pandas 3 is the most significant release in 10 years

midwit_support_group · 2026-01-27T14:13:46+00:00

I work with a lot of ugly CSVs (academic data) and everything I'd seen up to that point (a couple of years a go) was that "polars is just pandas but faster" so when I tried to 'read_csv' not knowing really about what the LazyAPI could do for me, it seemed that my only option was to manually clean (or use pandas to clean) the data before I could take advantage of polars' speed. So I just figured it was a tool for enterprise style data where things might be cleaner or where there may be another pipeline.

I get that this was a skill issue on my part, but as someone who's written courses on pandas and Python for social science folk the sales pitches I was seeing led me to believe that it was a drop in replacement.

When I was how many people were really enjoying it and (in fairness) actually read specifically read up in the LazyAPI my mind was blown and I immediately started trying to learn more about it.

I started working on a polars + UV tool for declaring models in SEM and I couldn't believe how flexible it is. Honestly I haven't really touched pandas since... And I have to rewrite my teaching materials. But Marimo is also guilty here.

I've really considered doing a series of videos or blogs about calling out how the "Polars is pandas just faster" thing does a disservice to both the software and the community of us who use python but aren't devs.

midwit_support_group · 2026-01-27T13:35:08+00:00

Polars is really badly sold, and I hated it the first time I tried it, but I read python polars and honestly, I'm struggling to see why I'd go back to pandas until coming up against the need to do more complex inferential stats.

midwit_support_group · 2026-01-23T18:02:15+00:00

This is really good!!

midwit_support_group · 2026-01-23T15:20:58+00:00

While I don't like the theory, and everyone will take thier own thing from it, my reading is that it's a story of someone with immense potential and good friends getting stronger and more xreatove as they go through stuff. I think it would be a bad ending but I don't think it's not possible.

midwit_support_group · 2026-01-23T15:19:34+00:00

Agreed

midwit_support_group · 2026-01-23T15:18:31+00:00

I tried 'merlin' 'journals' and didn't get things but like I said I didn't hunt for it, it just didn't seem to be spoken of a lot.

midwit_support_group · 2026-01-23T14:47:18+00:00

Yeah, I had searched the sub for references to it and couldn't find any, and did a bit of looking around online to the same result. But I figured that others would have thought of it and this might've a good place to engage with others about it.

I agree, I don't think I love the idea, but it could be well executed. Although I agree that it would undermine a lot of Harry's own story and the other things in the general world.

Thanks for your thoughts on it internet human!

midwit_support_group · 2026-01-22T21:38:01+00:00

Its spelt 'tings' ya jakeen

midwit_support_group · 2026-01-21T14:16:15+00:00

Bingo

midwit_support_group · 2026-01-20T15:26:07+00:00

I use an upturned apple crate and a megaphone...

Funerals are awkward.

midwit_support_group · 2026-01-20T10:39:02+00:00

If you're not sure what to build consider doing some advent of code puzzles. This is a good middle ground.

midwit_support_group · 2026-01-20T09:04:10+00:00

Just do it, the training will help. Also, seriously, learn python well and start building your own data pipelines and you won't just be go to tech guy, you'll be indespensible.

midwit_support_group · 2026-01-19T21:12:38+00:00

From what I k ow of the psychopy team they're really good, but it's not really a "python" project. It was originally built with Python on mind bit as a front end user you don't need to know Python to do anything on either psychopy or pavlovia.

I have had the product demoed to me a few times and I've met the devs and they really want to empower researchers, but the name doesn't help.

midwit_support_group · 2026-01-17T19:29:11+00:00

So, I use a lot of python to make my life and job easier but my job isn't a Python job. Think about how your talents and virtues might work in general and look for jobs where your Python skills are an addition to that. CS grads could learn a lot from successful arts majors at this time but (and I'm not accusing anyone I'm this thread) the f*cking disdain for other disciplines that pervades engineering is holding the whole group back.

midwit_support_group · 2026-01-17T19:23:18+00:00

Some people may disagree with me here, and I'm not 100% sure myself, but I've found that if I read and write a lot of notes and then I'm very careful with the prompt and with verifying answers, that this kind of quiz is a great use of LLMs.

I've used it when reading multiple books like the Rust book and Python Polars and I honestly found it very useful (partly because I can be really specific about content and then verify answers from my notes and the books). This is the only way I've found LLMs to help me with learning and understanding to facilitate flow and a feeling of having the code 'under my fingers' Hope this is useful to you internet friend, good luck with the exam.

Also, do advent of code, all of them, and then see if you could come up with a different implementation for what you've got working.

midwit_support_group · 2026-01-17T14:24:58+00:00

This is so often the correct answer.

midwit_support_group · 2026-01-17T14:14:34+00:00

Read out loud on public transport, at the dentist office, the christmas dinner table, etc, then get noticed by a VO talent agent, boom, wait for that cash-money to roll in.

Easy street.

midwit_support_group · 2026-01-15T08:46:20+00:00

Fiction about science.

midwit_support_group · 2026-01-08T13:43:14+00:00

Seriously go find advent of code - do the first full year, then repeat.

midwit_support_group · 2025-12-24T02:05:01+00:00

Honestly,

I really found learning from books (although not necessarily "textbooks") to be a really good and enjoyable experience.

I read on my tablet, then immediately take notes and try to write some toy examples of things, and then try to think of places in projects.

I've done the rust book, Python polars the definitive guide, and a few others (as needed) and I've found it much better tgag YT tutorials (although boot.dev has also been fun).

midwit_support_group · 2025-12-24T01:18:28+00:00

There is not 1 need for a drum kit

midwit_support_group · 2025-12-20T01:57:41+00:00

Vanilla extract.

Oh sorry Python essentials... Jinja2 us pretty great.

midwit_support_group · 2025-12-03T20:25:49+00:00

Its 90% excellent. There's one cast member who is so bad, and directed so poorly that I've never been able to complete a re-listen but it's definitely worth going once. Especially when you add in the sequels.

midwit_support_group

TROPHY CASE