Dom @freeDomForTooting@qoto.org
- Pronouns
- he/him
Postgraduate researcher studying #CondensedMatter, in particular #SoftMatter, #ActiveMatter, #MolecularBiology, #CellBiology, #PhaseTransitions, and #ComplexSystems using the tools of #TheoreticalPhysics, #BioPhysics, #StatisticalPhysics, #FluidDynamics, #ComputationalPhysics, and #Simulation.
For instance, one of the projects I'm working on at the moment addresses #universality in active #turbulence with #spectral techniques. A related project predicts a new microphase separation regime in inhomogeneous active #nematics by simulating the coupled #CahnHilliard, #NavierStokes, and #BerisEdwards equations. Another project develops a #FieldTheory of the #orderphobic effect, a nonspecific interaction between #transmembrane bodies anchored in a #lipid #bilayer.
My other interests include #cycling, #ArchLinux, #Linux, #LibreSoftware, learning #Korean, #yoga, #calisthenics, #singing, #autonomy, #Cooperatives, #DeliberativeDemocracy, #CitizensAssemblies, #ParticipatoryDemocracy, #DemocraticInnovation, #OpenDemocracy, #LibertarianSocialism, #RightToRepair, #democracy, #humanism, #rationalism, #OpenScience, #science, #CommunityEmpowerment, #community, #commons, #research, #wikis, #governance.
Joined Nov 2022
Dom
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There are so many fascinating insights in this article by Lambert Meertens about design principles and decisions in Python's precursor languages, B and ABC.
Here's one of them which says so much about Python and about "language wars" some still have today.
Context: It's early 80s, talking about deciding to only allow integers as array indices, despite the fact it violated one of their design principles, with Guido van Rossum joining the ABC team at around this time:
"This design decision had been driven by fear: we had been concerned that aiming too high would make our language unimplementable on the small personal computers that were starting to appear on the market. But Dewar, in particular, convinced me that this meant we were designing for the past, not the future."
And this observation should be seen in the context of another consideration that the designers of B and ABC had, which was common with another high-level language they were exposed to at the time. Here's the quote:
"The design of SETL was predicated on the philosophy that, as computers became faster and faster, human time would be more valuable than computer time "and that the efficiency of the tool set SETL provided should not be measured in terms of speed of computation, but in their conceptual power."
Some still have the debate nowadays about whether computer time or programmer time are more precious. Although this still depends on the case, more and more applications are programmer-time limited today.
But in the past, most (all?) applications were computer-time limited. Way back in the very early days it could take several hours to get the result of a program execution–no wonder languages at the time prioritised computation speed over development speed.
But things have moved on. Python took off because it came at a time when the switch over between computer-time limited applications and programmer-time limited ones was happening as computers became faster.
Yes, we still need the languages that prioritise computer-time today – there are still applications that need them, but the shift has happened and languages such as Python which prioritise the programmers' time over the computer's time will get more and more relevant (they already are, of course)
Article in Inference
Dom
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"Adding highway lanes to deal with traffic congestion is like loosening your belt to cure obesity." - Lewis Mumford in 1955.
We’ve known this for a long time, but we’ve put a massive amount of money, space, time & energy into pretending we don’t know it.
#InducedDemand #lawofcongestion #traffic #congestion #cities #JevonsParadox #transportation #mobility #urbanism #urbanplanning #cars
Dom
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A few weeks ago, during the Age of the Bird, there was a discussion about citing articles in talk slides without specifying the journal. I suggested citing "author year keyword". I have now used this for the first time in a research talk I prepared for next week, and I'm happy to say that I could always find unique combinations with little effort. #DORA @richardsever
Dom
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No striking person wants to strike, they do so because they are left with no other option but to withdraw labour from those who seek to exploit them.
With that, Equity say, a victory for
@ucu & CWU is a victory for working people everywhere.
Solidarity!
