biafra ahanonu a collection of short stories, essays and designs. http://bahanonu.com/ 2024-04-02T20:00:09+02:00 notes http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/76 biafra ahanonu 2012-09-23T00:00:00+02:00 2012-09-23T00:00:00+02:00

Links to projects, articles, reports, and mock websites i'm working on.

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all quotes review: The Right to Pain Relief and Other Deep Roots of the Opioid Epidemic http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/234 biafra ahanonu 2023-11-02T00:00:00+01:00 2023-11-02T00:00:00+01:00

A thought-provoking book that should be read by anyone interested in the study and management of pain. I provide select passages from the book and will update with additional quotes in the future.

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neuroscience imaging analysis tools: 2023 update http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/233 biafra ahanonu 2023-09-14T00:00:00+02:00 2023-09-14T00:00:00+02:00

An updated resource that provides new and existing researchers a central location for methods and URLs for (calcium) imaging data processing and analysis tools. This table also includes imaging data handling and analysis tools beyond calcium imaging and will be updated going forward. Also found at https://bahanonu.com/brain/imaging_tools/ or https://github.com/bahanonu/imaging_tools.

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Long-term optical imaging of the spinal cord in awake, behaving animals http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/231 biafra ahanonu 2023-05-25T00:00:00+02:00 2023-05-25T00:00:00+02:00

How does the spinal cord process sensory stimuli in awake animals? A brief overview of results from our recent preprint describing a spinal implant chamber, fibrosis-inhibiting materials, computational methods, and end-to-end pipeline for large-scale bilateral recording from multiple segments of the spinal cord. This allowed us to conduct long-term (months to over a year) imaging of individual axons, microglia dynamics, and Ca2+ imaging of neurons—all in awake, behaving animals. Several of the approaches described, such as fibrosis inhibition, are applicable to preparations and experiments beyond the spinal cord.

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Satellite-based videos: Eastern Europe during the Russia-Ukraine conflict http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/229 biafra ahanonu 2022-11-30T00:00:00+01:00 2022-11-30T00:00:00+01:00

To visualize the nighttime lights of Eastern Europe, with a focus on times before and after the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, I updated my [geoSatView](https://github.com/bahanonu/geoSatView) `R` code originally built to view forest fires in the west coast of the United States to use satellite data from VNP46A1 and other datasets collected from the Suomi NPP VIIRS satellite. I then created higher-quality movies in `MATLAB` by using the VNP46A2 Black Marble dataset collected by the same satellite, which has reduced cloud and other artifacts due to additional data processing. This allowed me to quantitate a permanent reduction in nighttime lights within Ukraine (in line with my initial hypothesis) and identify a multi-stage reduction of nighttime lights in Kiev's outer neighborhoods/metropolitan area that was greater than that seen in the city core/center. This highlights the utility of public satellite data to quickly test hypotheses and visualize large-scale changes. I will go over how the Black Marble dataset is collected and processed along with how I created the movies and the advantages/disadvantages of each data source. Using this platform and codebase, in follow-up posts I will look at 2021 Texas power crisis during the winter storms, vegetation changes in deforested areas or after conservation efforts, and other events.

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Arizona sunset #1 (Tucson) http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/design/?picture=2022_07_Tucson_sunset01.jpg biafra ahanonu 2022-07-02T00:00:00+02:00 2022-07-02T00:00:00+02:00

Arizona has beautiful sunsets.Captured on my Olympus E-M10 Mark III (ISO-100, f/2.8).

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National Park animals #1: Pinnacles, Kings Canyon, Sequoia http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/design/?picture=2022_06_animals_pinnacles_kings_canyon_sequoia.jpg biafra ahanonu 2022-06-27T00:00:00+02:00 2022-06-27T00:00:00+02:00

America s national parks are a treasure that everyone who lives in, or visits, the United States should have a chance to enjoy. We recently visited three national parks: Pinnacles, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia. Each has beautiful landscapes and flora; however, another attraction is the diversity of animals, from squirrels to bees to several bears (including a mother and cub!).If you look closely in the top-right photo, you can see a snake hiding under the rock (the squirrel gave a series of warning calls while approaching the snake before/during the photo).Captured on my Olympus E-M10 Mark III (various settings, lenses).

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Imaging pain-related neural activity in freely-moving animals http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/228 biafra ahanonu 2022-05-30T00:00:00+02:00 2022-05-30T00:00:00+02:00

Our book chapter detailing the entire pipeline from surgeries to analysis for calcium imaging of pain-related neural activity has been published. This can prove a useful reference for those new to calcium imaging (esp. in freely moving animals) or researchers who want to see how others perform certain experimental and analytical steps along with the rationale. Please reach out if you have any specific questions, happy to help!

