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Articles by Jim Barlow
How can technology help us overcome friction to build a better travel experience?
While there has been a remarkable improvement in the experience of travel in recent years, it would be difficult to claim that the experience is now friction free. Yet, as technology continues to improve across our industry, many of the pain points travelers encounter are gradually being addressed with innovative new solutions. We are in the process of transforming travel.
The 2025 Ultimate Guide to Internet of Things
Also known as IoT. When objects are equipped with sensors and those sensors communicate with other devices, the Internet of Things is established. What sets IoT apart from smartphones or laptops or even smartwatches communicating over dedicated networks like LoraWAN or SigFox, or public networks like the Internet, is the removal of humans from the exchange.
Understanding the GA4 BigQuery Export Schema and Structure
Understanding the GA4 BigQuery Export Schema and Structure A qualitative investigation into one of the weirdest data structures ever forced upon millions of innocent, unsuspecting analysts The data you want is definitely there somewhere, you just have to figure out how to UNNEST it… Photo by Dean Ward on Unsplash Introduction Google Analytics 4 is currently estimated to be used by 15.6 million websites in the world, meaning…
Google Pub/Sub to BigQuery the Simple Way
A hands-on guide to implementing BigQuery Subscriptions in Pub/Sub for simple message and streaming ingestion I have encountered many situations in the past where I wanted to get Pub/Sub messages into a BigQuery table, but I never managed to find a particularly simple way of doing this. You could set up a dataflow pipeline, but this requires additional infrastructure to understand, configure, manage and debug.
How to Build a Unique MD5 Row Hash Using SQL in BigQuery (Plus a Few Related Things)
Using native BigQuery functionality to generate a dynamic, unique row identifier in SQL There are a number of different reasons you might want to build a hash of each row of data in a BigQuery dataset, but they are mostly related to the fact that there is no enforced primary key in BigQuery.
Getting Started with BigQuery SQL User Defined Functions (SQL UDFs)
A powerful and fundamental building block which enables custom extension of the core BigQuery platform functionality Extensibility is one of the key BigQuery characteristics — along with the continuous development of superpower-like new functionalities — which makes it such a powerful platform for any type of data work, big or small. However the feature set of any platform can be overwhelming, and it can be difficult to figure out where to even start.
Plotting Bar Charts in BigQuery Using a SQL User Defined Function (UDF)
Minimise context switching and make your workflow faster Photo by Chase Clark on Unsplash There are a number of awesome new tools which aim to bring more interactivity, visualisation, collaboration and sharing to SQL workflows: HEX, Count and Hyperquery are three great examples. But sometimes you just want to focus on working in a basic console, with a few extra features to help accelerate your insights and workflow.
Google Cloud Storage (GCS) to BigQuery the simple way
Who doesn’t love a simple cloud. Photo by C Dustin on Unsplash The first Cloud Function I ever deployed was to achieve exactly this task. We had a number of CSV files being dropped into a Google Cloud Storage bucket every night, which needed to be available for transformation and analysis in BigQuery. Spending some time on Google brought me to this how-to guide, which was a little different (JSON files instead of CSV), but I figured I could tweak it a bit and get it to work.
SQL String Templating in BigQuery Scripts: Four Methods
You should avoid this kind of mess. Photo by Universal Eye on Unsplash Working with strings in BigQuery became a lot more powerful with the advent of scripting, and specifically the EXECUTE IMMEDIATE statement. This enables you to construct SQL queries as strings and then execute the constructed SQL queries in ad-hoc or scheduled scripts, or inside a callable PROCEDUREorFUNCTION.
Supporting both political parties can help companies reduce risk
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain U.S. companies that balance their political connections across party lines in a polarized partisan environment are in a position to see less volatility in their stock prices and profits, according to a University of Oregon-led study. "Government policies can have a large impact on a company's business, and Democrats and Republicans often espouse different policies," said Dane M. Christensen, an associate professor in the Lundquist College of Business.
Why Pushing Chicken Doesn’t Get People To Eat Less Beef
Image by Couleur from Pixabay "It would be great if more poultry and fish production and consumption would reduce that of beef, but that doesn't seem to be the case," says Richard York. Eating poultry and fish to reduce the production of land-based meat is an environmentally friendly idea, but it’s not working, research indicates. Sociologist Richard York of the University of Oregon recently conducted a new analysis of 53 years of international data.
