet consumer sentiment is at an all-time low. That breaks a 40-year link no single number explains.
- [The 2026 Indy 500 was the closest finish in race history](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/05/26/indy-500-closest-finish-2026/) (2026-05-26): Felix Rosenqvist beat David Malukas by 0.0233 seconds at the 2026 Indianapolis 500, breaking the 1992 closest-finish record that had stood for 34 years.
- [NOAA's hurricane outlook misses one way: it underforecasts big seasons](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/05/19/noaa-hurricane-outlook-vs-reality/) (2026-05-19): From 2003 to 2025 the Atlantic named-storm total fell outside NOAA's May range 9 times, 8 of them underforecasts. NOAA's 2026 outlook lands May 21.

## All posts by year

### 2026

- [The people who use AI the most are also the most worried about it](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/25/ai-heaviest-users-most-worried/) (2026-06-25): Pew's 2026 data shows the youngest U.S. adults use AI chatbots the most, yet they are also the most likely to expect AI to harm society.
- [In AI-exposed jobs, only the youngest workers are losing ground](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/22/ai-jobs-hit-youngest-workers/) (2026-06-22): Since ChatGPT, employment for U.S. workers aged 22 to 25 in the most AI-exposed jobs has fallen about 12%, while every older age group held steady or grew.
- [The Strait of Hormuz is Asia's oil lifeline, not the U.S.'s](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/21/strait-of-hormuz-oil-dependence/) (2026-06-21): As the 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis stoked U.S. oil fears, only about 7% of U.S. crude imports actually pass through it. Asia relies on it far more.
- [The world's richest person has never been this far ahead of No. 2](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/18/worlds-first-trillionaire-gap/) (2026-06-18): Elon Musk became the world's first trillionaire on June 12, 2026. His fortune is now about 3.7x the second-richest person, the widest gap on record.
- [The 2026 NBA Finals drew the biggest TV audience since 1998](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/17/nba-finals-viewership-2026/) (2026-06-17): The 2026 Knicks-Spurs Finals averaged 20.6 million viewers, double last year and the most since 1998, reversing a long slide in NBA TV ratings.
- [GLP-1 use peaks in middle age, then drops at 65](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/15/glp1-use-peaks-middle-age/) (2026-06-15): About 1 in 8 U.S. adults now take a GLP-1 like Ozempic, but use peaks in middle age: 22% at ages 50-64, falling to 9% at 65+ as Medicare stops covering it.
- [ICE detention hit a record, and most detainees have no conviction](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/12/ice-detention-no-criminal-conviction/) (2026-06-12): U.S. immigration detention hit a record 70,000+ people in early 2026, and TRAC data shows about 7 in 10 detainees have no criminal conviction.
- [U.S. abortions rose after Dobbs, driven by mailed pills](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/12/us-abortions-rose-after-dobbs/) (2026-06-12): Dobbs was supposed to cut U.S. abortions. It did not. The national total rose after 2022, and the whole increase is telehealth: abortion pills by mail.
- [Curaçao is the smallest nation ever at a World Cup](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/10/world-cup-2026-population-gap/) (2026-06-10): The 48 nations at the 2026 World Cup span a 2,181x gap in population, from the United States (340M) to Curaçao (156,000), the smallest ever to qualify.
- [The rise in LGBTQ+ identification is mostly young women](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/09/lgbtq-identification-by-generation/) (2026-06-09): Nearly 1 in 3 Gen Z women in the U.S. identifies as LGBTQ+, versus 12% of Gen Z men. Gallup data shows the generational surge is mostly about women.
- [Honey bees are dying at record rates, but the colony count holds steady](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/07/us-honey-bee-colony-paradox/) (2026-06-07): U.S. beekeepers lost a record 55.6% of their colonies in 2024-25, yet the total number of managed honey bee colonies has barely moved in 15 years.
- [CO2 is piling up faster every decade, and 2026 just set a record](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/05/co2-rising-faster-every-decade/) (2026-06-05): Atmospheric CO2 hit a record 432 ppm in May 2026, but the deeper story is the pace: CO2 is now piling up about 3 times faster than it did in the 1960s.
- [New U.S. college grads now have higher unemployment than the average worker](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/04/recent-grad-unemployment-flip/) (2026-06-04): A recent U.S. college degree long meant lower unemployment than the average worker. That edge flipped in 2019, and the gap is now the widest on record.
- [Gas prices feel like a record in 2026. Adjusted for inflation, they are not](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/03/us-gas-prices-inflation-adjusted-1973-2026/) (2026-06-03): U.S. gas prices jumped nearly 60% since January in the 2026 oil crisis, but adjusted for inflation they sit below the 1981, 2008, and 2022 peaks.
- [The countries that work the most hours produce the least per hour](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/02/oecd-hours-worked-vs-productivity/) (2026-06-02): Across 40 OECD economies, the countries that log the most annual hours have the lowest output per hour. Why working longer rarely means producing more.
- [U.S. World War II veterans are fading from living memory](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/06/01/wwii-veterans-fading/) (2026-06-01): Of the 16.4 million who served in World War II, the VA projects about 31,000 U.S. veterans are still alive in 2026, nearing zero by the early 2040s.
- [How chess openings rose and fell, 1850 to 2026](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/05/28/chess-openings-over-time/) (2026-05-28): A streamgraph of 1.2 million master-level games shows the King's Pawn losing ground, the Queen's Pawn rising, and the Sicilian taking over after 1945.
- [The Misery Index Stopped Predicting the National Mood](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/05/27/consumer-sentiment-vs-misery-index/) (2026-05-27): By the misery index the U.S. economy is unremarkable, yet consumer sentiment is at an all-time low. That breaks a 40-year link no single number explains.
- [The 2026 Indy 500 was the closest finish in race history](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/05/26/indy-500-closest-finish-2026/) (2026-05-26): Felix Rosenqvist beat David Malukas by 0.0233 seconds at the 2026 Indianapolis 500, breaking the 1992 closest-finish record that had stood for 34 years.
- [NOAA's hurricane outlook misses one way: it underforecasts big seasons](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/05/19/noaa-hurricane-outlook-vs-reality/) (2026-05-19): From 2003 to 2025 the Atlantic named-storm total fell outside NOAA's May range 9 times, 8 of them underforecasts. NOAA's 2026 outlook lands May 21.
- [Inflation worry flipped party lines while inflation itself barely moved](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/05/14/inflation-worry-flipped-parties/) (2026-05-14): Pew Research finds Republicans and Democrats traded places on inflation worry from 2024 to 2026, even though CPI rose less than a percentage point.
- [U.S. measles cases broke the post-elimination floor in 2025 and 2026](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/05/13/us-measles-elimination-status-at-risk/) (2026-05-13): The U.S. reported 2,288 measles cases in 2025 and 1,842 by May 7, 2026, 23x the typical post-elimination year. WHO reviews elimination status in November.
- [1 in 5 U.S. registered nurses are now 65 or older](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/05/12/us-rn-workforce-aging/) (2026-05-12): The U.S. registered nurse workforce has split into two extremes: 1 in 5 RNs are now 65 or older, and the under-30 share fell to a 10-year low.
- [U.S. federal workforce hits 60-year low after fastest peacetime cut](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/05/09/us-federal-workforce-fastest-peacetime-cut/) (2026-05-09): Year over year, U.S. federal civilian employment is shrinking faster than at any point since 1939 outside wars and the decennial Census.