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Blood Moon (19th November 2021) http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/design/?picture=2021_11_19_bloodMoon.jpg biafra ahanonu 2021-11-19T00:00:00+01:00 2021-11-19T00:00:00+01:00

Captured on my Olympus DSLR camera using a tripod during a partial blood moon lunar eclipse on 19th November 2021 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_2021_lunar_eclipse). Luckily, there was a tall building nearby with an unobstructed view of the moon and the clouds that night miraculously decided to have fun in another portion of the sky or give me just the right moment where I could capture the next phase of the eclipse.

Images captured with low ISO (e.g. <100) settings (to minimize noise) and exposure times of 1/60 to 3.2 s that allowed me to capture the moon illuminated by the sun (when it looks gray) and the portion being eclipsed (red, the bright light on the left side of the moon is the overexposed sun-exposed portion).

This image is a composite, created in Photoshop, of several different shots taken throughout the night. The pictures were not adjusted, I used blending modes and layer masks to allow overlay of each picture close to one another without needing to crop the photos, which would have led to sharp edges between moon pictures and a less anesthetically pleasing photo.

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Neuroscience imaging analysis tools http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/226 biafra ahanonu 2021-11-08T00:00:00+01:00 2021-11-08T00:00:00+01:00

Provide new and existing researchers a central location for methods and URLs for calcium imaging data processing and analysis tools. This table also includes imaging data handling and analysis tools beyond calcium imaging and will be updated going forward. The table can be sorted by column by clicking each header. Also found as part of the Brain Initiative Notes post [imaging analysis tools](/brain/#c20211108) or https://github.com/bahanonu/imaging_tools.

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Humanity's Dirge http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/224 biafra ahanonu 2021-06-14T00:00:00+02:00 2021-06-14T00:00:00+02:00

A short dirge that introduces one of the themes of Filugori, my planned book on man's conquest of space.

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Howard Hughes Medical Institute Hanna H. Gray Fellowship http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/222 biafra ahanonu 2021-02-18T00:00:00+01:00 2021-02-18T00:00:00+01:00

I recently became a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Hanna H. Gray Fellow. A brief post thanking my amazing mentors and highlighting (some of) my goals as a Fellow.

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geoSatView: creating videos from satellite data http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/220 biafra ahanonu 2020-09-14T00:00:00+02:00 2020-09-14T00:00:00+02:00

I created __geoSatView__ back in 2018 to visualize fires on the West Coast of the United States. This entry briefly discusses __geoSatView__ along with providing example videos and links to the code.

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DSLR Chronicles #1: Getting ready for Mars http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/219 biafra ahanonu 2020-09-09T00:00:00+02:00 2020-09-09T00:00:00+02:00

San Francisco looks good in red. Select pictures from a Martian-themed bike ride around SF.

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Wary Statistics #1: The tale of CDC mortality http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/218 biafra ahanonu 2020-04-06T00:00:00+02:00 2020-04-06T00:00:00+02:00

I will briefly discuss properly interpreting data you might see in the mainstream or on social media. The takeaway: if recent data for some measure (e.g. pneumonia deaths) from this year looks to be different than prior years, make sure to check that it is not an artifact of data collection or compilation.

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The Origin and Evolution of Life http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/216 biafra ahanonu 2020-01-01T00:00:00+01:00 2020-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

I am starting a new blog focused on the Origin and Evolution of Life. Here is the first post.

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The Train to Pain Is Mainly in the Brain (by NAPS, We Got It!) http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/215 biafra ahanonu 2019-09-18T00:00:00+02:00 2019-09-18T00:00:00+02:00

The North American Pain School (NAPS) is a unique experience. The combination of great faculty and trainees, awesome discussions and talks, and a beautiful location help produce a week that will continue to pay dividends far into the future. In this post I want to give future NAPS attendees an idea of why I loved NAPS so much, interspersed with photos that give a feel for what to expect. _This post can also be found on the PRF website:_ _[https://www.painresearchforum.org/forums/discussion/118414-2019-prf-naps-correspondents-blog#traintopain](https://www.painresearchforum.org/forums/discussion/118414-2019-prf-naps-correspondents-blog#traintopain)_

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Filugori book cover, version 1 http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/design/?picture=2019_08_18_filugori_book_cover01.jpg biafra ahanonu 2019-08-18T00:00:00+02:00 2019-08-18T00:00:00+02:00

One of the initial designs for a book cover for my planned sci-fi book Filugori.

