API all the things
Dan Hammer • OCIO
API (ABBR.) Application Programming Interface:
- a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications; structure for the interaction between raw data and the final application.
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"A good API makes it easier to develop a program by providing building blocks. A programmer then puts the blocks together."
Data
APPLICATIONS
What is the point of an API? Why should we care?
An API is a structured way to engage with NASA data. Without it, most data sets are effectively unusable by third-party developers -- the fixed cost of data wrangling is too high.
If a data set is created in the woods and no one uses it, is it data? No.
A Mathematical Argument
or The Theory of Change through Data Science
Three truths About the market for Online content
\frac{\delta x}{\delta y} > 0
δyδx>0
\text{Let x and y be usage of websites X and Y, respectively}
Let x and y be usage of websites X and Y, respectively
p_x = f(Z, \alpha) \text{ with } \alpha \approx 0 \text{ and } \frac{\delta p_x}{\delta \alpha} >> 0
px=f(Z,α) with α≈0 and δαδpx>>0
x = a\dot{x}^k
x=ax˙k
- Complementarity of web usage; cross-price elasticity of demand.
- Very low but high-impact transaction costs.
- Power laws everywhere. Nothing is linear.
In english,
How do these Axioms impact API Development?
- Capture rate does not have to be high to have a major impact, just well-targeted.
- Open information is not enough; data has to be accessible.
- All applications, even external applications, will likely increase the aggregate demand for web usage.
- Structuring the analytical
How does this process reflect Data Science?
EARTH
Given an earth-bound coordinate and a date range, return all available NASA imagery of that point.
MARS
Given an instrument and date range, return all available Mars imagery along with a tag that describes whether the image is of the Martian landscape or of instrumentation.
APOD
Return the Astronomy Picture of the Day and all associated metadata for a given date, along with concept tags derived from natural language processing, cross-referenced with the INTERNET.
PATENTS
Given a search query, return all publicly available NASA patents that contain the search term along with concept tags from the official patent text, structured in a way to match the DOE and NIH patents.
SOUNDS
Given a keyword, return space sounds recorded by NASA or partners. Filter on audible cues like beats-per-minute or ultimately whether there is a human voice detected within the recording.
ARE There MOre? How Many?
And why should we care?
There Are Hundreds, maybe Thousands, of UNDOCUMENTED and Hidden APIS at NASA.
Search ⤅ Document/redesign ⤅ api.NASA.gov
Done
(Now.)
big-data-wg
By danhammer