- [World Happiness Report 2026: what income can't explain](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/05/07/whr-2026-happiness-beyond-income/) (2026-05-07): In the 2026 World Happiness Report, all but one Latin American country scores above what income predicts. East Asia shows the opposite pattern.
- [Mexico ships 83% of every fresh avocado the U.S. imports](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/05/05/us-avocado-imports-mexico-cinco-de-mayo/) (2026-05-05): In 2025, the U.S. imported 2.7 billion pounds of fresh avocados. Mexico supplied 83%. Peru, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic split the rest.
- [No horse has broken Secretariat's 1973 Kentucky Derby record](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/05/04/kentucky-derby-winning-times-secretariat/) (2026-05-04): Winning times at the Kentucky Derby improved steadily from 1896 through 1973, then hit a wall. Secretariat's 1:59.40 remains the only sub-2:00 Derby ever run.
- [U.S. women 40+ now have more babies per capita than teens](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/05/01/us-births-teens-vs-40plus/) (2026-05-01): Teen pregnancy was a defining U.S. public health worry of the 1990s. Having a baby at 40 was rare. 30 years later those positions have flipped.
- [U.S. drug overdose deaths are down 35% from the 2022 peak](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/04/29/us-drug-overdose-deaths-1999-2025/) (2026-04-29): U.S. drug overdose deaths peaked at 107,941 in 2022, then fell two years in a row to a provisional 70,000 in 2025: a 35% drop from the peak.
- [U.S. birth rate fell to a record low in 2025](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/04/28/us-birth-rate-record-low-2025/) (2026-04-28): The CDC reported in April 2026 that the U.S. general fertility rate fell to 53.1 in 2025, a record low in data going back to 1909.
- [Artemis II ended humanity's 54-year confinement to low Earth orbit](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/04/27/human-spaceflight-distance-1961-2026/) (2026-04-27): After Apollo 17 in 1972, every crewed mission stayed inside low Earth orbit. Artemis II broke that streak in April 2026 on a lunar flyby of 406,771 km.
- [Sabastian Sawe ran the first sub-2-hour marathon: 118 years of marathon records](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/04/26/mens-marathon-world-record-1908-2026/) (2026-04-26): On April 26, 2026, Kenya's Sabastian Sawe ran 1:59:30 at London to become the first man to break two hours in a record-eligible marathon.
- [Every Atlantic hurricane track, 1980 to 2025](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/04/23/atlantic-hurricane-tracks-1980-2025/) (2026-04-23): Every Atlantic tropical cyclone from 1980 to 2025 on one map. The shape of the basin and the deadliest storms of 46 seasons emerge from the density.
- [130 years of Boston Marathon winning times](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/04/23/boston-marathon-winning-times-1897-2026/) (2026-04-23): John Korir broke a 15-year-old Boston Marathon course record in 2026. The full 1897-2026 arc shows why, and what the women's line has been doing.
- [A thousand springs in Kyoto, in one chart](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/04/23/kyoto-sakura-1200-years/) (2026-04-23): Kyoto's 1,200-year cherry blossom record shows modern decades hold the earliest cluster of blooms ever seen. A warming signal written in flowers.
- [U.S. oil: from peak importer to net exporter in one decade](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/04/23/us-oil-importer-to-net-exporter-1973-2025/) (2026-04-23): The U.S. imported a record 13.7 MMb/d of oil in 2005. By 2025 it exports 2.8 MMb/d more than it imports. Here is what actually changed.
- [Libraries were transforming. Then COVID hit.](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/04/22/us-public-library-transformation/) (2026-04-22): Two decades of IMLS data show U.S. libraries were successfully pivoting from book warehouses to community hubs. Then the pandemic set the transformation back years.
- [The Claude Code leak in four charts: half a million lines, three accidents, forty tools](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/04/02/claude-code-leak-four-charts/) (2026-04-02): Community mirrors of the @anthropic-ai/claude-code npm package spilled 513k lines of TypeScript. Four charts break down what was inside.
- [Every generation rediscovers art: 270 years of cultural interests in one chart](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/03/30/rise-and-fall-of-art-forms/) (2026-03-30): Engraving dominated the 1800s until photography killed it. 270 years of book data show how every generation picks its own art forms.
- [The rise and fall of bowling in the United States](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/03/30/the-rise-and-fall-of-bowling-in-the-united-states/) (2026-03-30): The U.S. had roughly 12,000 bowling alleys at the peak of the bowling boom in the mid-1960s. By 2023, only 3,154 remained.
- [The rise and fall of nuclear weapons testing](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/03/27/the-rise-and-fall-of-nuclear-weapons-testing/) (2026-03-27): Between 1945 and 1998, seven countries detonated over 2,000 nuclear weapons across just a handful of remote test sites. This chart maps every one of them.
- [The engineering and tech gender gap has barely budged in 50 years](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/03/26/bachelors-degrees-women-by-major-1970-2022/) (2026-03-26): Computer Science and Engineering remain below 25% women after 50 years. How the gender composition of U.S. college majors changed from 1970-2022.
- [Housing and getting around eat half of the average American household's spending](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/03/26/household-spending-2024/) (2026-03-26): A treemap of BLS data shows where the average American household spent its $78,535 in 2024. Housing and transportation alone account for half.
- [Americans eat 3x more cheese and half as much milk as they did in 1970](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/03/26/how-americas-diet-has-transformed-since-1970/) (2026-03-26): USDA data reveals how the American diet has transformed since 1970. Cheese consumption tripled, chicken surpassed beef, and fluid milk was cut in half.
- [Coal collapsed and natural gas took over the U.S. power grid](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/03/26/us-electricity-generation-by-source-1950-2024/) (2026-03-26): Coal went from generating half of U.S. electricity to just 15% in two decades. 75 years of EIA data show how fast the American power grid is changing.
- [Americans used to outlive their peers. Now they die 4 years sooner.](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/03/26/us-life-expectancy-vs-peer-nations-1960-2023/) (2026-03-26): In 1960, Americans lived 1.5 years longer than peers in wealthy nations. By 2023, they die 4 years sooner. World Bank data shows how the U.S. fell behind.
- [156 years of marriage and divorce in the United States](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/03/26/us-marriage-and-divorce-rates-1867-2023/) (2026-03-26): U.S. marriage rates have fallen 42% since the 1980s. A chart of 156 years of CDC marriage and divorce data, through the COVID-era record low.
- [Where racial diversity lives in America, county by county](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/03/26/us-racial-diversity-by-county/) (2026-03-26): A county-level map of racial and ethnic diversity in the U.S., built from 2020 Census data. The national diversity index crossed 61% for the first time.
- [96% of U.S. counties grew more diverse from 2010 to 2020](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/03/26/us-racial-diversity-change-2010-2020/) (2026-03-26): A county-level map of how racial diversity changed across America between the 2010 and 2020 Census. The Northeast and Midwest diversified fastest.
- [Working your way through college now takes 5x more hours than in 1970](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/03/26/working-your-way-through-college-1963-2024/) (2026-03-26): In 1970, a student could work 5 hours per week at minimum wage to cover public university tuition. By 2022, that number hit 26.
- [The "Are You Sure?" Problem: Why Your AI Keeps Changing Its Mind](https://www.randalolson.com/2026/02/07/the-are-you-sure-problem-why-your-ai-keeps-changing-its-mind/) (2026-02-07): Ask your AI 'are you sure?' and watch it flip. Models fold 60% of the time because we trained them to please, not push back. The fix isn't better prompts.

