Hi, my name is Richard Walker. I'm a Scala, Python, and Javascript programmer, a former graphic designer, a one time ESL teacher, an incurable journaler.
Thinking in Models
Thinking in Models is an exploration of learning in code, dynamic visualization, writing, and social media. Its inspiration draws from Scott E. Page's course Model Thinking on Coursera, Enrico Coen's book, Cells to Civilizations, The Principles of Change That Shape Life, and my growing interest in agent based models where group behavior emerges from the actions of individuals in complex systems.
Any number of functional relationships could arise in a model or in the world. A relationship could be linear, curved, S-shaped, or even have a threshold...Knowing the functional relationship between variables aids in all six reasons for modeling: to get the logic right, to explain data, to predict, to design, to act, and to explore possibilities.
—Scott E. Page, The Model Thinker (p.103)