Study shows how ‘theory of mind’ affects skepticism of ads
Marketers should be clear in their advertising to avoid customer skepticism that makes them feel duped, according to a University of Oregon study. In the research, a Lundquist College of Business team explored a social-cognitive construct called theory of mind. It’s a construct that considers how well people assess the mental states and apparent goals of others. Developmental psychologists link it to an ability to show empathy.
Research team unlocks strategies driving neuron connections
Using high-resolution imaging and 3D computer modeling, a University of Oregon research team has found that the branching arms of neurons weave through space in a way that balances their need to connect to other neurons with the costs of doing so.
Research team unlocks strategies driving neuron connections
Credit: University of Oregon Using high-resolution imaging and 3-D computer modeling, a University of Oregon research team has found that the branching arms of neurons weave through space in a way that balances their need to connect to other neurons with the costs of doing so.
Newly arrived Mars rovers are safe from lightning strikes, shows study
If experiments done in small bottles in a University of Oregon lab are accurate, the friction of colliding Martian dust particles are unlikely to generate big electrical storms or threaten the newly arrived exploration vehicles or, eventually, human visitors.
Mars rovers safe from lightning strikes, research finds
Credit: NASA If experiments done in small bottles in a University of Oregon lab are accurate, the friction of colliding Martian dust particles are unlikely to generate big electrical storms or threaten the newly arrived exploration vehicles or, eventually, human visitors.
Mars rovers safe from lightning strikes, new UO research finds
If experiments done in small bottles in a University of Oregon lab are accurate, the friction of colliding Martian dust particles are unlikely to generate big electrical storms or threaten the newly arrived exploration vehicles or, eventually, human visitors.
Suppressed immune response linked to failed bone healing
If all goes as envisioned, research done at the UO could one day lead to a blood test to guide treatment for trauma victims whose bones may be slow to heal. A team led by Robert Guldberg of the UO’s Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact reported that measurements of specific immune cells and proteins circulating in the blood immediately following trauma can be combined with advanced data analytics to predict whether injuries will successfully respond to treatment.
Study finds obstacles for women and minorities in chemistry
Credit: University of Oregon Insufficient interactions with advisers and peers, as well as financial problems, are derailing career aspirations of women and minority groups pursing graduate degrees in the nation's highest-funded chemistry programs. The challenges are detailed in a study, led by two UO researchers, that is publishing online this week ahead of print in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Mystery of Amazon region’s rare fertile soils is unlocked
Phosphorous, calcium and charcoal suggest that indigenous people learned to identify uniquely fertile soils prior to the invention of agriculture in the Amazon region, according to a University of Oregon-led team of scientists. Researchers have long theorized that pre-Columbian artifacts, signs of plant domestication and charcoal remains from controlled burns had produced rare spots of fertility in the notoriously highly acidic and nutrient-poor Amazon soil environment.
UO team finds Weddell seals make unheard-of sounds
Soon after a team led by University of Oregon biologist Paul Cziko installed the McMurdo Oceanographic Observatory in 2017, the mesmerizing calls of Weddell seals roaming under Antarctica’s sea ice often lulled scientists to sleep. Two years of recordings since then, though, have led to a startling discovery. The seals, the world’s southernmost-ranging mammal, regularly produce chirps, whistles and trills at frequencies that are inaudible to humans.
How the US Clean Air Act saved 1.5 billion birds in 50 years
A recent study has found that improved air quality from the US Clean Air Act has saved around 1.5 billion birds. Before the 1970 Act, ozone pollution had been damaging their respiratory systems as well as their food sources. This pollution is most harmful to small migratory land birds, which make up 86% of all North American species.
Little Kids Prefer Fractal Patterns From Nature
Image by Stefan Keller By the time children are three years old, they already have an adult-like preference for the visual fractal patterns common in nature, report researchers. That discovery emerged among children who’ve been raised in a world of Euclidean geometry, such as houses with rooms constructed with straight lines in a simple non-repeating manner, says the study’s lead author Kelly E. Robles, a doctoral student in the University of Oregon’s psychology department.
Study finds largely Black cities are over- or under-policed
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Expanding the size of police forces in mid- to large-sized U.S. cities leads to lowered homicide numbers as well as an increase in arrests for low-level crimes such as liquor violations or disorderly conduct, a University of Oregon-led study finds.
Study finds that by age 3 kids prefer nature's fractal patterns
Credit: CC0 Public Domain Before their third birthdays, children already have an adult-like preference for visual fractal patterns commonly seen in nature, report University of Oregon researchers. That discovery emerged among children raised in a world of Euclidean geometry, such as in houses with rooms constructed with straight lines in a simple nonrepeating manner, said Kelly E. Robles, a doctoral student in the Department of Psychology.
