We are excited to launch a new series, “Get to Know the Team”, where we’ll share insights into the work, tools, and inspirations that drive our team members. This month, we feature Dr Gray Manicom, our lead researcher for data science and policy innovation

Dr Manicom has been exploring the Python package manager UV, a tool designed to streamline the use of Python packages in programming. For those unfamiliar, Python packages are collections of code that can be reused across projects, but they often introduce complexities when different packages rely on conflicting versions of the same dependencies. UV simplifies this by managing these interactions seamlessly, making it particularly useful for anyone new to Python. You can learn more about UV here:  https://www.saaspegasus.com/guides/uv/.

Dr Manicom’s recent reading has focused on text embedding models, essential tools in natural language processing. These models analyse word patterns and represent them as numerical vectors, allowing computers to understand relationships between words. As Dr Manicom explains, choosing the right embedding model requires key decisions: whether to prioritise word context within sentences or the ability to relate similar words by their components (like “innovation” and “innovate”). For more details, read here.

Outside his research, Dr Manicom has been diving into Daniel Dennett’s Consciousness Explained. This thought-provoking book explores proposes that what we call consciousness emerges from numerous parallel processes in the mind, each generating and revising its own ‘draft’ of reality, rather than from a single, unified mechanism.

Dr Manicom’s work exemplifies our Lab’s dedication to embracing new tools and ideas, both in technology and beyond. Stay tuned for next month’s feature, where we’ll spotlight another team member’s unique contributions!