# About Project Pythia

Project Pythia is the education working group for [Pangeo](https://pangeo.io)
and is an educational resource for the entire geoscience community.
Project Pythia is a home for Python-centered learning resources that are _open-source_,
_community-owned_, _geoscience-focused_, and _high-quality_.

## Why do we need Project Pythia?

Scientists working in a multitude of disciplines rely heavily on
computing technologies for their research. Numerical simulations
run on supercomputers are used in the study of climate, weather,
atmospheric chemistry, wildfires, space weather, and more. Similarly,
a tremendous volume of digital data produced by numerical simulations,
or observations made with instruments, are analyzed with the help
of powerful computers and software. Thus, today’s scientists require
not only expertise in their scientific discipline, but also require
high-level technical skills to effectively analyze, manipulate, and
make sense of potentially vast volumes of data. Computing environments
change rapidly, and two technologies that have emerged and are being
adopted by scientific communities relatively recently are Cloud
Computing platforms and a software ecosystem of scientific tools
built around the open source programming language called Python.
Project Pythia provides a public, web-accessible training
resource that will help educate current, and aspiring, earth
scientists to more effectively use both the Scientific Python
Ecosystem and Cloud Computing to make sense of huge volumes of
numerical scientific data.

## Why the name _Pythia_?

In ancient Greek mythology, the god [Apollo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo)
is said to have slain the monstrous [Python](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Python_(mythology)).
Apollo's temple was later served by the [Oracle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle)
of [Delphi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delphi),
who was known as the [Pythia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythia).

Like the Oracle of old, Project Pythia will help you make sense of things that seem mysterious.
We will not, however, _slay_ your [Python](https://www.python.org),
but instead help you _improve_ it -- and help you to help others do the same!

## Who is Project Pythia?

The current core Pythia team can be found [here](index.md#the-project-pythia-team).
Pythia is an open and inclusive community! Look [here](index.md#join-us) for info
on how to get involved.

## Project Pythia Goals

1. _The Pythia Portal:_ A searchable online portal that
   provides scientists at any point in their career with educational
   content and real-world examples needed to learn how to navigate and
   integrate the myriad packages within the Python ecosystem for the
   geosciences.

2. _Cloud-Deployable Pythia Platforms:_ A light-weight,
   Binder-based platform that will make it possible to launch portal
   content in customizable executable environments in the Cloud with
   only a “single click.”

## Presentations about Project Pythia

To learn more about Project Pythia and its history, see this list of presentations (listed in reverse-chronological order):

| Forum | Date | Presenter | Format | Title (with link) |
| ---   |  ---  |   ---   |  ---    |  --- |
|  AMS  | 2022-01  | Drew Camron | slides | [Project Pythia: A community update](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1NuV5sI3oGhvuUt_s8hzmj0UA9MqCtlxWTADbJHjr9ow/edit?usp=sharing)     |
|  AMS  | 2022-01  | Kevin Tyle | slides | [Leveraging Project Pythia in an Advanced Geoscience & Visualization Course](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1D8kkpsX4CE3rT5QQliH6JfKYeY76fT1gClIEzboxgko/edit#slide=id.p)     |
| AMS  | 2022-01 | Max Grover | slides | [Rethinking CESM Diagnostics through the Lens of Earth System Data Science](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1aTw0DmaZ-7PQtWXxQqdik825r5mOoYRe/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=113419461755911727326&rtpof=true&sd=true) |
| AGU | 2021-12 | Kevin Paul | e-poster | [Pangeo and Project Pythia: Helping Geoscientists Navigate the Scientific Python Ecosystem](https://agu2021fallmeeting-agu.ipostersessions.com/Default.aspx?s=CF-91-F4-F8-35-E4-B7-40-F2-8C-F6-86-76-97-11-02) |
| AGU | 2021-12 | Kevin Paul | e-poster | [Project Pythia: A Resource to Help Geoscientists Navigate the Scientific Python Ecosystem](https://agu2021fallmeeting-agu.ipostersessions.com/Default.aspx?s=25-22-8E-6D-6E-CB-B4-E9-6D-08-78-2A-61-2F-62-09) |
| AGU | 2021-12 | Julia Kent | abstract | [ESDS Educational Efforts](https://t.co/hQ1wGQZB18) |
| Pangeo Showcase | 2021-06 | Brian Rose | video + slides | [Project Pythia: a community learning resource for Python-based computing in the geosciences](https://discourse.pangeo.io/t/june-23-2021-project-pythia-a-community-learning-resource-for-python-based-computing-in-the-geosciences/1601) |
| AMS | 2021-01 | John Clyne | video | [Project Pythia: a community learning resource for geoscientists](https://youtu.be/_UxlrwB_evo)