Study finds that by age 3 kids prefer nature's fractal patterns
Before their third birthdays, children already have an adult-like preference for visual fractal patterns commonly seen in nature, report University of Oregon researchers. That discovery emerged among children raised in a world of Euclidean geometry, such as in houses with rooms constructed with straight lines in a simple nonrepeating manner, said Kelly E. Robles, a doctoral student in the Department of Psychology.
Scientists find climate may be changing ocean food webs
Dried squid on sticks planted at 42 underwater sites have helped map how midsized predator fish are responding to and altering ecosystems in warming ocean coastlines around the world. The testing and methodology for using lollipop-like bait in the study, which appeared online Oct. 26 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was led by Ross Whippo, then a Smithsonian Institution technician and now a UO doctoral student.
Team identifies what could be world's oldest tropical peatland
Credit: University of Oregon A University of Oregon-led research team has identified tropical peatland in Indonesia that is twice as old and much deeper than previously thought. The findings, published in Environmental Research Letters, provide new insights about the climate of equatorial rainforests, especially during the last ice age, said study co-author Dan Gavin, a professor of in the Department of Geography.
Glass molecules can act like sand when jammed, study finds
Credit: CC0 Public Domain UO researchers have discovered that molecules in glass materials behave just like particles in sand and rocks as they jam together, a mechanism that could boost explorations of condensed matter and complex systems. The work shows that glassy materials change their organizational structure to behave like sand when they are jammed, or compressed to the point of changing from liquid to rigid.
UO study finds dangers in high school gender harassment
A University of Oregon study has tied repeated exposure to gender harassment in high school to trauma-related mental health issues among university undergraduates. The study found 97 percent of women and 96 percent of men in a pool of 535 undergraduates had experienced gender harassment at least once in high school. Mishandling of the situations by schools, an institutional betrayal, also emerged as a possible independent factor.
UO scientist unveils a 3D printed device to excite nerves
A tiny, thin-film electrode with a 3D-printed housing has been implanted in the peripheral nervous system of songbirds, where it successfully recorded electrical impulses that drive vocalizations.
Scientist unveils a 3-D printed device to excite nerves
Credit: Shutterstock A tiny, thin-film electrode with a 3-D-printed housing has been implanted in the peripheral nervous system of songbirds, where it successfully recorded electrical impulses that drive vocalizations.
Parental choices on junk food, healthy eating influence children
It’s no surprise that young children like sugar and salt in their food and develop their preferences based on what their parents feed them, but new research suggests that how parents view their own self-regulation also is a contributing factor. Food systems heavy in calories and light on recommended nutrition are a major factor contributing to global obesity and are a major challenge to parents of young children, says T. Bettina Cornwell, Phillip H.
Scientists tweak the age of the universe at 12.6 billion years, says study
Credit: University of Oregon. Next time there is an argument about the age of the universe, just say it is 12.6 billion years old. University of Oregon physicist Jim Schombert has the equation to back it up.
Study finds warming peat may boost greenhouse gases
SPRUCE study site for studying effects of warming temperatures on peatland. Credit: Oak Ridge National Laboratory Warming temperatures in cold-climate peatlands may over time trigger decomposition of old, deeply buried peat and increase emissions of climate-harming methane and carbon dioxide into the air, according to a study led by a former University of Oregon doctoral student.
Study explores how Native Americans used sea otters
Sea otters frolicking in Alaska. Credit: Ryan Wolf University of Oregon scientists are probing archaeological evidence for how indigenous peoples used sea otters, and their findings could help Alaskans confront growing numbers of the mammals and Oregonians who want to reintroduce them on the coast.
Research probes repercussions of seafloor activity on society
A University of Oregon doctoral student is exploring how technological infrastructure located on the ocean floor, particularly submarine internet cables, has influenced people's lives in the Pacific Northwest. Hayley Brazier is driven by two big questions: How and why have people come to depend so heavily on infrastructure scattered across the ocean floor? And how would a natural disaster affect coastal society?
Webinar to recall May 1980 blast from Mount St. Helens
A little after 8:30 a.m. on May 18, 1980, an earthquake sent the north face of Mount St. Helens collapsing into a landslide, set off a volcanic eruption 80,000 feet into the air and sent ash toward 11 states and two Canadian provinces. To mark the 40th anniversary of the event on May 18, scientists from the University of Oregon, Western Washington University, University of Washington and U.S. Geological Survey are partnering in a webinar, accessible to anyone on YouTube.
