@futurebird@sauropods.win
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

futurebird

@futurebird@sauropods.win

pro-ant propaganda, building electronics, writing sci-fi teaching mathematics & CS. I live in NYC.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

I’m super proud of my any foraging automaton code! it’s nothing new or earth shattering BUT I was able to recreate the program described in “Swarm Intelligence” (Bonabeau Dorigo Theraulaz) and get the ants to mark stable trails and expose the emergent strategies induced by different patterns of food dispersal!

Now I just need to:
-make it in java too not just python
-get the graphics hooked up with tkinter

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

This is all in service of making a lesson that will give us a good excuse to walk over to the AMNH one day yo see the new colony. I mean if we are programming ant colony search strategies we OBVIOUSLY need to go see the real ants? Admins can’t say no!!

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@plinth Yes. There are specialist papers and pop science books but what I want is something more like a textbook with summaries and overviews.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

To be honest, I wish there was more … cohesive theory about these kinds of systems. Automata have been around for a couple of decades but it can still feel like an “emerging” area of study. If you have book recommendations I’m always looking!

amoshiashwili, to random

@futurebird hey... A friend just asked a question on a group chat. He saw two different ant nest openings about three feet apart, with ants pouring out of each and forming a "4-ant deep carpet roiling with purpose."

He posted this video (I legit can't see anything, but my eyes are terrible) and I thought, "I follow someone who knows about ants!" Any idea what this behavior is?

Ants? Maybe?

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@amoshiashwili

If this is in the US my guess is it's Tetramorium immigrans. These are tiny ants who love nothing more than WAR. And that's an ant war if I've ever seen one.

It's kind of strange how much energy they spend attacking sister colonies, often found by queens who were once sisters in the same nest.

But somehow they are still remarkably successful and numerous. One colony will win and they will expand and raise queens in summer.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@twizzt @amoshiashwili

They are so violent!

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

I make fun of Pica for desperately begging every day to go out on the roof garden to… IDK sniff plants? I don’t know what her 3min of puttering around accomplishes. (?) But, am i any better? “checking on my garden” feel like a serious farmer! I could feed our family for … hours!

Today? excitement! a grackle spotted Pica & DID NOT like her. bird starts throwing a fit! cawing, dancing with a grub in its mouth! Were I a bird I don’t think I’d like Pica either.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@blinkenjim

The one camped out on our roof was puffing up and making a ton of noise at Pica. Her presence seemed to deeply offend the bird-- but the bird wasn't willing to just fly away either, kept making noise until I took Pica in.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

Seriously what kind of name is "grackle"

It's a perfect fit but can't put my finger on why... maybe it's how expressive they are... like crabby little crows.

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

My advice one month in, taking Ozempic (aka wegovy) for weight loss. This drug could make sense for you if:

  1. Your weight keeps you from doing activities you want to do.
  2. You are open to talking an injection once a week for the rest of your life (or until you can be active enough to balance calories with your hunger level)
  3. The main reason you can’t stick to a diet is because you are just … hungry. You don’t ever eat for other reasons or feel overly full after eating.
    1/
futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

I’m very happy with how us going and delighted to be able to jog a little and just feel more mobile and energetic.

When I started the drug the nausea was bad. But not feeling hungry all the time is a relief. I was worried that if I didn’t feel hunger but skipped eating I’d still get hunger headaches— this did not happen. I’m not as hungry and I’m not jittery and wired either.

It was annoying to get the whole thing set up— but worth it. 2/

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

There is a part of me that feels kind of— like it’s cheating? I have always been on a damn diet for decades— and the pressure is just gone. I don’t know how is put up with it for so long to be honest. I was gifted with the ability to make the most of whatever food was around. Probably helped some long lost ancestors to survive while the more naturally willowy one wasted away. But in the USA it’s just a liability. 3/3

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@nerdybutcute some insurance will cover it if you twist their arm

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

Child thinks he's the first black person to get called oreo. There's almost nothing as intrenched in the black-experience. Nothing quite as exceptionally 'Afro-American' as having everything you do questioned "oh that's not black" --he misses the thing to take offense at, though.

As a black person everything you do is black. Going sailing? Black sailing. Doing calculus? Black calculus. Wearing Sebagos w/ no socks & pink boat shorts w/ lil whales on 'em @ the vinyard? All black all the time.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

no i'm not linking to this lil fool you can imagine what he's like from what i said.

I'm totally doing you a favor... trust me.

terminalimpala, to actuallyautistic

@actuallyautistic My new girl was having a shitty day today.

I told her a true story. When I was a boy, a girl supposedly was interested in me romantically. When I approached her, she rejected me. Some of my friends at the time theorized that she was "playing hard to get."

