Research

I’m continuing my work and research in the Coyle lab. Lots to do, lots of cool papers to read, and lots of neat things to try. Still working on the yeast subgroup of the MinDE project!

I’ve started going through some of the classic papers, like The chemical basis of morphogenesis (Turing 1990). I like the older literature a lot, and I’m happy I have the chance to comb through it.

Python

I recently started using python a little more in my personal life for things like organizing my reading list. It reminded me that computers are very powerful tools that I all-too-often take for granted. I want to learn to use this for more mundane applications than machine learning and scientific data analysis.

This is the power of computer programming. A computer is like a Swiss Army knife that you can configure for countless tasks. Many people spend hours clicking and typing to perform repetitive tasks, unaware that the machine they’re using could do their job in seconds if they gave it the right instructions.

—Al Sweigart, AUTOMATE THE BORING STUFF WITH PYTHON, 2ND EDITION

Web Development

I started playing around with this website again! I’ve been inconsistent for the past couple months, but now I’m funneling a few hours a week into toying with HTML and CSS. I’m thinking about little projects I can do with this to learn more about front-end as a hobby. Sticking to no javascript for websites, since I usually have noscript enabled in some shape or form.

Tabletop Gaming

One of my friends started up a Spelljammer campaign, and then I started up a semi-regular group to fill the off-weeks to his game. Now I get to play 5e and try running a couple different things. I did a test run of my house rules system and learned that my players will really get in their own heads over any mystery or lore drop. A tool to file away for later…

The Chicago III campaign with my college crew is on hiatus until the fall semester begins, but I’m also looking forward to wrapping that up. One of my friends mentioned Daggerheart, and I think we might move into that system next. 2d12 is a funky-looking resolution mechanic.

Back to Monster Hunter

I started playing Monster Hunter: Rise again, and I’ve been having a lot of fun. The game feels honestly challenging, in a way that makes me appreciate a boss’s moveset even as it wipes the floor with me. I keep coming back to Monster Hunter games because of that—I’m just skilled enough to pull through most of the combats, but nost good enough to curb stomp everything. That’s a great balance to strike, since every quest feels significant.

Reading

I just finished the first two books in Adrian Tchaikovsky’s *The Final Architecture* series, and I’m really liking his writing. The setting is expansive and feels alive, the characters can make me laugh or swear out loud, and the story makes me turn pages quickly. I’m trying to find the last book at the library right now.

I also working through some recommendations and my want-to-read backlog. Youssef Ziedan’s Azazeel, Jack Vance’s The Dying Earth, and Douglas Hofstadter’s Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid are up next.