Andy Lowry @AndyLowry@qoto.org
Retired SysAdmin living in the high country of Arizona, USA. I enjoy learning about physics, cosmology, genetics, neurology, and suchlike. Deeply confused by worldwide trends towards authoritarianism. I thought we'd already learned about that stuff. But I guess not.
Joined Nov 2022
Dr. Trudy, just wanted to mention that I really appreciate the work you do here by boosting interesting people in the sciences and elsewhere. My "following" list has been enhanced and enriched quite a bit by your pre-selection process. Found yet another great follow just now because you pushed them forward out of the rumbling heap where I could see 'em.
I think a newcomer could do quite well by just following you and the ubiquitous Don Melton as a starter kit. 😉 Y'all have good taste!
Andy Lowry
boosted
Hi there, posting my #intro in the last day of 2022. Looking forward to a growing #twittermigration and more useful social media in 2023.
I'm a #bioinformatics scientist at TRON in Mainz, Germany, a private non profit #Translational #research institute.
I use mastodon strictly for my professional life, but I post my own views and opinions.
#opensource #reproducibility #datascience #mutations #NGS #immunotherapy #cancer #SarsCoV2
Andy Lowry
boosted
Moved instances, so I figure it is time for a new #Introduction.
I am a #Scientist studying the molecular characteristics of #cancer I am an avid #Volleyball player, mediocre #Guitar player, and a huge fan of #SciFi #Fantasy and #Horror. Firm believer in #HumanRights and #SocialJustice.
Andy Lowry
boosted
Three conspiracy theorists walk into a bar.
You can't tell me that's just a coincidence!
So I pop onto Amazon to check the delivery estimate for something I'm waiting on, and they have a big section on the page labeled "Deals based on your views." So, they have a sale on Marcus Aurelius or something?
Though they're overpriced and maybe a bit of overkill for what they are, I always have a feeling of satilfaction and admiration every time I put my little hardbound Moleskine notebook in my pocket when I leave the house. It's silly really; I'm a modern person tech-wise, with iPhone and smartwatch and so on, but the notebook is just so... elegant, I guess. Sewn-in bookmark ribbon. Elastic cover retainer. There's even a loose file holder inside the back cover for me to stash a few index cards in (that comes in handy to make a note to hand someone).
Whoever thought of these is a genius, and could teach even Apple a thing or two about "aspirational marketing" and practical design. Not to mention addiction-- I'd go into withdrawal if I didn't always keep a spare in a desk drawer. 😉
My phone does have applications to take notes and make task lists and reminders, but if I did that, how could I enjoy using my fountain pen? 😎
Andy Lowry
boosted
Update on the Guardian News ransomware attack. Most staff told to not come into office and continue to work remotely. CTO tells staff “Our preliminary analysis indicates that foreign government involvement may be associated with this activity, and that some data was taken. Mandiant assesses that those behind this activity have a China nexus and believes they are likely involved in espionage activities to collect intelligence to benefit China’s interests.”
https://pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/guardian-ransomware-attack/
Andy Lowry
boosted
A random professor once walked in the room and my friend asked him to explain UDP vs. TCP.
He grabs all the dry erase markers from the board, and this happened:
Prof: "Would you like a marker?"
Student: "ok"
[prof tosses him a marker]
Prof: "Did you get the marker"
Student: "Yes"
[repeat until all markers are transmitted and acknowledged]
Then the professor takes the markers back and says "and this is how UDP works!" and throws all the markers at once, without warning, and my friend catches zero of them.
I never forgot TCP vs. UDP from then on. And I wasn't even remotely a compoooter major at the time*
*but it was a physical computing/Arduino class, which 100% set me on the path that I am on now...
Andy Lowry
boosted
Andy Lowry
boosted
Andy Lowry
boosted
@AndyLowry Good morning Andy. And thanks! It's great to be in contact with someone who appears to "get" what I'm talking about. I feel slightly less mad as a result.
I think Avicenna had the right idea.
Andy Lowry
boosted
The misery of finishing a long essay and then having to reformat it to conform to an arbitrary "style guide" before submitting it for review, because every journal insists that we use a *different style* and I don't always know in advance where I might send an article.
I like journals that say: "any style as long as it is used consistently."
Andy Lowry
boosted
The first rule of the Dunning-Kruger club is you don't know you're a member of the Dunning-Kruger club.
Andy Lowry
boosted
Satyendranath Bose was a brilliant theoretical physicist born this week in 1894 in East Bengal (now Bangladesh).
In 1924, while on faculty at the University of Dacca, he wrote a short paper to Albert Einstein about indistinguishable particles related to quantum theory.
Einstein immediately recognized Bose’ genius, translated the work into German & made sure it was published. Bose ideas led to Bose-Einstein statistics which continue to be studied in quantum mechanics. #science #history
Andy Lowry
boosted
RT @SlavaUk30722777
❤️All 6 Iranian female Chess Grandmasters have defected! Atousa Pourkashiyan and Dorsa Derakhshani will play with the 🇺🇸 flag, Ghazal Hakimifard with the 🇨🇭 flag, Mitra Hejazipour with the 🇫🇷 flag, Sara Khadem migrated to 🇪🇸.
Fun fact: The word Checkmate originated from Persia
Maybe a bit random, but what the hey. As I was doing my usual seasonal snuffbox changeover (I use different flavors at different times of year), I thought to myself "Hey, maybe somebody out there would be interested in seeing these!" So I guess I'm about to find out. 😀
All three are sterling and hallmarked, so it's easy to pin down the dates they were made and by whom. All three are from makers in Birmingham, England. The top one is from 1901 and was made by Charles Horner. The middle one is my most prized due to its age, shape, and condition-- it's a Samuel Pemberton, dated 1810. And the bottom one is from James Walter Tiptaft, in 1899. I'm pleased and surprised that nobody ever put their initials on the cartouche on that one; that's really unusual to see.
The vest-pocket curve on the Pemberton fits the watch pocket on my jeans as though they were designed to work together, so that one gets the heaviest use as it goes out and about with me. The other two mostly live on one desk or another at home.
Andy Lowry
boosted
40 years ago today (1’st January 1983) was transition day for the #ARPANET. So started TCP/IP and UDP for that matter, as its full time networking protocol. The Internet was born. Here’s my transition workbook from 1982 which I still have in my possession. I wrote a lot of code based on that book. (FYI: picture is from ten years ago - I had less gray/grey hair)
Andy Lowry
boosted
This lighthouse is SO UNIQUE! It's called Þrídrangar, which means "three rock pillars". It is located 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometres) off the southwest coast of Iceland, in the archipelago of Vestmannaeyjar, often described as the most isolated lighthouse in the world. The lighthouse was built there in 1939.
It's such a INCREDIBLE location for a lighthouse, perched on a rock in Iceland's wild surf. Originally constructed and accessible only by scaling the rock on which it is situated, it is now accessible by helicopter since the construction of a helipad.
#photography #photo #photos #landscape #lighthouse #engineering #amazing #travel #world #wonders
Andy Lowry
boosted
Yes Industrial Designer — I will certainly _never_ have oily or wet hands while cooking. Capacitive touch controls are an _excellent_ choice for the kitchen hob.
Retired SysAdmin living in the high country of Arizona, USA. I enjoy learning about physics, cosmology, genetics, neurology, and suchlike. Deeply confused by worldwide trends towards authoritarianism. I thought we'd already learned about that stuff. But I guess not.
Joined Nov 2022