### 2025

- [Why Custom Evals Matter for Production LLMs](https://www.randalolson.com/2025/12/22/why-custom-evals-matter-for-production-llms/) (2025-12-22): Generic benchmarks measure breadth across many tasks. Your application needs depth on one specific task. This is why custom evals matter for production LLMs.
- [How to Choose the Right LLM for AI-Assisted Coding](https://www.randalolson.com/2025/11/25/how-to-choose-right-llm-ai-assisted-coding/) (2025-11-25): Benchmark scores don't predict real-world AI coding performance. Here's how to actually choose the right model for your workflow.
- [The Three Phases of AI-Assisted Coding](https://www.randalolson.com/2025/11/24/three-phases-ai-assisted-coding/) (2025-11-24): Most developers skip straight to asking AI to write code. Here's the three-phase workflow that makes AI-assisted coding actually work.
- [3 AI Solutions That Actually Drive Business Value in 2025](https://www.randalolson.com/2025/06/13/3-ai-solutions-business-value-2025/) (2025-06-13): Three proven AI solutions that consistently deliver measurable business value in 2025, with practical implementation strategies and real-world examples.
- [Key AI Technologies That Shaped 2024 and Are Driving Business Value in 2025](https://www.randalolson.com/2025/05/16/key-ai-technologies-2024-2025/) (2025-05-16): A practical guide for businesses on the key AI technologies from 2024 and emerging in 2025, detailing what they are, their importance, business utility, and limitations, all to help you make informed strategic decisions.
- [Your AI Coding Assistant Isn't Failing. Your Management Style Is.](https://www.randalolson.com/2025/04/12/ai-coding-management/) (2025-04-12): Why dismissing AI coding tools might reveal more about your management style than the technology's capabilities.

### 2024

- [How to beat the Original I.Q. Tester](https://www.randalolson.com/2024/03/26/how-to-beat-original-iq-tester/) (2024-03-27): Randy Olson shows you how to beat the Original I.Q. Tester during a trip down memory lane.

### 2021

- [Things I can lift: How I visualize my strength training progress](https://www.randalolson.com/2021/04/15/things-i-can-lift-week7/) (2021-04-15): Randy Olson demonstrates a humorous yet useful way to visualize strength training progress.

### 2020

- [A data-driven look at marble racing](https://www.randalolson.com/2020/05/24/a-data-driven-look-at-marble-racing/) (2020-05-24): Randy Olson looks at the new marble racing phenomenon through the eyes of a data scientist. Do marbles have measurable "skill"?

### 2018

- [Does batting order matter in Major League Baseball? A simulation approach](https://www.randalolson.com/2018/07/04/does-batting-order-matter-in-major-league-baseball-a-simulation-approach/) (2018-07-04): Randy Olson uses data science to learn whether batting order matters in Major League Baseball.
- [Traveling salesman portrait in Python](https://www.randalolson.com/2018/04/11/traveling-salesman-portrait-in-python/) (2018-04-11): Randy Olson shows how you can create your own traveling salesman portrait using Python.
- [How many college football teams can you watch in-person in one football season?](https://www.randalolson.com/2018/03/20/how-many-college-football-teams-can-you-watch-in-person-in-one-football-season/) (2018-03-20): Randy Olson uses machine learning to discover how many college football teams can you watch in-person in one football season, which results in a 3 1/2 month long trip around the USA.
- [How Americans make a living based on their age](https://www.randalolson.com/2018/03/06/how-americans-make-a-living-based-on-their-age/) (2018-03-06): Randy Olson revisits the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data to look at how Americans make a living based on their age.
- [Top 10 oldest and youngest industries in the U.S.](https://www.randalolson.com/2018/03/05/top-10-oldest-and-youngest-industries-in-the-u-s/) (2018-03-05): Ever wondered what industries employ the youngest and oldest people? Wonder no more. Randy Olson analyzes the Bureau of Labor Statistics' employment data to discover the oldest and youngest industries in the U.S.

### 2017

- [Machine Learning Madden NFL: The best player position switches for Madden 17](https://www.randalolson.com/2017/01/20/machine-learning-madden-nfl-the-best-player-position-switches-for-madden-17/) (2017-01-20): Randy Olson uses machine learning to figure out the best player position switches in Madden 17.
- [Machine Learning Madden NFL: How Madden player ratings are actually calculated](https://www.randalolson.com/2017/01/10/machine-learning-madden-nfl-how-madden-player-ratings-are-actually-calculated/) (2017-01-10): Randy Olson uses machine learning to learn how Madden calculates a player's overall rating.

