How about DBN? It is also a generative model but why now rarely used?
ML researchers following trends, like doing end-to-end CNN for whatever problems, and using this LSTM and that GRU and that latest architectures; in similar fashion like web devs picking and dropping javascript frameworks.
For me, this book's first chapters explained nicely about ML, MAP and Bayesian using real computer vision problems. The author included helpful visual aids (gaussian plots, contour plots, filters output, etc)
http://www.computervisionmodels.com
This is a rather unusual book where it gives primer on probabilistic method that is actually applicable in non computer vision problems. It is Bayesian heavy and rarely touches neural networks; the book is released in 2012, the year deep learning boom started.
BeOS has extreme task scheduling to give smooth UI, for example if you run too many programs at once, BeOS network connection has noticeable stutter even if your UI seems slick enough
MNIST is too complex, they still relied on conv layer for experiment and barely explained why it is robust. Others are also struggling on why vector is better than scalar activations. Somebody need to make 2D XOR classification example.
>One thing that kind of blows my mind still is how the engineers I work with (some of the best most logically discerning minds) can believe in religion.
Be like the inmates in the US who had nothing to do in their lives but lifelong learning, then studied every religion, ideology, -ism they can find and then ultimately reverted to Islam.
Understanding Islam push your logic to its limits while appreciating its limits (i.e. you cannot understand the unseen/ghaib with mind alone, you need to accept the revealed knowledge). In Islamic theology, both acceptance and understanding of the revealed knowledge (Quran and Sunnah), AND using logic to understand the theology itself, are important. Islamic theology at the basic level is easy, however once you go deeper, things get real tough to comprehend -- you need logic at its best to be able to understand.
For a muslim, I would suggest to be extra careful with choice of words describing God especially with point No. 3 and 4.
I don't know if I understand what you really meant to convey (your context, nuances, etc.), but you would not want to accidentally commit subtle shirk and invalidate your faith without even noticing.
We don't think about God.
We think about God's creations instead.
Stop before you feel full.