Dom
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Day 2 of the @ucu St Andrews picket. Now with crayons! Numbers still high and sun still shining. #UCUstrike #UCURising
Dom
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Dom
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Bella is a union dog and she's not happy that our pay is down 25% since 2009. (But she is happy that kind #UCU humans gave her treats on the picket line.) #BellaDogliano #solidaridog #UCURising
Dom
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Part of the huge extra work burden academics deal with is the rise in student support needs, esp post covid. Pastoral care capacity can’t cope, university support services are swamped, students are suffering. Yesterday my employer trailed that soon they’ll be exploiting more animals instead of proper resourcing for staff and students. Stop legitimising the idea that nunhumans are ours to meet emotional needs in academia. It exploits animals, underpaid staff and struggling students #ucuRising
Dom
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Great to catch up with @ucuYork friends and comrades this morning!
Workers across the HE sector and country deserve better pay and pensions, and fair working conditions.
Dom
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Picketing outside IT Services, IT Services staff, The University of Sheffield. We have had enough of falling pay, pension cuts and gig-economy working conditions - all whilst vice-chancellors enjoy lottery win salaries. #ucuRISING #UCU I'm second from the right looking far too cheerful in a ludicrously large coat - it's the coat, it's centrally heated.
Dom
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More fantastic pickets at #OxfordUCU #ucuRISING from the science area for the second day of industrial action.
Dom
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Terrific to see so many turn out for the joint UCU and EIS-ULA rally in Glasgow with all of us demanding fairer pay and conditions together. Great to have solidarity from comrades in Unison, Unite, STUC, NUS Scotland, and representatives from Scottish Greens and the SNP. The union makes us strong! ✊🏻 #UCURising
Dom
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On the picket line today
#ucuRising
🐦 🔗 https://twitter.com/JennyCRegan/status/1596139559141617664
Dom
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Solidarity with those striking up the road and across the way - their fight is our fight #ucurising
Dom
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It was great to join the joint @ucu EIS rally today in Glasgow. Loved @elliebgomersall's passionate speech on why across Scotland, #StudentsSupportTheStrike! ✊
Let's work to get even more students on the @StrathclydeUCU and Unite pickets next Wednesday! #UCURising
Dom
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Students are the best and know that better quality working conditions for their educators = quality education for them @ucu #ucuRISING #1u
Dom
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Day 2 of @ucu strike action. Lots of solidarity from students who understand how our working conditions impact their learning conditions. Joined colleagues & friends at the LSE & QMUL today.
#ucuRISING
Dom
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Standing today with Cambridge college supervisors demanding a) being paid minimum wage, b) being paid for mandatory training, c) being given workers rights.
Why does this leading university build its signature service to students on exploitation?
Dom
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This is the kind of bullshit striking workers are having to deal with from universities across the UK. Disgusting.
Solidarity from the student movement ✊
---
RT @DrBradBrad
We accept that salary is deducted for strike days, however something UNIMAGINABLE is happening at @QMUL 🤯🤬🥴
QMUL are threatening to dock 100% of salary INDEFINITELY until staff make up the teaching cancelled due to strike
🧵1/n
@qm_ucu @ucu #ucuRISING #UCUstrike h…
https://twitter.com/DrBradBrad/status/1595723025672200202
- Pronouns
- he/him
Postgraduate researcher studying #CondensedMatter, in particular #SoftMatter, #ActiveMatter, #MolecularBiology, #CellBiology, #PhaseTransitions, and #ComplexSystems using the tools of #TheoreticalPhysics, #BioPhysics, #StatisticalPhysics, #FluidDynamics, #ComputationalPhysics, and #Simulation.
For instance, one of the projects I'm working on at the moment addresses #universality in active #turbulence with #spectral techniques. A related project predicts a new microphase separation regime in inhomogeneous active #nematics by simulating the coupled #CahnHilliard, #NavierStokes, and #BerisEdwards equations. Another project develops a #FieldTheory of the #orderphobic effect, a nonspecific interaction between #transmembrane bodies anchored in a #lipid #bilayer.
My other interests include #cycling, #ArchLinux, #Linux, #LibreSoftware, learning #Korean, #yoga, #calisthenics, #singing, #autonomy, #Cooperatives, #DeliberativeDemocracy, #CitizensAssemblies, #ParticipatoryDemocracy, #DemocraticInnovation, #OpenDemocracy, #LibertarianSocialism, #RightToRepair, #democracy, #humanism, #rationalism, #OpenScience, #science, #CommunityEmpowerment, #community, #commons, #research, #wikis, #governance.
Joined Nov 2022