### 2016

- [Python 2.7 still reigns supreme in pip installs](https://www.randalolson.com/2016/09/03/python-2-7-still-reigns-supreme-in-pip-installs/) (2016-09-03): Randy Olson analyzes trends in Python package installs to observe how the transition from Python 2 to 3 is progressing
- [Republican-leaning states tend to have more traffic deaths](https://www.randalolson.com/2016/09/03/republican-leaning-states-tend-to-have-more-traffic-deaths/) (2016-09-03): Randy Olson explores an odd statistic about Republican-leaning states.
- [Evolution of active categorical image classification via saccadic eye movement](https://www.randalolson.com/2016/08/13/evolution-of-active-categorical-image-classification-via-saccadic-eye-movement/) (2016-08-13): Randy Olson presents demo videos showing a new approach to image classification, where the machine scans and classifies the image the same way humans would.
- [The Optimal U.S. National Parks Centennial Road Trip](https://www.randalolson.com/2016/07/30/the-optimal-u-s-national-parks-centennial-road-trip/) (2016-07-30): Randy Olson shows how to create an optimized road trip that visits the U.S. National Parks.
- [Computing optimal road trips on a limited budget](https://www.randalolson.com/2016/06/05/computing-optimal-road-trips-on-a-limited-budget/) (2016-06-05): Randy Olson shows you how to compute an epic road trip across the U.S. when you're on a limited budget.
- [How long does the average man last in bed?](https://www.randalolson.com/2016/05/31/how-long-does-the-average-man-last-in-bed/) (2016-05-31): Randy Olson turns to the data to shed light on how long men last in bed.
- [Why is Reddit replacing Imgur?](https://www.randalolson.com/2016/05/25/why-is-reddit-replacing-imgur/) (2016-05-25): Randy Olson looks into the data to find out why Reddit is trying to replace Imgur.
- [TPOT: A Python tool for automating data science](https://www.randalolson.com/2016/05/08/tpot-a-python-tool-for-automating-data-science/) (2016-05-08): Randy Olson demonstrates why designing machine learning pipelines is difficult, and how it can be automated using TPOT.
- [Why did so many Japanese families avoid having children in 1966?](https://www.randalolson.com/2016/05/08/why-did-so-many-japanese-families-avoid-having-children-in-1966/) (2016-05-08): Randy Olson delves into supervision and astrology to explain why so many Japanese families avoid having children in 1966.
- [Spurious Extrapolations: Novel and unique research abstracts](https://www.randalolson.com/2016/04/04/spurious-extrapolations-novel-and-unique-research-abstracts/) (2016-04-04): Randy Olson explores what would happen if the trend of using "novel" and "unique" in research abstracts continues upwards.
- [Spurious Extrapolations: What if U.S. college tuition costs keep rising?](https://www.randalolson.com/2016/03/26/spurious-extrapolations-what-if-u-s-college-tuition-costs-keep-rising/) (2016-03-26): Randy Olson embarks on a nonsensical journey exploring what would happen if U.S. college tuition costs keep rising at the rate they have been.
- [The correct way to use pie charts](https://www.randalolson.com/2016/03/24/the-correct-way-to-use-pie-charts/) (2016-03-24): Randy Olson defends the infamous pie chart and explains the correct way to use them.
- [Why posts get removed from /r/DataIsBeautiful](https://www.randalolson.com/2016/03/18/why-posts-get-removed-from-rdataisbeautiful/) (2016-03-18): Randy Olson delves into the data to show why posts get removed by the moderators of /r/DataIsBeautiful.
- [What data visualization tools do /r/DataIsBeautiful OC creators use?](https://www.randalolson.com/2016/03/11/what-data-visualization-tools-do-rdataisbeautiful-oc-creators-use/) (2016-03-11): Randy Olson delves into Reddit comment data to find out what data visualization tools /r/DataIsBeautiful OC creators use.
- [Major League Baseball home run leaders, 1871-2016](https://www.randalolson.com/2016/03/10/major-league-baseball-home-run-leaders-1871-2016/) (2016-03-10): Randy Olson highlights one example where animated data visualization outperforms static visualizations.
- [Revisiting the vaccine visualizations](https://www.randalolson.com/2016/03/04/revisiting-the-vaccine-visualizations/) (2016-03-04): Randy Olson revisits the popularized vaccine visualizations published by WSJ and provide a fresh look on the data.
- [Analyzing MMA: The Ultimate Fighting Championship](https://www.randalolson.com/2016/02/25/analyzing-mma-the-ultimate-fighting-championship/) (2016-02-25): Randy Olson analyzes MMA fighters and fights in UFC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

### 2015

- [Introducing TPOT, the Data Science Assistant](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/11/15/introducing-tpot-the-data-science-assistant/) (2015-11-15): Randy Olson introduces TPOT, an Automated Machine Learning tool intended to be your Data Science Assistant.
- [Visualizing Indego bike share usage patterns in Philadelphia (Part 2)](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/09/05/visualizing-indego-bike-share-usage-patterns-in-philadelphia-part-2/) (2015-09-05): Randy Olson revisits the Indego bike share station usage data to find better ways to visualize the daily usage patterns.
- [Small multiples vs. animated GIFs for showing changes in fertility rates over time](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/08/23/small-multiples-vs-animated-gifs-for-showing-changes-in-fertility-rates-over-time/) (2015-08-23): Randy Olson demonstrates how small multiples can be used to communicate data more effectively than animated GIFs.
- [U.S. college majors: Median yearly earnings vs. gender ratio](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/08/16/u-s-college-majors-median-yearly-earnings-vs-gender-ratio/) (2015-08-16): Randy Olson explores a curious correlation showing that female-dominated college majors earn less than male-dominated majors.
