Hackathons catch on for creativity, education, and networking

In November 2019, 25 teams of students assembled at Argonne National Laboratory to take part in the CyberForce competition defend and bolster energy infrastructure. An additional 79 met nine other Department Energy labs. The teams—consisting four six undergraduate graduate mostly computer science engineering—had eight hours fend off cyberattacks by more experienced on simulated systems.For DOE, competition’s aim is build up pipeline future cybersecurity engineers for industry. “It’s wonderful see wow factor when things click them,” says Amanda Joyce, an expert who coordinates annual competition. lab has hired a handful people through event since it began five years ago.David Hogg, group leader astronomical data Flatiron Institute physics professor New York University, laments typical format scientific meetings: “All these amazing scientists from around world are same location. But most meeting, they sit quietly their seats, not speaking each other. That worst use time.” Daniela Huppenkothen, astronomer SRON Netherlands Space Research Utrecht, shares that conviction. 2014 she Hogg joined some colleagues launch Astro Hack Week. five-day brings 40–70 together tutorials hacking. Scientists disciplines have created spin-offs, including Geo Week Neuro Week.At well-run hackathon, “there sense excitement. You yourself out your day-to-day routine try make progress something else.” Time scales long science, continues. “The very effective reminding me why exciting.” Snap-together, 3D-printed Feynman diagrams got start 2017 public Science Day San Francisco, where Flip Tanedo (assistant theoretical University California, Riverside), Matt Bellis (associate Siena College), Willow Hagen (a student Carnegie Mellon University) made prototypes. search teaching tool, hackers were inspired Tinkertoy. FLIP TANEDOPPT|High-resolutionHackathons come many shapes sizes, traditional all-nighters recurrent weekly gatherings. They can be run civic groups, companies, or academic entities. tasks may focused open-ended, balance collaboration versus varies. Hacking events typically involve coding, but also focus solving social problems, policymaking, crafting. Nearly all consist burst intense work outside participants’ usual activities. Common goals include working together, building community, emerging with tangible outcomes. sciences, hackathons often intentionally educational. Pitch, hack, presentSection:ChooseTop pageABSTRACTPitch, present <<Hacking educationDiversifying tech fieldsCITING ARTICLES Many participants pitching ideas perhaps stating areas expertise. form go work; end, results. That’s how McGill department hackathon works. 24-hour attracts high school college students. only restriction projects related physical Nicholas Vieira, master’s astronomy led organizing team department’s virtual last fall. organizers provide suggestions, like “develop tool could used teach introductory physics” “make proves Earth flat.” Mentors important he says. help struggling as work. ability imagination probably useful later studies—and any field, really—than cranking assignments,” Vieira. Among past program takes both route elevation into account minimize fuel usage driving city web app lets user play magnetic pendulum. For in-person events, reserve space food, stay hack night. 150 participated. 2020 was due COVID-19 attracted 200 competitors. At MIT’s second quantum computing earlier this year, companies D-Wave IonQ computers available offered technologies. “We had than 29 countries across 12 time zones,” Madison Sutula, MIT doctoral electrical engineering co-organizer event. purpose introduce developing running code real hardware,” Quantum its infancy, “help grow workforce spark new lines inquiry,” Matthew Keesan, vice president product development IonQ. “Getting write shoots lasers individual ions [with computer] cool. It’s winning year several games generated song. “Prizes fun,” says, “but camaraderie reward.” Thousands Microsoft employees company’s week. far too everyone pitch person. Instead, online advance. “One I did throwaway fun thing, visualizing air traffic augmented reality,” Jonathan Fay, software engineer company. next project vision dramatically sped key calculations. It algorithm eliminated entire classifications false matches.” based insight hadn’t pursue, cost savings company, When do passion projects, just opportunity different, Fay “their explore enjoy enhanced. really effective.” benefits departing cut forms hackathons. 