Fleeting/Random Thoughts

[TheEcologist]

[Why I think stats and maths are cool] Working on mosquito dispersal problem today. Fitting 2D directional probability density functions to counts of mosquitoes found in random C02 traps with a new modelling approach, mosquitoes coming in from multiple sources all around. Best fitting models all found strong directional preference in one certain direction. We ring-up Mosquito expect who conducted field work, turns out the direction our models predict is equal to the wind direction during sampling -> I'm stunned that I just calculated the wind direction almost perfectly from counts of mosquitoes in C02 traps. [/ why I think stats and maths are cool].

 

[Link]

My computer is definitely give some warning signs that the hard drive is going to fail soon.

I suppose now would be a good time to suggest going for a SSD. I'm amazed at how fast these allow me to boot and load programs. Fiancee's macbook boots up in literally 3 seconds. Wish I could get linux to do that too.


PS. Just noticed I crossed the 1000 milestone. Man I'm getting old....:shakehead

 

[Dason]

A SSD would be nice. We'll see if we have the cash for any upgrades. I'm doing fine just not using that computer now.

On other topics: I think I found the perfect avatar for trinker...

It zooms in if you wait long enough.

 

[noetsi]

lol that is a good avatar

 

[Miss..Stats]

i like the feeling when i think seriously and achieve my specific goal.

 

[Dason]

I'll just leave this here...

 

[Dason]

I wish R supported multi-line comments. It would make some things a lot easier when using a sub-par editor.

 

[Jake]

You mean like this?

code code code
"""
this
is
a
comment
"""
code code code

 

[Dason]

Exactly. I don't care how it would be implemented but it would be **** handy.

 

[Jake]

Oh wait, that's python with the triple quotation marks thing isn't it. D'oh.

 

[Dason]

Yeah - but I don't see any problem with that. It could work in R as well. Other possibilities would be something like a C/Java type syntax

# Single line comment
2 + 2
/*
Multi line comment
LOLZ
*/
1/log(sin(pi)^2 + cos(pi)^2) # Oh noes I broke the world

 

[Jake]

I guess it's because of the interactive aspect of R. One way to look at is is that after you enter the beginning of a multiline comment, all further commands are just ignored until when/if the end of the comment is given. This wouldn't be a crazy idea, but I guess phrasing it this way does foster a little bit of appreciation for why they chose not to include such a feature.

 

[Dason]

I mean I can understand that but you already pointed out another interactive language that has multi-line comment support: Python!

 

[Dason]

That's a horrible function and it's a lie. Just because you don't own an automatic cookie making machine doesn't mean they don't exist.

Also - this isn't exactly new but it's pretty sweet: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/08/russia_in_color_a_century_ago.html
Color pictures from Russia from about 100 years ago. Awesome.

 

[Dason]

I declare this thread to be a stand-in chatbox until it gets fixed!

So everybody post only the on-topic and professional type things you would post in the chatbox.

TRINKER IS A RAPTOR LOLZL!!!11

 

[trinker]

I declare this thread unfit for chatbox status as Dason is slandering me again and I can't alter his conversation like I can in the chatbox.

 

[Dason]

Bwahahaha. And yet with mod status I could alter what you say! But I won't.

 

[spunky]

what happened with the chatbox?

 

[Dason]

Don't know - but it appears to be working at the moment.

 

[Dason]

Netflix has Power Rangers on instant view. Looks like I'm not going to be productive for a while.