iPython Notebook
Even though Python is one of those skills I’d love to claim proficiency in, I haven’t worked on a real project in the language in quite some time. I’ve always felt more comfortable in statically-typed...
View ArticleWhich Witch is Which
This post is an elaboration of an iRKernel Notebook which can be found at http://misc.tkelly.org/Which_Witch.html. For a previous article on the iPython Notebook, see here. Every programming language...
View ArticleFinalizing my research, the CCELIM model, in R
For the past 6 months I’ve been working on an inverse modeling project as a ‘starter’ graduate project, and today I am announcing that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. While there is...
View ArticleMarkov Chain Monte Carlo: A Practical Introduction
Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulation sounds, admittedly, like a method better left to professional practitioners and the like; but please don’t let the esoteric name fool you. MCMC, as we like to call...
View ArticleThe Future of R
On a day to day basis, I use the R programing language more than any other language (e.g Python, Java, Fortran, Matlab…), and there is a good reason for it: R excels at the sort of work I do. It has...
View ArticleAnalyzing YSI data through clustering
Update 10/13/15 – Minor improvements to code and an update to the latest findings. CTD data (conductivity, temperature and depth) from a YSI provides a quick and methodologically simple way to estimate...
View ArticleIndependent Exploration: Picking a Model
At the onset of the semester, myself along with Taylor, Xu and Erick committed to setting up and running a 3d hydrographic model of Apalachicola Bay. Since the primary goal of these weekly meetings was...
View ArticleCommon Image Formats Explained
After a recent conversation with a friend about photography and digital images, there seems to be many unanswered questions out there regarding the wide variety of image formats which have become...
View ArticleMarine Geochemistry: a particle flux model
While on a run yesterday in my new Xero brand running sandals[1], I found myself thinking about the proposal I have to write for marine geochemistry. Since I have read a fairly comprehensive assortment...
View ArticleInterpolating Bathymetry to Unstructured Mesh
A few weeks (perhaps months) ago I introduced the side project that I am involved with (here) whereby our aim is to develop a hydrographic model for Apalachicola Bay, Fl. Today I wanted to provide an...
View ArticleGetting Started in 3D Printing
As someone who enjoys working on projects and tinkering with everything from computer systems to welders, I’ve always had a passive interest in 3d printing technology; yet I never seriously considered...
View ArticleModern Data Organization for the Modern Scientist
Scientists handle a lot of data, I mean a lot of data. The type and format of the data varies, but the predominate format used in oceanography is definitely the humble spreadsheet. Without firsthand...
View ArticleData Compression: Benchmarking Performance on Generic Data
Data compression is one of those things that most people don’t really think about. We all know about the benefits of using a ZIP file if our attachment is too large or if we have a bunch of files we...
View ArticleJulia Language for Scientists
Today I wanted to take a moment and introduce a programming language to my friends and colleagues. While certainly not a common topic, I do so because I believe that it is well worth your time. Rather...
View ArticleFor lack of a better word: Clumpiness
We perceive randomness every day whether it’s the shape that clouds take or the number of red lights we face during our commute, so it is not surprising that our intuition is well suited to some of...
View ArticleCall me Ishmael: computers, the sea and the stars
While ancient and modern mariners alike look up to the stars for direction, oceanographers look to the sea. Our research in particular involves moving with the water wherever it may happen to take us...
View ArticleDaily Dose: Efficiency at Work
Prioritizing goes hand in hand with efficiency and productivity whether it’s extreme (like triage) or the mundane (like paying bills), but how often do we actually stop and think about the process?...
View ArticleFaster Gridding in R
So all oceanographers are familiar with the results of gridding, even if they are not so familiar with the process. Gridding is, in general, any method that will take observations and output...
View ArticleProgramming for the rest of us: Introducing a new R package to help solve...
As a self trained, informal, fly by the seat of my pants programmer, I am hardly the “best” person to give advice about teaching other how to program. I have no formal background in computer science...
View ArticleRetrieving data from the bottom of the ocean: OCR for ROV
When advising students about their career goals, paths forward, and expectations; I often recommend that they consider learning a program language. While the language itself depends on the goals and...
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