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The origin of pain researchers http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/214 biafra ahanonu 2019-06-25T00:00:00+02:00 2019-06-25T00:00:00+02:00

My second blog post as a PRF-NAPS correspondent for the North American Pain School. Briefly talks about how several scientists got into pain research. This post can also be found on the PRF website: https://www.painresearchforum.org/forums/discussion/118414-2019-prf-naps-correspondents-blog.

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The Spiritual, Societal, and Historical Milieu Influencing Pain Perception http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/213 biafra ahanonu 2019-06-18T00:00:00+02:00 2019-06-18T00:00:00+02:00

My first blog post as a PRF-NAPS correspondent for the North American Pain School. Explores some thoughts on spiritual, societal, and historical influences on pain perception. More soon! This post can also be found on the PRF website: https://www.painresearchforum.org/forums/discussion/118414-2019-prf-naps-correspondents-blog#styles-2-0.

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Spatiotemporal domain of neuroscience methods http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/212 biafra ahanonu 2019-05-29T00:00:00+02:00 2019-05-29T00:00:00+02:00

An updated spatiotemporal domain of neuroscience methods graphic, inspired by from [Sejnowski, 2014](https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.3839). More changes will be added in time.

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The return of the BRAIN initiative notes http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/207 biafra ahanonu 2018-12-09T00:00:00+01:00 2018-12-09T00:00:00+01:00

I will begin posting again on the BRAIN initiative notes running webpage/blog that I started while ago. There is a lot going on in neuroscience and many questions of how it relates to society at large. Below I have included the first of the new posts that goes over methods for identifying cells and reconstructing neural activity traces from calcium imaging movies. Find article on BRAIN webpage at Calcium imaging cell identification and fluorescence activity trace reconstruction, part 1. Look forward to more postings!

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Biafra Ahanonu Dissertation Oral Exam http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/design/?picture=2018_08_07_biafra_oral_exam_announcement.jpg biafra ahanonu 2018-07-31T00:00:00+02:00 2018-07-31T00:00:00+02:00

The announcement poster for my Stanford PhD university oral exam.

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Book Review: Who We Are and How We Got Here http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/204 biafra ahanonu 2018-03-31T00:00:00+02:00 2018-03-31T00:00:00+02:00

Who We Are and How We Got Here is an excellent book that, even with its flaws, is worth reading for the great overview it gives into the emerging ancient DNA field that could have profound impacts on culture, politics, and science. Goodreads review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2343817531.

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Book Review, Part 1.0 — The Rediscovery of Man: The Complete Short Science Fiction of Cordwainer Smith http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/191 biafra ahanonu 2017-11-18T00:00:00+01:00 2017-11-18T00:00:00+01:00

Chinese conquests of Venus, cats fighting off extra-dimensional dragons, Soviet telepathic experiments gone wrong, and much much more! Cordwainer's _The Rediscovery of Man_ is a grand, unique vision of Mankind's future and is a must read for anyone interested in a delightful journey that will both get them to ponder many new ideas and leave a smile on their face.

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State of SBSA: a review of 2017 and thoughts on future directions http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/198 biafra ahanonu 2017-06-04T00:00:00+02:00 2017-06-04T00:00:00+02:00

I spent the past year leading the Stanford Biosciences Student Association (SBSA) as President. This post consist of the letter to the community I sent out at the end of my term giving some highlights of the past year, those who have helped out, and thoughts on future directions.

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Book Review — Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/192 biafra ahanonu 2017-03-21T00:00:00+01:00 2017-03-21T00:00:00+01:00

A review of _Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power_, a book that provides an excellent view of how a large multinational corporation deals with adversity, planning on horizons unheard of in political or other arenas, and deals with hostile, often unstable governments in far flung reaches of the world. This review was written back in December 2016, but I am posting it here largely unchanged.

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The Long Journey by Johannes V. Jensen — Creating the definitive e-book http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/196 biafra ahanonu 2017-02-07T00:00:00+01:00 2017-02-07T00:00:00+01:00

I have created an updated and corrected E-book version of Johannes V. Jensen's _The Long Journey_. It is easier to use on ebook readers and when using text-to-speech since header/footers and other errata have been removed from the PDF converted text. I've included HTML, EPUB, and MOBI files along with an explanation of major fixes/changes made. Enjoy!

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Book Review — Don Quixote http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/190 biafra ahanonu 2017-02-05T00:00:00+01:00 2017-02-05T00:00:00+01:00

How do you disentangle the period in which _Don Quixote_ was written, it's stature as a literary classic, and all the other baggage that accompany this epic? Forget all about it and just enjoy the reading experience.