- [Analyzing the health of Philadelphia's bike share system](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/08/15/analyzing-the-health-of-philadelphias-bike-share-system/) (2015-08-15): Randy Olson analyzes Philadelphia's bike share system to explore how often the bike stations are available for use.
- [Can the Name Age Calculator guess how old you are?](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/08/13/can-the-name-age-calculator-guess-how-old-you-are/) (2015-08-13): Randy Olson demonstrates how you can guess someone's age when all you know is their name.
- [The New York Times weather chart redux](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/08/13/the-new-york-times-weather-chart-redux/) (2015-08-13): Randy Olson shows how to recreate the famous New York Times weather charts in Python.
- [Use the Baby Name Explorer to find out when your name was popular](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/08/13/use-the-baby-name-explorer-to-find-out-when-your-name-was-popular/) (2015-08-13): Randy Olson demonstrates a web app for exploring trends in American baby names.
- [Visualizing Indego bike share usage patterns in Philadelphia](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/07/18/visualizing-indego-bike-share-usage-patterns-in-philadelphia/) (2015-07-18): Randy Olson visualizes the Indego bike share usage patterns in Philadelphia to see how the locals are making use of the bike share program.
- [Rethinking the population pyramid](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/07/14/rethinking-the-population-pyramid/) (2015-07-14): Randy Olson critiques the popular population pyramid that the U.S. census likes to use so frequently to display population statistics.
- [144 years of marriage and divorce in 1 chart](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/06/15/144-years-of-marriage-and-divorce-in-1-chart/) (2015-06-15): Randy Olson charts out 144 years of marriage and divorce in the U.S. to see how the institution of marriage has evolved.
- [Artificial Intelligence has crushed all human records in 2048. Here's how the AI pulled it off.](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/04/27/artificial-intelligence-has-crushed-all-human-records-in-2048-heres-how-the-ai-pulled-it-off/) (2015-04-27): Randy Olson analyzes the AI that beat all of the human records in the video game "2048" to find out how it works.
- [Optimized walking tours of New York City and Philadelphia](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/03/25/optimized-walking-tours-of-new-york-city-and-philadelphia/) (2015-03-25): Randy Olson shows how machine learning can be used to optimize walking tours in New York City and Philadelphia.
- [Pure Michigan road trip, optimized](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/03/18/pure-michigan-road-trip-optimized/) (2015-03-18): Randy Olson computes the optimal road trip to experience Pure Michigan.
- [Computing the optimal road trip across South America](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/03/14/computing-the-optimal-road-trip-across-south-america/) (2015-03-14): Randy Olson shows you how to compute an epic road trip across South America.
- [Computing the optimal road trip across Europe](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/03/10/computing-the-optimal-road-trip-across-europe/) (2015-03-10): Randy Olson shows you how to compute an epic road trip across Europe.
- [Computing the optimal road trip across the U.S.](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/03/08/computing-the-optimal-road-trip-across-the-u-s/) (2015-03-08): Randy Olson shows you how to compute an epic road trip across the U.S.
- [Revisiting the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/03/04/revisiting-the-six-degrees-of-kevin-bacon/) (2015-03-04): Randy Olson revisits the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon to see if Kevin is really the Center of the Hollywood Universe.
- [Top 25 richest living comedians](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/03/04/top-25-richest-living-comedians/) (2015-03-04): Randy Olson charts the top 25 richest living comedians to see how they made their riches doing comedy.
- [Design critique: Putting Big Pharma spending in perspective](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/03/01/design-critique-putting-big-pharma-spending-in-perspective/) (2015-03-01): Randy Olson critiques a recently popular infographic on the odd spending habits of Big Pharma companies.
- [Here's Waldo: Computing the optimal search strategy for finding Waldo](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/02/03/heres-waldo-computing-the-optimal-search-strategy-for-finding-waldo/) (2015-02-03): Randy Olson uses machine learning techniques to find the best search strategy for finding Waldo.
- [Python usage survey 2014](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/01/30/python-usage-survey-2014/) (2015-01-30): Randy Olson explores why Python users aren't upgrading to Python 3.
- [The Shrinking Battleground: Every 4 years, fewer states determine the outcome of the Presidential election](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/01/12/the-shrinking-battleground-presidential-elections/) (2015-01-12): Randy Olson delves into voting data to find the states that determine the outcome of the Presidential election.
- [A data-driven guide to creating successful reddit posts, redux](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/01/11/a-data-driven-guide-to-creating-successful-reddit-posts-redux/) (2015-01-11): Randy Olson revisits an old analysis to find out what makes for a successful reddit post.
- [Over half of all reddit posts go completely ignored](https://www.randalolson.com/2015/01/11/over-half-of-all-reddit-posts-go-completely-ignored/) (2015-01-11): Randy Olson delves into the data to find that over half of all reddit posts go completely ignored.

