Project Overview

What is a Hack?

A "hack" is a small project that aims to solve a specific problem using computational tools.

Examples of hacks include:

• Build a working demo of a new or modified algorithm
• Outline of a larger project, with some key features scoped
• Visualization of an old dataset in a new manner
• Modify an algorithm and apply it to a new dataset
• Combine two pre-existing pieces of code to perform some new function
• Create a tool to apply to work with existing code, datasets
• Transform code from one language to another to use with other tools
• Update old code to run faster, on new machines, and/or more efficiently
• Extend an existing project with an additional feature
• Simplify code to be more maintainable, aka "paying technical debt"

Why hack at OceanHackWeek?

Increasingly, research and software development are conducted by groups of people with diverse skills and backgrounds. We believe this collaborative work leads to more innovative solutions to complex problems. At OceanHackWeek, our goal is to explore with you some of the skills needed to navigate technical and social challenges of working in these kinds of collaborative settings. We believe the best way to do so is to provide opportunities for you to gain hands-on experience in working together with others on a well-defined problem related to ocean sciences.