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Explorations in science and computing

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Explorations in science and computing

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April 14, 2021April 13, 2021Linux, Manjaro, Programming

Manjaro first impressions

Manjaro is an Arch-based Linux distribution that emphasises simplicity and customisation. During a recent computer upgrade, I decided to switch from openSUSE, which has been my distribution of choice for […]

October 24, 2019April 17, 2025Ecology

Habitat fragmentation – what does it mean for biodiversity?

In almost all ecosystems, human activities are causing areas of pristine habitat to be broken into smaller, isolated fragments, causing both habitat loss and habitat fragmentation. Many studies have made […]

March 28, 2019April 17, 2025Linux, Programming, Python

Writing a command line dictionary and thesaurus using Python

Update Google’s unofficial dictionary API is no longer supported. ☹️ Many times when I’m searching for a definition for a word, or want to find synonyms, I find myself reaching […]

March 14, 2019May 16, 2019C++, Programming

Random number generators for C++ performance tested

Random number generators (RNGs) are a crucial part of many computational processes. As an ecologist, they are particularly important for representing the stochasticity in life in my models. The most […]

February 28, 2019March 27, 2019C++, Programming, Python

Scientific programming in Python with C++ extensions

Usually, a high-level programming language like Python is ideal for scientific computing. The ease of development and enormous supply of published libraries are two reasons many scientists choose Python as […]

February 21, 2019January 21, 2021Programming, Python

Programming fractal art using tensorflow

Fractals are undeniably beautiful. The self-similar, highly complex patterns reflect elements of the natural world, yet appear geometric and almost alien in their organisation. I decided to generate some using […]

February 14, 2019March 27, 2019Ecology

An introduction to ecological neutral theory

What makes species different? Why is it that many species of plant or animal can exist, in extremely close proximity, all competing for resources? The traditional view is that each […]

February 7, 2019February 22, 2019Linux, Opensuse

A selection of the best Linux apps and Gnome extensions

When I inevitably mess up something on my Linux set-up (again) and want to get my system back the way it looked and felt, with most of the tools I […]

Recent posts

  • Manjaro first impressions
  • Habitat fragmentation – what does it mean for biodiversity?

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