### 2014

- [Does a bigger film production budget result in more ticket sales?](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/12/29/does-a-bigger-film-production-budget-result-in-more-ticket-sales/) (2014-12-29): Randy Olson explores whether a bigger film production budget results in more ticket sales.
- [The biggest box office booms and busts since 1982](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/12/29/the-biggest-box-office-booms-and-busts-since-1982/) (2014-12-29): Randy Olson charts out the films that have made and lost producers the most money over the past three decades.
- [Top 10 grossing film studios in the U.S. (1982-2014)](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/12/29/top-10-grossing-film-studios-in-the-u-s-1982-2014/) (2014-12-29): Randy Olson charts the top grossing films studios in the U.S.
- [Top 25 most gender-neutral names in the U.S.](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/12/06/top-25-most-gender-neutral-names-in-the-u-s/) (2014-12-06): Randy Olson charts the top 25 most gender-neutral names in the U.S.
- [What caused the upsurge of unique American baby names in the 1970s?](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/12/06/what-caused-the-upsurge-of-unique-american-baby-names-in-the-1970s/) (2014-12-06): Randy Olson explores the role of the Black Power movement in how American babies were named in the 1970s.
- [The most-viewed YouTube videos](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/12/03/the-most-viewed-youtube-videos/) (2014-12-03): Randy Olson charts out the most-viewed YouTube videos and highlights Gangnam Style's unprecedented rise to over 2 billion views.
- [Is reddit experiencing "upvote inflation"?](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/11/27/is-reddit-experiencing-upvote-inflation/) (2014-11-27): Randy Olson delves into 6 years of reddit posting data to discern whether reddit is experiencing "upvote inflation."
- [MMORPG Popularity, 1998-2013](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/11/12/mmorpg-popularity-1998-2013/) (2014-11-12): Randy Olson charts the popular MMORPGs from 1998 through 2013.
- [Do women on OkCupid follow the Standard Creepiness Rule?](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/11/08/do-women-on-okcupid-follow-the-standard-creepiness-rule/) (2014-11-08): Randy Olson checks if women on OkCupid follow the Standard Creepiness Rule when it comes to dating.
- [What makes for a stable marriage? Part 2](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/11/06/what-makes-for-a-stable-marriage-part-2/) (2014-11-06): Randy Olson reviews more of a research paper that outlines what makes for a stable marriage in the U.S.
- [Where Democrats and Republicans want their tax dollars spent](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/11/06/where-democrats-and-republicans-want-their-tax-dollars-spent/) (2014-11-06): Randy Olson charts out where Democrats and Republicans want to see their tax dollars spent according to a nationally representative poll.
- [The evolution of chess openings and why GIFs make for bad data visualizations](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/11/02/the-evolution-of-chess-openings-and-why-gifs-make-for-bad-data-visualizations/) (2014-11-02): Randy Olson revisits the "evolution of chess openings" visualization to illustrate why videos and GIFs make poor visualization tools.
- [The reigns and deaths of the Roman Emperors](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/10/29/the-reigns-and-deaths-of-the-roman-emperors/) (2014-10-29): Randy Olson visualizes the reigns and deaths of the Roman Emperors over a 400 year period.
- [The age divide in where Americans want their tax dollars spent](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/10/28/the-age-divide-in-where-americans-want-their-tax-dollars-spent/) (2014-10-28): Randy Olson visualizes the age divide in where Americans want to see their tax dollars spent.
- [The reddit world map](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/10/27/the-reddit-world-map/) (2014-10-27): Randy Olson presents the interactive reddit world map.
- [The ebb and flow of movies redux](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/10/26/the-ebb-and-flow-of-movies-redux/) (2014-10-26): Randy Olson attempts to revive and update the popular "ebb and flow of movie ticket sales" graphic.
- [Is 2014 the most unpredictable year of college football?](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/10/22/is-2014-the-most-unpredictable-year-of-college-football/) (2014-10-22): Randy Olson charts the Top 25 AP Poll college football rankings to provide a historical perspective on how the top teams have fared.
- [Who's responsible for gas prices at the pump?](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/10/17/whos-responsible-for-gas-prices-at-the-pump/) (2014-10-17): Randy Olson digs into the data to find out who's responsible for gas prices at the pump.
- [What makes for a stable marriage?](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/10/10/what-makes-for-a-stable-marriage/) (2014-10-10): Randy Olson reviews a research paper that outlines what makes for a stable marriage in the U.S.
- [The most upvoted post on reddit every day](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/09/28/the-most-upvoted-post-on-reddit-every-day/) (2014-09-28): Randy Olson analyzes over half a decade of reddit posting data to discover the most upvoted posts on reddit.
- [Do men on OkCupid follow the Standard Creepiness Rule?](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/09/15/do-men-on-okcupid-follow-the-standard-creepiness-rule/) (2014-09-15): Randy Olson checks if men on OkCupid follow the Standard Creepiness Rule when it comes to dating.
- [Who are the climate change deniers?](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/09/13/who-are-the-climate-change-deniers/) (2014-09-13): Randy Olson analyzes the latest American opinion poll results to answer the question, "Who are the climate change deniers?""
- [Clash of Clans Troop Efficiency](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/09/09/clash-of-clans-troop-efficiency/) (2014-09-09): Randy Olson analyzes all of the troops in Clash of Clans and discovers which ones give you the biggest bang for your buck.
- [Where the U.S. gets its oil from](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/08/28/where-the-u-s-gets-its-oil-from/) (2014-08-28): Randy Olson dispels some common misconceptions about where the U.S. gets its oil from.
- [The best and worst times to have your case reviewed by a judge](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/08/24/the-best-and-worst-times-to-have-your-case-reviewed-by-a-judge/) (2014-08-24): Randy Olson discusses the best and worst times to have your case reviewed by a judge, based on research data.
- [The myth of the smarter Atheist](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/08/24/the-myth-of-the-smarter-atheist/) (2014-08-24): Randy Olson explains why we should put the myth of the smarter Atheist to rest.
- [How to make beautiful data visualizations in Python with matplotlib](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/06/28/how-to-make-beautiful-data-visualizations-in-python-with-matplotlib/) (2014-06-28): Randy Olson provides code examples and explanations for a handful of beautiful data visualizations.
- [Average IQ of students by college major and gender ratio](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/06/25/average-iq-of-students-by-college-major-and-gender-ratio/) (2014-06-25): Randy Olson charts out the IQ of students by their major's gender ratio and reveals a startling trend.
- [Why the Dutch are so tall](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/06/23/why-the-dutch-are-so-tall/) (2014-06-23): Randy Olson charts out the median male height in various countries from 1820-2013 and explains why the Dutch are so tall.
- [Accuracy of three major weather forecasting services](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/06/21/accuracy-of-three-major-weather-forecasting-services/) (2014-06-21): Randy Olson charts out the accuracy of three major weather forecasting services.
- [We can only forecast the weather a few days into the future](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/06/21/we-can-only-forecast-the-weather-a-few-days-into-the-future/) (2014-06-21): Randy Olson shows why we can only forecast the weather a few days into the future
- [Dolla dolla bill y'all: Relative volume and value of U.S. currency in circulation by bill denomination](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/06/20/dolla-dolla-bill-yall/) (2014-06-20): Randy Olson visualizes the relative volume and value of U.S. currency in circulation from 1993 to 2013.
- [Percentage of Bachelor's degrees conferred to women, by major (1970-2012)](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/06/14/percentage-of-bachelors-degrees-conferred-to-women-by-major-1970-2012/) (2014-06-14): Randy Olson charts out the percentage of Bachelor's degrees conferred to women (by major) and makes some startling findings.
- [Football referees are unfair when awarding penalty kicks](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/06/13/football-referees-are-unfair-when-awarding-penalty-kicks/) (2014-06-13): Randy Olson explains why football referees are unfair when awarding penalty kicks.