My own observation, now, years after the fact, is that if you "play hard to get" with someone who is autistic, chances are that you are going to be taken as "not interested", which is what I did.

Comments?

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@terminalimpala @actuallyautistic

100%

Romance is complex enough with the fear of getting hurt, and the whole trying to find the right person. I don't understand the extra steps some people seem to imagine and ... enjoy? IDK?

starchy, to random

Can't wait for Twitter to start requiring logins to view anything just so people stop sending me links to tweets without context and expecting me to follow them every time

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@starchy I seriously hate how much musk clearly failed to understand twitter. And I wish linking to fediverse posts was less … ambiguous and unstable though I can’t think of a simple fix for that issue.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@starchy Doesn’t that just turn it into instagram or facebook? I thought the whole point was that tweets were public and could go in articles and stuff? No papers will reference tweets if their readers have to login again to see them.

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

Recursion is black magic.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

I’m a grown up but I still am amazed every time it works? Just feels like cheating. I think experiencing this in a CS context hammers that home more than when you do induction proofs in math because you get the whole output… it can’t possibly be a trick but still feels like one.

My class figured out the 4peg tower of hanoi but they are now depressed because I said no one has proven if it’s the most efficient in terms of numbers of moves. (this is still open, yes?)

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@tncowart

Cool! Was this paper ever published? It's in French so I feel a little daunted-- but, if there are published papers and they are only in French maybe a translation project is in order so all the English-speaking heathens can know about it.

earthchild, to art
@earthchild@mastodon.social avatar

Montreal-based artist Raku Inoue used sticks, seeds and petals to create his Natura Insects series. “I think about the main shape of the insect,” he says, “and try to find something to satisfy that. It’s very much like a puzzle."

The series started as a morning routine over coffee to sharpen his thoughts for the day. “It was never meant to be a complex process, but rather an easygoing, morning mind-stretching exercise.”

Article and photos:

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2018/aug/11/a-garden-alive-with-art-all-natural-insect-sculptures-in-pictures

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@earthchild

Oh, by "her" I meant the ant.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@earthchild

I love her!

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

Good for you, Jean!

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

To be honest Trump seemed unwilling to defend himself or offer anything convincing to denny what he did.

And I assume that's because he never has and probably never will see what the crime was.

action_jay, to animals
@action_jay@mstdn.ca avatar

Become orb

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@action_jay

p o n d e r

drskyskull, to random
@drskyskull@mastodon.social avatar

Jack has woefully underestimated my kinks

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@drskyskull

"again, skyskull?!?"

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

I tried to go take a peek at the new leaf cutter ant colony at the AMNH but golly geez... the line was SO LONG. I gotta try to go first thing in the AM.

I'm glad it's popular, though. Every museum can be improved with ant colonies!

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@xris

aw... there are minimums riding the leaves keeping a lookout for parasitoid wasps. They're so prepared for everything!

(also what else will nursery workers do as they age out?)

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

A lot of people don't know the difference between capitalism and ... having markets and shopping and little coops and companies in non-super-essential economic sectors that operate independently.

Markets existed before capitalism and will exist after.

futurebird,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

@comebackkid44723 “markets and currency have never existed without the state”

Markets have obviously existed without a state. What are you talking about?

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

"oh they say this war is about freedom, but really, it's about resources. Earlier this summer someone spilled Dr.Pepper near the far sidewalk crack and now, all of a sudden, the colony on the other side of the sidewalk paver isn't so keen on us collecting the sticky goo.

So, before long there are arguments, and someone points out that the ants over there only clean their antennae 4 times a day not 5... and we're off to 'liberate' them. Same story as ever." -Tetramorium, probably

futurebird, to random
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

The bird took one look at the creature and did not like anything about it. Not the fur, not the pointy ears, not the whiskers, not the little white paws, not the horrible cat-shape. This simply would not do. Not on the roof! This was a high place for birds only. The slow monkey creatures weren’t too bad— but this new one was unacceptable! The bird did their best to explain the problem and to show the creature it was not welcome.

  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • •
  • provamag3
  • thenastyranch
  • magazineikmin
  • osvaldo12
  • InstantRegret
  • rosin
  • Youngstown
  • tester
  • ngwrru68w68
  • slotface
  • Durango
  • mdbf
  • kavyap
  • DreamBathrooms
  • JUstTest
  • khanakhh
  • cubers
  • tacticalgear
  • everett
  • normalnudes
  • ethstaker
  • modclub
  • GTA5RPClips
  • cisconetworking
  • megavids
  • Leos
  • anitta
  • lostlight
  • All magazines
    •