WARNING: This blog post references Avengers: Infinity War and contains story spoilers. But it also contains useful information about random number generators (RNGs) -- tempting! If you haven't yet seen the movie, you should make peace with this inner conflict before reading on. Throughout the movie, Thanos makes it clear
The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) taking effect on 25 May 2018 pertains not only to organizations located within the EU; it applies to all companies processing and holding the personal data of data subjects residing in the European Union, regardless of the company’s location. Here are four selected SAS tools for GDPR that allow you to protect personal data in SAS reports by suppressing counts in small demographic group reports.
Datasets can present themselves in different ways. Identical data can bet arranged differently, often as wide or tall datasets. Generally, the tall dataset is better. Learn how to convert wide data into tall data with PROC TRANSPOSE.
Do you periodically delete unneeded global macro variables? You should! Deleting macro variables releases memory and keeps your symbol table clean. Learn how the macro language statement that deletes global macro variables and about the %DELETEALL statement that can be a life saver for macro programmers.
Remember the military computer Joshua from the 1983 Matthew Broderick movie WarGames? Joshua learned how to “play a game” by competing against other computers, got confused about reality, and nearly started WWIII. As depicted in that movie, Joshua isn’t all that different from Google’s DeepMind, which became a superhuman chess
Simulation studies require both randomness and reproducibility, two qualities that are sometimes at odds with each other. A Monte Carlo simulation might need to generate millions of random samples, where each sample contains dozens of continuous variables and many thousands of observations. In simulation studies, the researcher wants each sample
National Bike month is recognized from coast to coast each May as a time to celebrate the power of cycling as well as to reflect on the many reasons why we enjoy the sport. Cycling is my meditation in motion. A time to push, a time to spin, a time
Todd Wright says data governance is more relevant than ever – especially in light of the GDPR.
It looks like we've finally recovered from the Great Recession, and there are even claims of record-low unemployment in several U.S. states. Of course claims like that make my data-radar go off, and I wanted to see the numbers for myself. And it's a great excuse for me to create
Landmark population health study involving 50,000 northern Nevadans turns to SAS to reveal hidden health insights These are exciting times in health care. Earlier this week I read that the NIH will soon open enrollment for its “All of Us” initiative. The research program aims to compile the genetic and health
In The Force Awakens, when Poe Dameron, the self-assured pilot, said, “So who talks first, you talk first, I talk first? ..." I had a feeling he’d end up being a character I’d like. When Poe had this interaction with Armitage Hux in The Last Jedi, I was completely sold
Have you ever lied about your age? When you were younger, perhaps you exaggerated your age to watch an R-rated movie, buy cigarettes, get into a night club, or drink alcohol? And when people reach their 30s or 40s, they might subtract a few years when people ask their age.
Oklahoma State University (OSU) has corralled its data faster than a tumbleweed in a whirlwind, and has bold plans to transform its institutional research efforts. I recently met with OSU's Institutional Research and Information Management (IRIM) team, which provides information, research, decision support, and analysis on demand to the OSU
During the month of May thousands of employers and tens of thousands of employees all over the world take an in depth look at how to be more proactive about their health and fitness. This year we challenge you to be curious about your own health and fitness. Come in
Order matters. When you create a graph that has a categorical axis (such as a bar chart), it is important to consider the order in which the categories appear. Most software defaults to alphabetical order, which typically gives no insight into how the categories relate to each other. Alphabetical order
During SAS Global Forum 2018, I sat down with four SAS users to get their take on what makes them a SAS user. Read through to find valuable tips they shared and up your SAS game. I’m sure you will come away inspired, as you discover some universal commonalities in being a SAS user.
As health care evolves, its entire ecosystem – from payers and providers to pharmaceutical companies and government agencies – seeks to find common ground. More data is available than ever. But transforming information into innovation is challenging. Organizations strive to create shared goals, internally and externally, trying to improve patient
Full Disclosure: I have my Master's in Education in School Counseling and I have worked in high schools in this capacity. And, yes, I have heard numerous unfortunate stories from families about how ineffectual their school counselor seemed to be. I’m not here to defend my profession[i], but to give
The title of this blog says what you really need to know: SAS Enterprise Guide does have a future, and it's a bright one. Ever since SAS Studio debuted in 2014, onlookers have speculated about its impact on the development of SAS Enterprise Guide. I think that we have been
How old was the oldest person in your family, or the oldest person you personally know? And how do they compare to the oldest people in the world? ... Perhaps you can easily make the comparison, with this cool graph! But before we get started, here's a picture of my
David Loshin says entity resolution isn't a bandage to fix errors – it should be part of your data strategy.
When you ask Mark Yost about what he does at SAS every day, his eyes light up. Mark’s our Assistant Manager for Food Services at SAS, but he’s so much more than that. He’s a champion for diversity and a leader who empowers his team to be the same. For
Some say that opposites attract. Others say that birds of a feather flock together. Which is it? Phillip N. Cohen, a professor of sociology at the University of Maryland, recently posted an interesting visualization that indicates that married couples who are college graduates tend to be birds of a feather.
Analyzing ticket sales and customer data for large sports and entertainment events is a complex endeavor. But SAS Visual Analytics makes it easy, with location analytics, customer segmentation, predictive artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities – and more. This blog post covers a brief overview of these features by using a fictitious event company
A future of flying cars and Minority Report-styled predictive dashboards may still be some time away, but the possibilities of robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered automation are a reality today. From connected cars to smart homes and offices, we see daily how big data and the Internet of Things (IoT)
Connect with SAS before and during IndustryWeek Manufacturing & Technology, a three-day event focusing on the key elements of advanced manufacturing: lean and continuous improvement, leadership, technology integration, talent management and best practices to achieve operational excellence. We look forward to seeing you at Industry Week's Manufacturing & Technology Conference
How many planets are there in our solar system? The answer hasn't always been 9 ... er, I mean 8 (sorry Pluto!). The count has changed throughout history as we got a better understanding of astronomy, discovered new planets, and redefined what a 'planet' is. Wouldn't it be helpful to
Awww, little Brussels sprouts…so tiny…yet so deceiving! Many love them while others can’t get past their strong flavor. I personally tried to like them my entire life without success until 5 years ago when I tasted one in a restaurant that had been prepared in a new way. It was
SAS programmers on SAS discussion forums sometimes ask how to run thousands of regressions of the form Y = B0 + B1*X_i, where i=1,2,.... A similar question asks how to solve thousands of regressions of the form Y_i = B0 + B1*X for thousands of response variables. I have previously
A while back a user requested to create a 3D WaterFall chart as presented by E Castanon Alvarez et. al. in "3D waterfall plots: a better graphical representation of tumor response in oncology" Annals of Oncology, Volume 28, Issue 3, 1 March 2017, Pages 454–456. I posted a blog article titled