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Campaign Poster 2016 No. 6 | Americans Edition Wallpaper http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/design/?picture=2016_election_donald_trump_round09_americansWallpaper.jpg biafra ahanonu 2017-01-11T00:00:00+01:00 2017-01-11T00:00:00+01:00

This is an updated version of Election poster no. 6 with a focus on Americans instead of President-elect Trump. This is the background wallpaper version.

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Book Review — Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/189 biafra ahanonu 2017-01-07T00:00:00+01:00 2017-01-07T00:00:00+01:00

_Barbarians at the Gate_ is an excellent journalistic endeavor and a non-stop thrill from start to finish; highly recommended.

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Is Freedom Necessary? Poster #1 http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/design/?picture=2016_is_freedom_necessary_round01.jpg biafra ahanonu 2016-12-31T00:00:00+01:00 2016-12-31T00:00:00+01:00

Challenge ideas and assumptions now: be better prepared to defend them in the future.A worthwhile read: https://www.huxley.net/bnw-revisited/.This poster is the first in a series of posters that will explore the relationship between freedom (liberty/license) and various ills plaguing society. It ultimately aims to get people thinking about calls to limit freedom, the context in which these calls arise, and what that means when taken to the extreme.https://twitter.com/syscarut/status/815047192494804992 \#IsFreedomNecessary

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Book Review — All the President's Men http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/188 biafra ahanonu 2016-12-29T00:00:00+01:00 2016-12-29T00:00:00+01:00

_All the President's Men_ offers a compelling description of Woodward and Bernsteins investigative journalism but suffers from a narrow presentation of the events surrounding Watergate and its exposure.

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Book Review — The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/187 biafra ahanonu 2016-12-17T00:00:00+01:00 2016-12-17T00:00:00+01:00

What an adventure. In short, the book describes the key players, their personalities, ambitions, and background, along with the financial forces at work that created the culture of Enron and thus the seeds for its dramatic rise and fall. Highly recommended.

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Jill Stein Campaign Poster 2016 No. 1 http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/design/?picture=2016_election_jill_stein_round01.jpg biafra ahanonu 2016-10-18T00:00:00+02:00 2016-10-18T00:00:00+02:00

Presidential election 2016 poster no 11! Completing the major candidates set.Even if one doesn't agree with all of her positions or worldview, it is worth listening to Dr. Stein's speeches and interviews along with evaluating her stances in greater detail. Might come away with a new idea or two.

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Gary Johnson Campaign Poster 2016 No. 1 http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/design/?picture=2016_election_gary_johnson_round01.jpg biafra ahanonu 2016-08-18T00:00:00+02:00 2016-08-18T00:00:00+02:00

Time to get rid of the negative all talk, no action mindset of "You are wasting your vote by voting third party this election", etc., etc. If you are on the right side of history and want to improve a failed system, do it now! Just like the Founding Fathers did.

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2016 Election: Power and the Presidency http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/design/?picture=2016_election_notice_no1.jpg biafra ahanonu 2016-08-04T00:00:00+02:00 2016-08-04T00:00:00+02:00

I'll keep hammering on the need for more positive, high energy surrounding election coverage.What appears to be lacking in the discourse surrounding modern Presidential elections is: would people become so impassioned if the Presidency was still constitutionally limited (to Article II)?

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American Exceptionalism no. 1 http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/design/?picture=american_exceptionalism_v1.jpg biafra ahanonu 2016-07-04T00:00:00+02:00 2016-07-04T00:00:00+02:00

No context needed, America is awesome. Celebrating Independence Day!

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Bernie Sanders Campaign Poster 2016 no. 1 http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/design/?picture=2016_election_bernie_sanders_round01.jpg biafra ahanonu 2016-06-01T00:00:00+02:00 2016-06-01T00:00:00+02:00

2016 Presidential poster number 4.During speeches, Senator Sanders has delved into America's past to show when the hand of government helped push the United States to new heights. Wanted to honor the loftier aspects of his rhetoric with a poster to match.Additional high energy posters forthcoming...

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Hillary Clinton Campaign Poster 2016 No. 1 http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/design/?picture=2016_election_hillary_clinton_round01.jpg biafra ahanonu 2016-05-09T00:00:00+02:00 2016-05-09T00:00:00+02:00

Continuing the 2016 Presidential campaign poster series. Wanted this one to be simple and to the point before designing a more elaborate one for Senator Clinton.