UO researcher hopes to improve COVID-19 disease models
Armed with a rapid response research grant from the National Science Foundation, University of Oregon biologist Stilianos Louca is mining public databases for genomic and associated data being filed on the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Unlike the on-the-ground approach Dr. John Snow, the father of epidemiology, used in the mid-1850s to find the source of a cholera outbreak in London, Louca is working on computers.
Fractals could be pleasing in solar panels, says study
Credit: Public Domain CC0. Stress reduction and improved solar electricity could someday come together in an unexpected package. A University of Oregon study suggests that a new design of eye-pleasing, fractal-patterned rooftop solar panels could deliver the goods.
Research shows fractals could be pleasing in solar panels
Credit: University of Oregon Stress reduction and improved solar electricity could someday come together in an unexpected package, and a University of Oregon study suggests that a new design of eye-pleasing, fractal-patterned rooftop solar panels could deliver the goods.
UO geography prof urges change in pandemic fund oversight
As the number of COVID-19 cases surge globally, a special fund designed to support pandemic relief in the world’s poorest countries has still not disbursed any money from investors.
New guide helps children be emotionally prepared for school
Credit: CC0 Public Domain Some children enter school ready to learn. Others arrive with behavioral issues that limit their ability to succeed. Following a selective review of published research on emotion regulation and school psychology, a team of College of Education researchers has begun building a guide to help parents and other caregivers tweak behaviors in the pivotal developmental ages of 2-5 so children enter kindergarten ready to learn.
New timeline rewrites history of Easter Island’s collapse
Credit: Robert DiNapoli/ University of Oregon. Easter Island’s prehistoric societal collapse didn’t happen as researchers have long thought, according to a new study. Researchers have developed a chronology of monument-building and re-examined written observations of early European visitors. With the help of statistics, the research clarifies variable radiocarbon dates pulled from soil under the island’s massive stone platforms topped with megalithic statues and large, cylindrical stone hats.
Researcher helps fill in the family tree of the shy mountain beaver
EUGENE — The long-held notion that today’s muskrat-sized mountain beavers are primitive and look like their ancestors is wrong, says the University of Oregon’s Samantha Hopkins. Instead, the large rodents living mostly in moist valleys in the Pacific Northwest’s coastal mountains tell a story about rapid evolutionary change, said Hopkins, a professor in the UO’s Department of Earth Sciences and Clark Honors College.
Scientists show that the eyes can measure hearing
Credit: CC0 Public Domain In 1998, University of Oregon researcher Avinash Singh Bala was working with barn owls in an Institute of Neuroscience lab when the birds' eyes caught his attention. The usual research done in the lab, led by Terry Takahashi, explores, at a fundamental level, how barn owls process sounds, with the idea that such knowledge could lead to improved hearing devices for people. But those eyes. Every time the owls heard an unexpected sound, their eyes dilated.
UO scientists show that the eyes can measure hearing
In 1998, University of Oregon researcher Avinash Singh Bala was working with barn owls in an Institute of Neuroscience lab when the birds’ eyes caught his attention. The usual research done in the lab, led by Terry Takahashi, explores, at a fundamental level, how barn owls process sounds, with the idea that such knowledge could lead to improved hearing devices for people. But those eyes. Every time the owls heard an unexpected sound, their eyes dilated.
Researcher helps fill in the family tree of the shy mountain beaver
Aplodontia rufa is the only species of mountain beaver living today. Credit: Wikipedia Commons/Joe Mabel The long-held notion that today's muskrat-sized mountain beavers are primitive and look like their ancestors is wrong, says the University of Oregon's Samantha Hopkins.
Researcher helps fill in the family tree of the shy mountain beaver
The long-held notion that today’s muskrat-sized mountain beavers are primitive and look like their ancestors is wrong, says the University of Oregon’s Samantha Hopkins. Instead, the large rodents living mostly in moist valleys in the Pacific Northwest’s coastal mountains tell a story about rapid evolutionary change, said Hopkins, a professor in the UO’s Department of Earth Sciences and Clark Honors College. “Today’s mountain beaver, Aplodontia rufa, hasn’t been the same forever,” she said.
A UO grad student is on the trail of a weird jellyfish invasion
UO graduate student Hilarie Sorensen went to sea on her first research cruise in May in search of a species of jellyfish seen in large numbers the previous two years along the Oregon coast. Instead of finding the water jellies she sought, she witnessed an emerging phenomenon along the Pacific Northwest coastline. In a two-week trip from San Francisco to Newport, Sorensen and other scientists got a close-up look at a lot of pyrosomes.
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