The Numberphile Podcast
Counting Crayons - with Po-Ling Loh
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.
39:23
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Quick takeaways
- Po-Ling Loh's childhood, immersed in a mathematically rich environment, significantly influenced her eventual career in theoretical statistics.
- Her transition from pure mathematics to statistics involved grappling with the dynamic nature of statistical problems and their relevance to real-world data privacy.
Deep dives
Early Life and Family Influence
Po Ling Lo shares her upbringing in a family deeply rooted in mathematics, with both parents holding degrees in the field. Residing in Madison, Wisconsin, her home was structured around a strong emphasis on math learning, evidenced by her mother's zealous efforts to ensure her children excelled. Childhood moments included playful activities like counting crayons and practicing money exchange to instill a foundational understanding of numbers. This nurturing environment cultivated a comfort with mathematics that significantly shaped her future academic endeavors.
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