- [College degrees awarded per capita in the U.S.A.](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/06/12/college-degrees-awarded-per-capita-in-the-usa/) (2014-06-12): Randy Olson visualizes how many degrees have been awarded in the U.S.A. between 1987 and 2010.
- [The key to Magnus Carlsen's success as a chess grandmaster](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/06/07/the-key-to-magnus-carlsens-success-as-a-chess-grandmaster/) (2014-06-07): Randy Olson explains the key to Magnus Carlsen's success as a chess grandmaster.
- [Fastest growing and declining surnames in the U.S.](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/05/31/fastest-growing-and-declining-surnames-in-the-u-s/) (2014-05-31): Randy Olson charts the fastest growing and declining surnames in the U.S. according to the U.S. Census.
- [A data-driven exploration of the evolution of chess: Moves, captures, and checkmates](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/05/27/a-data-driven-exploration-of-the-evolution-of-chess-moves-captures-and-checkmates/) (2014-05-27): Randy Olson analyzes over 650,000 chess tournament games to explore how common chess moves have changed over time.
- [Celebrating 2 years of research blogging by analyzing my blog](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/05/27/celebrating-2-years-of-research-blogging-by-analyzing-my-blog/) (2014-05-27): Randy Olson celebrates his blogiversary by analyzing 2 years of web traffic to the blog.
- [A data-driven exploration of the evolution of chess: Popularity of openings over time](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/05/26/a-data-driven-exploration-of-the-evolution-of-chess-popularity-of-openings/) (2014-05-26): Randy Olson analyzes over 650,000 chess tournament games to explore how chess openings have grown and waned in popularity over time.
- [A data-driven exploration of the evolution of chess: Game lengths and outcomes](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/05/24/a-data-driven-exploration-of-the-evolution-of-chess-match-lengths-and-outcomes/) (2014-05-24): Randy Olson analyzes over 650,000 chess tournament games to explore how chess has evolved over time.
- [Chess tournament games and Elo ratings](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/05/24/chess-tournament-matches-and-elo-ratings/) (2014-05-24): Randy Olson analyzes over 675,000 chess games to explore the role of Elo ratings.
- [Programming Language Breakdown for the HealthCare.gov Website](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/05/22/programming-language-breakdown-for-the-healthcare-gov-website/) (2014-05-22): Randy Olson breaks down the code base under the HealthCare.gov website.
- [Skyrocketing student enrollment is partly to blame for rising college costs](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/05/20/skyrocketing-student-enrollment-is-partly-to-blame-for-rising-college-costs/) (2014-05-20): Randy Olson explains why skyrocketing student enrollment is partly to blame for rising college costs.
- [Popular subreddits have predictable cycles of virality](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/05/16/popular-subreddits-have-predictable-cycles-of-virality/) (2014-05-16): Randy Olson maps out the cycles of virality on reddit's front page.
- [Rising and falling subreddits according to virality trends](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/05/16/rising-and-falling-subreddits-according-to-virality-trends/) (2014-05-16): Randy Olson lists several subreddits that are rising and falling in popularity according to virality trends.
- [Virality trends in niche subreddits](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/05/16/virality-trends-in-niche-subreddits/) (2014-05-16): Randy Olson maps out virality trends in niche TV show and video game subreddits on reddit.
- [Virality trends in reddit's default subreddits](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/05/16/virality-trends-in-reddits-default-subreddits/) (2014-05-16): Randy Olson outlines how the new reddit default configuration has affected the subreddits involved.
- [U.S. Racial Diversity by County](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/04/29/u-s-racial-diversity-by-county/) (2014-04-29): Randy Olson maps out racial diversity in the U.S.
- [If every U.S. state had a surname for bastards, like Game of Thrones, what would each state's name be?](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/04/27/if-every-u-s-state-had-a-surname-for-bastards-like-game-of-thrones-what-would-each-states-name-be/) (2014-04-27): Randy Olson maps out the Game of Thrones-like bastard surnames of the USA.
- [Visualizing evolution in action: Density-dependence and sympatric speciation](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/04/17/visualizing-evolution-in-action-density-dependence-and-sympatric-speciation/) (2014-04-17): Randy Olson and Bjørn Østman demonstrate how sympatric speciation can occur via density dependence using fitness landscapes.
- [Visualizing evolution in action: Dynamic fitness landscapes](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/04/17/visualizing-evolution-in-action-dynamic-fitness-landscapes/) (2014-04-17): Randy Olson and Bjørn Østman use fitness landscapes to demonstrate the effect of dynamically changing environments on evolving populations.
- [Visualizing evolution in action: Survival of the flattest](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/04/17/visualizing-evolution-in-action-survival-of-the-flattest/) (2014-04-17): Randy Olson and Bjørn Østman demonstrate the concept of "survival of the flattest" using fitness landscapes.
- [It's impossible to work your way through college nowadays, revisited with national data](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/03/29/its-impossible-to-work-your-way-through-college-nowadays-revisited-with-national-data/) (2014-03-29): Randy Olson explains why it's nearly impossible to work your way through college nowadays.
- [It's impossible to work your way through college nowadays](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/03/22/its-impossible-to-work-your-way-through-college-nowadays/) (2014-03-22): Randy Olson explains why it's impossible to work your way through college nowadays.
- [The window of virality on Reddit](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/03/21/the-window-of-virality-on-reddit/) (2014-03-21): Randy Olson visualizes when posts go viral and when they fade into obscurity on Reddit.
- [The cost of war in Iraq and Afghanistan](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/03/11/the-cost-of-war-in-iraq-and-afghanistan/) (2014-03-11): Randy Olson visualizes US soldier fatalities from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- [Harnessing Hashtagify.me and social network analysis to maximize your brand's reach on Twitter](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/03/05/harnessing-hashtagify-me-and-social-network-analysis-to-maximize-your-brands-reach-on-twitter/) (2014-03-05): Randy Olson explains how to use Hashtagify.me and social network analysis for Twitter.
- [A Song of Ice and Fire by the numbers: Chapter titles](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/02/12/a-song-of-ice-and-fire-by-the-numbers-chapter-titles/) (2014-02-12): Randy Olson takes a bird's eye view at the "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series by looking at the chapter titles.
- [Movies aren't actually much longer than they used to be](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/01/25/movies-arent-actually-much-longer-than-they-used-to-be/) (2014-01-25): Randy Olson takes a look at IMDB data to see if movies are actually longer than they used to be.
- [A tech-focused guide to increasing your influence on Twitter](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/01/24/a-tech-focused-guide-to-increasing-your-influence-on-twitter/) (2014-01-24): Randy Olson explains how you can use technology to increase your influence on Twitter without spending a dime.
- [More lies and bad analyses by Shareaholic are misleading the public](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/01/14/more-lies-and-bad-analyses-by-shareaholic-are-misleading-the-public/) (2014-01-14): Randy Olson debunks Shareaholic's claim that Reddit referral traffic is declining.
- [A look at sex, drugs, violence, and cursing in film over time through MPAA ratings](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/01/12/a-look-at-sex-drugs-violence-and-cursing-in-film-over-time-through-mpaa-ratings/) (2014-01-12): Randy Olson explores sex, drugs, violence, and cursing in films over time by looking at MPAA film ratings.
- [3 easy steps to avoid deceitful data visualizations](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/01/06/3-easy-steps-to-avoid-deceitful-data-visualizations/) (2014-01-06): Randy Olson explains how you can save yourself from getting duped by bad infographics.
- [Top 25 most murderous directors of all time](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/01/05/top-25-most-murderous-directors-of-all-time/) (2014-01-05): Randy Olson visualizes and discusses the top 25 deadliest actors of all time.
- [Has violence been vanquished? Not in the film industry](https://www.randalolson.com/2014/01/04/has-violence-been-vanquished-not-in-the-film-industry-2/) (2014-01-04): Randy Olson discusses violence in the film industry and its implications for modern society.

