[BioSQL-l] [MOBY-dev] OpenBio solution challenge: Project updates at BOSC 2010

[Mark Wilkinson]

Brad, this sounds exciting!

One thing strikes me, though - by asking for the sub-projects to propose
the "grand challenge" themselves the one thing you can guarantee is that
the "grand challenge" is solvable (or more likely, already solved!)

Other "grand challenge" kinds of meetings have an independent third party
pose the problem that has to be solved, and then all groups work toward a
solution and compare their results.  This would, IMO, be more revealing of
the "state of the art" in each Open-Bio project, and point out where the
weaknesses are that we should be focusing on...  Someone (for example,
you!) could act as the moderator to ensure that the "grand challenge" was
at least a reasonable one, within the scope of what an Open-Bio project
*should* be able to solve...

Just my CAD $0.02

Mark



On Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:35:05 -0800, Brad Chapman <chapmanb at 50mail.com>  
wrote:

> Hello all;
> The BOSC 2010 organizing committee is hard at work getting prepared for  
> this
> July's meeting in Boston:
>
> http://www.open-bio.org/wiki/BOSC_2010
>
> One of the items we've traditionally had at the conference is a project
> update from each of the OpenBio affiliated groups. This year, we're  
> thinking
> about organizing these talks around a central theme: the OpenBio solution
> challenge. We start with a biological question of general interest, and  
> each
> of the project talks would focus around how you would solve that problem
> using your toolkit and programming language.
>
> This is meant to provide a challenge for OpenBio contributors, a nice  
> tutorial
> style overview of various projects and approaches for other programmers,  
> and a
> fun opportunity to compete and learn from other projects. Conference  
> attendees
> will vote on their favorite solution, with the winner receiving fame and
> fortune (warning: fortune not guaranteed).
>
> For this to be successful, it of course requires interest and enthusiasm  
> from
> y'all fine folks involved with the projects. Specifically:
>
> - Is there interest from your group in participating in the challenge?  
> You'll
>   want at least a few people to work on it, and someone to give a  
> presentation
>   at BOSC.
>
> - Do you have suggestions on a good theme or specific biological problem  
> to
>   tackle? We'll hope to pick something in a sweet spot that is  
> challenging
>   enough to be of interest, yet reasonable for presentation and  
> preparation.
>
> Let's discuss ideas and get this together. Since the schedule for BOSC is
> developing rapidly, please give us an idea if you're interested by
> February 12th, and copy responses to the BOSC mailing list as a central
> place for discussion.
>
> bosc at open-bio.org
>
> Thanks,
> Brad, Michael, and the BOSC organizing committee
> _______________________________________________
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> MOBY-dev at lists.open-bio.org
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-- 
Mark D Wilkinson, PI Bioinformatics
Assistant Professor, Medical Genetics
The James Hogg iCAPTURE Centre for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Research
Providence Heart + Lung Institute
University of British Columbia - St. Paul's Hospital
Vancouver, BC, Canada