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Data Shows NYPD Slowdown Was Most Drastic In the Precinct Where Eric Garner Died, Started Earlier Than Previously Believed

I Quant NY took a closer look at the public data the NYPD released on moving violations issued during the slowdown that took place in December of last year and January of this year. Offenses under the rubric of “moving violations” were one of many that police enforced less during the slowdown, and I Quant […]

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The Hudson River Is Teeming with Tiny Plastic

A study by Sherri Mason, professor of chemistry at SUNY Fredonia, analyzed samples of water taken from the Hudson River off the coast of Manhattan last fall and confirmed that the river is full of of microplastics — as much as 62,000 particles per square kilometer, WNYC reports. Microplastics are pieces of plastic from everyday […]

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Researchers Map The City’s DNA And Find Barely Any Is Human, Half Is A Mystery

A fascinating new study by geneticists at Weill Cornell Medical College has mapped the genetic material found in 466 of New York City’s subway stations. This is the first study ever to offer a comprehensive look at the microbiome of a sprawling metropolis — one that supports 5.5 million commuters a day on average — […]

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New York’s Data Guru Ben Wellington: NYPD Slowdown Effects Are A “Black Hole” Without Open Data

Navigating the ever-expanding sprawl of New York, a city that’s home to 8.4 million people, can be nightmarish to tourists and natives alike. Ben Wellington, a professor at Pratt, has found a way to make some sense of the chaos that surrounds us by using open data. By mining the city’s data in his blog […]

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More Skyscrapers Built In 2014 Than Any Year On Record

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat has published its annual report on skyscrapers, finding that 2014 was a record-building year with 97 new monolithic structures popping up across the world. China led the way with a whopping 58 completions. The United States put up 3 skyscrapers, all in New York City. One WTC […]

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Listen To This Pratt Professor Explain How NYC’s Open Data Could Change The World

Pratt Institute visiting assistant professor Ben Wellington, who runs the influential quantitative analysis blog I Quant NY, has published a TEDxNewYork talk in which he talks about the untapped wonders of New York City’s open data. With the fervor of a preacher, Wellington calls upon New Yorkers to rise up and demand legislation that will […]

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Half Of NYC’s Cabs Are Making Millions More in Tips Thanks To Software

After reading a recent Businessweek article about how much New Yorkers tip cabbies, Ben Wellington at I Quant NY (IQNY) noticed something weird about the numbers. With some research and analysis, he discovered that half of New York’s cabs calculate tipping differently. That difference generates an extra $5.3 million a year in tips. Businessweek used publicly […]

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Here’s A Map Of The “Oldest” Drinking Establishments In NYC

The always interesting data-blog I Quant New York (IQNY) has created a great infographic of the oldest liquor licenses in NYC based on the available data. While this doesn’t necessarily mean a list of the oldest bars in the city, it’s actually more enlightening, since it reveals some places that aren’t usually known for being historical […]

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Check Out The Maps For NYC’s Payphone Wi-Fi Network

City officials recently announced that the conversion of NYC pay phones into Wi-Fi hotspots will start at the beginning of next year. But before you get excited by the promise of free public wi-fi, there’s a catch: The Verge reports that poorer neighborhoods will be getting the short end of the stick, at least at […]

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A New Kind Of Internet Is Coming And It’s Quantum-Encrypted

While the FCC continues to debate net-neutrality regulations, scientists in China and America are quietly creating a new kind of internet, encyrpted by bursts of light instead of the standard long string of numbers. Revelations gleaned from the NSA leaks by Edward Snowden showed that even the largest tech companies with the best security were vulnerable to […]

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