The Numberphile Podcast Counting Crayons - with Po-Ling Loh
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Dec 14, 2024 Join Po-Ling Loh, an American theoretical statistician at the University of Cambridge, as she shares her fascinating journey from childhood in Wisconsin to mastering higher dimensional statistics and differential privacy. She delves into the playful influence of her math-loving family and the challenges faced during her PhD at Berkeley. Loh provides insights on the cultural differences in academia between the US and UK while emphasizing the importance of mentorship in statistics. Plus, she shares humorous tales from her transition to life in the UK.
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Childhood Math Games
- Po-Ling Loh's mother used crayon boxes for counting exercises, not coloring.
- Her brothers took advantage of her during coin exchange games, leaving her with no money.
Other Interests
- Po-Ling Loh briefly explored biology and American history but ultimately stuck with math.
- Studying math allowed her to spend quality time with her brother who was involved in competitive math.
From Abstract Algebra to Statistics
- Po-Ling Loh excelled in abstract algebra until a difficult visiting professor discouraged her.
- This experience led her to explore computer science and ultimately statistics.