2010 winter meeting American Astronomical Society (AAS), James Davenport noticed sticky notes scribbles whiteboards accumulating conference center. Together being planned day meeting. guerrilla hype exciting intriguing,” hybrid remote–on-site hosted September Zambia Twitter analyze whether view hoax. From left, lecturer Habatwa Mweene, dean natural sciences Onesmus Munyati, Esther Mungalaba, Mudenda Sakala, Emmanuel Hansingo, Clemens Chama. EMMANUEL NGONGAPPT|High-resolution itself “transformative,” Davenport, second-year student. mantra ‘do something, create learn something.’” People coded. cloth posters sewed tote bags items clothing. radical bohemian attitude. student, empowering,” now research assistant Washington organizer AAS Day. A close cousin sprint, dedicate days jointly data, such particular mission telescope. Ana Bonaca, postdoc Center Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, been sprints Gaia, European Agency observatory measuring precise positions motions nearly 2 billion stars. peer pressure held accountable energizing,” Similar organized NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite prepare dark matter Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Telescope Baltimore, Maryland, Erik Tollerud co-organized in-house paired selected projects. know what want, better writing documenting code,” Tollerud. results polished, published, used.” educationSection:ChooseTop presentHacking education <<Diversifying leading every SRON’s Huppenkothen nightmares no one stands ideas. “But never happens,” broad approach topics outcomes, end apps, machine learning, websites, more. daily largely guided want learn, analysis techniques learning. “Data field rapidly, academia lagging,” hacking vehicle quickly expose ideas.” Sergei Gleyzer, high-energy experimentalist Alabama, begun incorporate learning class teaches. “Each task driver, emphasizes different aspect learning,” One separate Higgs boson signal noise Large Hadron Collider. Another predict strength shape interactions between nuclear spins NMR spin-echo experiment. problems ones Gleyzer posed hackathons, setting given cannot free schedules hack. Hackathons regular feature LUT Lappeenranta, Finland, get course credit them. As 10 held, participation ranging 130 Usually theme, determined local “want workforce,” Jari Porras, engineering. Recent hot included remote-controlled industrial locks, game development, optimization waste collection. Porras produce proof concept. Some taken production, jobs sponsoring companies. hold means seek subcontractors. students, though, “we technology sponsor content we don’t cover courses.” Through adds, teamwork, pitching, presenting—all soft skills.” Nikhita Madhanpall South Africa runs educational Development Radio Astronomy Big Data project. initial exposure hope impact socioeconomic development,” Madhanpall. health, agriculture, astronomy. Tutorials provided, because novices, challenges specific. set creative,” Mozambique, tutorial involved image Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico 2017. part, put skills satellite flood effects 2019 cyclone. mixed remote on-site Participants gather, clean up, perform sentiment analysis. then tasked doing Twitter-based COVID-19. first January drew 55 participants. This 900 applied 219 slots IQUISEPPT|High-resolution “People desperately hungry knowledge about artificial intelligence “They left behind.” main motivations prizes drive hard.” Past prizes, hard drives, tablets, subscriptions courses. Diversifying fieldsSection:ChooseTop fields <<CITING Siân Brooke fellow computational London School Economics Political Science. her PhD Oxford studied—and participated in—hackathons culture programming creates barriers women entering fields. “dominated young, socially awkward white men. went meet themselves,” Brooke. “That reinforces goes tech. need good effort encourage diversity. should conduct, show enforce it.” dismisses notion emphasizing over attractive female would-be chastised competitive,” opportunity, incredibly competitive.” algorithms select diverse always large pool applicants; oversubscribed five. discipline, geography, career stage, gender, categories,” Huppenkothen. measure inclusive avoiding all-nighters, seen unsafe women, inconvenient families, unpleasant people. experimented all-female Neale Pickett, Los Alamos scientist DOE girls. planning Africa, applicant participant pools 20–30% female, And mixed-gender woman alone men because, “from experience, find easier voice opinions contribute there least two women.” © 2021 Physics.