Virtual Trackballs: An Interactive Taxonomy
Rotating 3D objects on a 2D screen is a fundamental building block of human-computer interaction. Being able to reach through a pane of glass and touch virtual objects is absolutely…
The “Crown of Nobles” Noble Gas Tube Display
In my day job I work with ion thrusters for spacecraft, which are essentially electric-powered rockets that fling Xenon gas out at super high speeds to provide thrust and allow…
Introducing the ‘mpl_stereo’ Library to Make Stereograms and Anaglyphs
When I was a kid growing up in the 90's, I was fascinated with the "Magic Eye" books. These were picture books filled with images like the one below, which…
ChatGPT on an iPhone
Update November 23, 2023: All this functionality has made it into the official ChatGPT app! This automatically comes with the iPhone action "ChatGPT - Start voice conversation", and on the…
Flying around 3d plots with an IMU and quaternions
Cool Video First! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIT4kRJhyBY Project Idea I generate a good number of 3D plots for work and other projects, and for a while I've wanted to make a physical device…
Introducing the ‘monaco’ Monte-Carlo Python Library
At the heart of all serious forecasting, whether that be of elections, the spread of pandemics, weather, or the path of a lander on its way to Mars, is a…
An 8-bit Breadboard Computer
I built a computer! A very primitive one, made out of breadboards, bare wire, and logic gates. But it’s fully functioning, it looks awesome, and unlike the staggering complexity of…
How the Ben Eater 8-Bit Breadboard Computer Works
I made a computer - here's how it works! This is going to be too technical an overview for those without any background knowledge. But for those who made their…
A Tour of the “Lasersaur” Laser Cutter
I built a laser cutter! Specifically the Lasersaur, which is a professional grade open-source project. The idea is to use it to make more wooden topo maps, sell them on…
Parts and Cost Breakdown for the Lasersaur
When building the Lasersaur laser cutter, a resource that was super helpful for me was Chris Derossi's excellent post on his own cost breakdown. I figured it's be useful to…