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Benjamin Burch, PhD

Physicist and Educator by training, Data Scientist by trade,
​Polymath wannabe

See my list of publications here.

E-mail me

What's new:

  • I'm officially a Data Scientist! (November, 2015)
  • I am now a certified Big Data Professional through Arcitura. (August, 2015)
  • I recently began a job in the St. Louis area as a Predictive Information Analyst for an insurance company. (April, 2014)
  • Our paper The Origin of the Spectral Intensities of Cosmic-Ray Positrons has been accepted for publication in ApJ. (April, 2014)
  • I passed the Actuarial Exam P/1. I'll have my full score in two months. (March, 2014)
  • I have begun taking Machine Learning on Coursera. It's pretty awesome. (March, 2014)
  • I'm taking Data Analysis and Statistical Inference on Coursera. Class starts Monday, Feb. 17 if you're interested. (February, 2014)
  • My paper Properties of Galactic Dark Matter:  Constraints from Astronomical Observations has been published and is now available online. (November, 2013)
  • My paper Properties of Galactic Dark Matter:  Constraints from Astronomical Observations has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal. (October, 2013)
  • A project of mine was featured on BoingBoing! (October, 2013)
  • My Galactic dark matter paper submitted to ApJ has been revised. The new version can be found here. There is additional analysis and improved clarity, but the main results remain the same. (October, 2013)
  • An electronic copy of my dissertation can be found here. (October, 2013)
  • I have successfully defended my PhD! (August 27, 2013)
  • I have another new publication up on arXiv, and this one is submitted to Astrophysical Journal. It's about the properties of Galactic dark matter from astronomical constraints. (June, 2013)
  • I have a new publication up on arXiv on cosmic ray propagation models that has been submitted to PRL. (May, 2013)
  • My alumni profile at Carthage College is now up. (January, 2013)
  • My first webpage from 1997 (7th grade) Summer AD'Ventures Science Camp through the Illinois Math and Science Academy is still up and running. (December, 2012)

Recent blog posts:

Current projects:

  • Creating a robotic chess board
  • Jumping down the Data Science rabbit hole
  • Getting my butt kicked on Kaggle

Friends and family doing cool work:

  • My wife Lizz Callahan is sharing her knowledge of all things rhetorical.
  • Horror and dark fantasy author and old friend Chandler Kaiden is writing up a storm.
  • My son Devin has been documenting his research on all things scientific and historical.

Currently Reading

Currently Reading

Six Sigma: The Breakthrough Management Strategy Revolutionizing the World's Top Corporations
0 of 5 stars
Six Sigma: The Breakthrough Management Strategy Revolutionizing the World's Top Corporations
by Mikel J. Harry
SQL: The Complete Reference
0 of 5 stars
SQL: The Complete Reference
by James R. Groff
The Black Eyed Children
0 of 5 stars
The Black Eyed Children
by David Weatherly
Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think
0 of 5 stars
Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think
by Viktor Mayer-Schönberger
A Dance with Dragons
0 of 5 stars
A Dance with Dragons
by George R.R. Martin
This is How You Die: Stories of the Inscrutable, Infallible, Inescapable Machine of Death
0 of 5 stars
This is How You Die: Stories of the Inscrutable, Infallible, Inescapable Machine of Death
by Ryan North

goodreads.com

Recently Read

Recently Finished

Beginning Chess: How to Master the Fundamental Skills
4 of 5 stars
Beginning Chess: How to Master the Fundamental Skills
by D. Brine Pritchard
A Feast for Crows
5 of 5 stars
A Feast for Crows
by George R.R. Martin
A Storm of Swords
5 of 5 stars
A Storm of Swords
by George R.R. Martin
A Clash of Kings
5 of 5 stars
A Clash of Kings
by George R.R. Martin
Black Hole
5 of 5 stars
Black Hole
by Charles Burns
Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go
3 of 5 stars
Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go
by Dale E. Basye
RASL
5 of 5 stars
RASL
by Jeff Smith
My Friend Dahmer
4 of 5 stars
My Friend Dahmer
by Derf Backderf
A Game of Thrones
4 of 5 stars
A Game of Thrones
by George R.R. Martin
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
3 of 5 stars
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
by Ransom Riggs

goodreads.com
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