Yeast husbandry

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. On a good day I can keep running experiments and do continuous bench work from 9 to 5—living the dream here. Analyzing the data is also a lot of fun.

Still learning about different graphing and data processing techniques to work up the results of some of my experiments. We have some really cool signal processing methods for extracting information from the microscope!

Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs

I’m having a lot of fun analyzing data in python and using machine learning models to do some neat tricks in the lab.

After reading Dr. Brian Harvey’s essay, I started working through Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs. LISP is indeed quite fun to write. I’m still quite new to programming, so block organization has left me starry-eyed and questioning how many bad habits I picked up while writing python for my chemistry class. I like the old-school style of this book.

Web Development

I’m writing a few themes for hugo. HTML and (S)CSS only, trying to keep things simple. I like the aesthetics of old unstyled HTML websites and also the loud over-the-top GIFS of the 90s. Not sure how to work in the second one, but I think there’s some potential there for whimsy in website design.

Also thinking about different ways of publishing stuff online. Portable EPUBs seem pretty cool. While I don’t read a lot of ebooks, I like the idea of using self-contained HTML and associated resources to give people files that are more durable and versatile than a pdf. The question is: what would it take to do this with LaTeX and pandoc?

Spelljammer and Mothership

Delighting in the Spelljammer campaign that my friend is running. I’m playing a plasmoid heat mage—I like using characters that are just weird. It’s also a lot of fun to play a character with almost exclusively support and debuff spells. I have to think a little more in combat or try to avoid fighting all together. I’ve found recently that I much prefer the role-playing aspects of these games.

I’m also running a short Mothership game to fill space when we’re not playing the other game. This way I still get to run things and try out a new system! I’ve got my eyes on a few other things that I want to run, including Blades in the Dark, 2400, and GLOG. I might try to do that last one in something resembling Luka Rejec’s Ultraviolet Grasslands.

Thinking about finish up my college game once we’re back on campus. We left off in an interesting situation, but it’ll be tricky to bring it all home in one or two sessions. I think we can do it.

Funny Post-Apocalyptic Robots

I picked up a copy of Nier: Automata and started playing it. Like Xenoblade Chronicles, this game is eating at both my mind and life. The gameplay is fun, the story… invokes existential dread. I’m glad I started playing it, and I’m going to try to finish it before the end of summer.

Reading

I finished reading The Final Architecture series, and it was fantastic. Also zipped through The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, which (somehow) was even more fun to read than Tchaikovsky. It’s a beautiful book about finding meaning in life and leaving one’s mark on the world. Up there with Ordinary Monsters for me, I think.

Currently working through Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels. I don’t think I’ve read all of them, and I decided to read them in published order. I expect this will take me a while, so I’m also reading other stuff in between them. The Color of Magic was a delight; I forgot just how much I like The Luggage as a— character? eldritch horror?