It’s amazing what one can find on the internet: new ideas, fascinating people, and of course cats.  It is so delightful to discover a deep well of knowledge, learn more about something new to you, or finally grasp the appropriate context needed to gain understanding.

Unfortunately, I’ve discovered that the ease of this insta-knowledge can lead to quick conclusions and easy answers, lulling some to think they “know” something or someone: all of the intimacy with none of the time, and little work.

Internet: Now a substitute for real human interaction. (Yep, it’s spelled wrong in the gif image.)

As a journalist, I was aware of how extensive research can lead to smarter questions. But for this assignment, I was curious to see what goes missing when the process is reversed: Would relying on a trail of facts from the internet create a accurate picture, an appropriate analysis? How close could it come to the truth of an experience, or the essence of an individual? What goes missing? What is assumed?

Sophie Chou laughing over a caffeinated beverage. (at least it is not a salad)

Sophie Chou describes herself as a cat, reader, writer, and Hacker girl.

She told me she was a first year graduate student at MIT, working at the Media Lab. I “knew” this, and a bit more, from what I learned researching her online.

Sophie’s all over the internet, giving a talk about how to democratize data science to a major conference for computer professionals, cooking up really delicious looking inventive food (YUM), and sharing thoughtful and insightful social media and blog posts about her varied interests.

But becoming a computer scientist, and a creative, was quite the journey.

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