### 2013

- [Top 25 deadliest actors of all time by on-screen kills in movies](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/12/31/deadliest-actors-of-all-time-by-on-screen-kills-in-movies/) (2013-12-31): Randy Olson visualizes and discusses the top 25 deadliest actors of all time.
- [Top 25 deadliest films of all time by on-screen death counts](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/12/31/deadliest-films-of-all-time-by-on-screen-death-counts/) (2013-12-31): Randy Olson visualizes and discusses the top 25 deadliest films of all time.
- [Top 25 most violence packed films of all time](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/12/31/most-violence-packed-films/) (2013-12-31): Randy Olson visualizes and discusses the top 25 most violence packed films of all time.
- [Violence has been on the rise in the film industry](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/12/31/violence-has-been-on-the-rise-in-the-film-industry/) (2013-12-31): Is the film industry becoming more violent over time? Randy Olson explores this question by looking at the data.
- [Political polarization of the U.S. Senate: Is the data fooling us?](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/12/21/political-polarization-of-the-senate-is-the-data-fooling-us/) (2013-12-21): Randy Olson suggests that the data visualizations showing the sudden "polarization of the U.S. Senate" may be telling us a lie.
- [Sharing your passion for science with the world through reddit: Interview with Unidan](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/11/14/sharing-your-passion-for-science-with-the-world-through-reddit-interview-with-unidan/) (2013-11-14): Randy Olson interviews "reddit celebrity" Unidan about his experience teaching science to the public on reddit.
- [The curious case of the closed access data set in the open access journal](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/11/13/the-curious-case-of-the-closed-access-data-set-in-the-open-access-journal/) (2013-11-13): Randy Olson ponders how studies using proprietary data should be handled when published in open access journals.
- [Answering people's pressing science questions on reddit: Interview with Tobias Landberg](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/11/12/answering-peoples-pressing-science-questions-on-reddit-interview-with-tobias-landberg/) (2013-11-12): Randy Olson interviews /r/AskScience moderator Tobias Landberg about his experience teaching the public about science on reddit.
- [Discussing evolution on reddit: Interview with Bjørn Østman](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/11/11/discussing-evolution-on-reddit-interview-with-bjorn-ostman/) (2013-11-11): Randy Olson interviews evolutionary computational biologist Bjørn Østman about his experience giving a reddit IAmA.
- [Which social media platform offers the biggest bang for the buck for science outreach to the public?](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/11/03/which-social-media-platform-offers-the-biggest-bang-for-the-buck-for-science-outreach-to-the-public/) (2013-11-03): Randy Olson outlines why he thinks reddit IAmAs are one of the better choices for science outreach on social media.
- [Sagemath Cloud makes collaborating with IPython Notebooks easier than ever](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/11/02/sagemath-cloud-makes-collaborating-with-ipython-notebooks-easier-than-ever/) (2013-11-02): Randy Olson provides a brief overview of the Sagemath Cloud web service, focusing on the IPython Notebook live collaboration features.
- [Evolving ecosystems can change more than previously thought](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/07/31/evolving-ecosystems-can-change-more-than-previously-thought/) (2013-07-31): Randy Olson discusses a recently published paper that suggests that evolution plays a large role in shaping ecosystems than previously assumed.
- [Evolution isn't over until you click stop](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/07/21/evolution-isnt-over-until-you-click-stop/) (2013-07-21): Randy Olson discusses why it is important to make longer runs in Evolutionary Computation and Digital Evolution research.
- [A short guide to using statistics in Evolutionary Computation](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/07/20/a-short-guide-to-using-statistics-in-evolutionary-computation/) (2013-07-20): Randy Olson discusses how and why Evolutionary Computation researchers should incorporate statistics into their research.
- [Evolved artificial intelligence can play video games better than humans](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/06/09/evolved-artificial-intelligence-can-play-video-games-better-than-humans/) (2013-06-09): Have you ever wondered if an AI could outplay you at Space Invaders? Randy Olson talks about an evolved AI that actually can.
- [Bigger groups make better decisions](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/05/18/bigger-groups-make-better-decisions/) (2013-05-18): Randy Olson reviews a research paper that shows us how bigger groups can make more accurate decisions.
- [How and why do animals evolve grouping behavior?](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/04/24/how-and-why-do-animals-evolve-grouping-behavior/) (2013-04-24): Randy Olson discusses the latest research trying to understand how and why animals evolved grouping behavior.
- [Is the Open Science movement prone to call-outs, and is that a good thing?](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/03/30/is-the-open-science-movement-prone-to-call-outs-and-is-that-a-good-thing/) (2013-03-30): Randy Olson ponders if the Open Science movement is prone to call-outs, and whether that can be damaging to scientist's careers.
- [Could the reddit model replace the current scientific publication system?](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/03/23/could-the-reddit-model-replace-the-current-scientific-publication-system/) (2013-03-23): Randy Olson discusses how we could replace the current scientific publishing model with a model similar to reddit.
- [A data-driven guide to creating successful Reddit posts](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/03/15/a-data-driven-guide-to-creating-successful-reddit-posts/) (2013-03-15): Randy Olson provides a data-driven guide to making your Reddit posts visible to the broadest audience possible.
- [Retracing the evolution of Reddit through post data](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/03/12/retracing-the-evolution-of-reddit-through-post-data/) (2013-03-12): Randy Olson explores how the Reddit community has changed over time since its inception in 2005 by analyzing posts that were submitted to the various subreddits.
- [Why I love open source, and wish science worked this way](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/03/02/why-i-love-open-source-and-wish-science-worked-this-way/) (2013-03-02): Randy Olson discusses open source and how its philosophies could benefit the scientific process.
- [Fun with the Python Reddit API Wrapper and word clouds](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/03/01/fun-with-the-python-reddit-api-wrapper-and-word-clouds/) (2013-03-01): Randy Olson demonstrates a new Python library that scrapes word frequencies from Reddit and make word clouds with them.
- [How do you maximize the Tweetability of your presentations?](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/02/16/how-do-you-maximize-the-tweetability-of-your-presentations/) (2013-02-16): Given the rising popularity of Twitter reporting at conferences, how do we make our presentations more accessible to Twitter?
- [IPython Notebook workshop report: still plagued by installation issues](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/01/24/ipython-notebook-workshop-report-still-plagued-by-installation-issues/) (2013-01-24): A brief report from a workshop run to teach scientists how to use IPython Notebook for scientific computing.
- [Filling in Python's gaps in statistics packages with Rmagic](https://www.randalolson.com/2013/01/14/filling-in-pythons-gaps-in-statistics-packages-with-rmagic/) (2013-01-14): Randy Olson shows how to use IPython's Rmagic package to seamlessly integrate R code with the IPython interface.

### 2012

- [Neuroevolution: an alternative route to Artificial Intelligence](https://www.randalolson.com/2012/08/13/neuroevolution-an-alternative-route-to-artificial-intelligence/) (2012-08-13): Randy Olson discusses neuroevolution as an alternative route to Artificial Intelligence.
- [Insight from "Don't be such a scientist"](https://www.randalolson.com/2012/08/10/insight-from-dont-be-such-a-scientist/) (2012-08-10): Randy Olson discusses his insight from the other Prof. Randy Olson's book, "Don't be such a scientist."
- [Statistical analysis made easy in Python with SciPy and pandas DataFrames](https://www.randalolson.com/2012/08/06/statistical-analysis-made-easy-in-python/) (2012-08-06): Randy Olson demonstrates how to use SciPy and pandas DataFrames to perform commonly-used statistical analyses and tests in Python.
- [David Eagleman: are we taking the right approach to Artificial Intelligence?](https://www.randalolson.com/2012/06/28/david-eagleman-are-we-taking-the-right-approach-to-artificial-intelligence/) (2012-06-28): Randy Olson ponders David Eagleman's suggestion that we are taking the wrong approach to Artificial Intelligence.
- [Using pandas DataFrames to process data from multiple replicate runs in Python](https://www.randalolson.com/2012/06/26/using-pandas-dataframes/) (2012-06-26): Randy Olson demonstrates how to use pandas DataFrames to process data from multiple replicate runs in Python.
- [A short demo on how to use IPython Notebook as a research notebook](https://www.randalolson.com/2012/05/12/a-short-demo-on-how-to-use-ipython-notebook-as-a-research-notebook/) (2012-05-12): Randy Olson provides a short demo on how to use IPython Notebook as a research notebook.
- [IPython Notebook: Finally, the research notebook I've always been looking for is here!](https://www.randalolson.com/2012/05/10/ipython-notebook/) (2012-05-10): Randy Olson discusses the new digital research notebook provided in the IPython library.

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