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Donald J. Trump Campaign Poster 2016 http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/design/?picture=2016_election_donald_j_trump_round01.jpg biafra ahanonu 2016-02-09T00:00:00+01:00 2016-02-09T00:00:00+01:00

Wanted to make a series of 2016 presidential candidate posters like I did for the 2012 race. The first is for Donald Trump and focused on emphasizing his general goals rather than specifics. They were also left appropriately vague to allow the viewer to interpret them through their own lens/opinions on the issues.

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Movie Review: The Revenant http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/181 biafra ahanonu 2016-01-15T00:00:00+01:00 2016-01-15T00:00:00+01:00

The Revenant is a beautiful, haunting, and brutal tale of a man's struggle against nature, himself, and his fellow man. And at the same time, it is one of those brilliantly conceived movies that uses screen time to allow the audience to meditate and reflect on what they have just witnessed. Go see this movie.

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Book Review: Harmony Black http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/180 biafra ahanonu 2016-01-07T00:00:00+01:00 2016-01-07T00:00:00+01:00

Harmony Black starts with an old premise, there is a normal and magical world, and barely builds on it. If you are looking for a fun weekend read, this book will fit the bill. But don't expect to come away with a novel view on the world or a new set of wondrous ideas to mull over.

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Movie Review: Star Wars The Force Awakens http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/179 biafra ahanonu 2015-12-21T00:00:00+01:00 2015-12-21T00:00:00+01:00

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is an okay movie when viewed through the eyes of an adult, but is a fun, entertaining movie if you go in with a twelve year old's mindset. It pushes the right buttons and has a good amount of fan service. But it ultimately fails as a standalone movie—with its boring/predictable plot, rehashed characters and concepts, and other flaws—that will ultimately be remembered as good or bad depending on how episodes VIII and IX turn out.

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Why you should watch Black Mirror http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/163 biafra ahanonu 2015-11-29T00:00:00+01:00 2015-11-29T00:00:00+01:00

Black Mirror is a unique and ever timely experience. The vignettes are spot on and while each explores a different aspect of our interaction with technology, the internet, and social media, there is an underlying dystopian view of the world that unifies the whole series. Watch it.

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Book Review: Steve Jobs - Walter Isaacson http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/176 biafra ahanonu 2015-10-31T00:00:00+01:00 2015-10-31T00:00:00+01:00

Walter Isaacson has done an admirable job of trying to tackle such a complicated biographical subject. But for many aspects of his life, from his childhood upbringing to his relationship with Patty Jobs to his time at NeXT, the book is lacking.

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Book Review: The Power Broker http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/175 biafra ahanonu 2015-09-17T00:00:00+02:00 2015-09-17T00:00:00+02:00

As has been stated many times, Robert Caro has written a tome that will show you in minute detail how a man manipulated the law, people, and money to obtain, use, and abuse power in quest to reshape NYC. It is absorbing, thrilling, informative, and much more. Read this book.

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Graduate Student Resources http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/166 biafra ahanonu 2015-08-19T00:00:00+02:00 2015-08-19T00:00:00+02:00

Providing links to some articles and other resources that I have found useful while in graduate school. I'll continually update the list as I find more.

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Book Review: Capital in the Twenty-First Century http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/173 biafra ahanonu 2015-07-29T00:00:00+02:00 2015-07-29T00:00:00+02:00

A flawed and deceitful rant against free markets in the guise of an objective analysis about the dynamics of capital. Piketty focuses almost exclusively on the inequality of wealth/capital and its accumulation. He then spends vast portions of the book attempting to put this inequality in a bad light without clearly articulating why. Couple that with a tendency to qualify every claim so as to avoid taking a definitive stand and you have a book that leaves you more confused and less informed about the topic, the dynamics of capital, than you entered with.

I'll update this review as I continue to chew over the book's many claims/assertions.

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Review of Mad Max: Fury Road http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/171 biafra ahanonu 2015-06-02T00:00:00+02:00 2015-06-02T00:00:00+02:00

A gorgeously shot film that is hampered by a spartan story that never really goes anywhere and action that becomes repetitive by the end of the first act.

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on the subject of something: reviving an old website http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/157 biafra ahanonu 2015-05-12T00:00:00+02:00 2015-05-12T00:00:00+02:00

On the Subject of Something was my original blog during high-school and early college. My Opera (the site it was hosted on) closed down and I was unaware of this fact during the grace period during which they allowed users to export the content from their website. However, I am extremely grateful to the Internet Archive: Wayback Machine, which allowed me to recover many of the webpages. I've included links to all the relevant posts that I could recover. Enjoy!

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john f. kennedy http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/design/?picture=president_posters_35_jfk.jpg biafra ahanonu 2015-05-12T00:00:00+02:00 2015-05-12T00:00:00+02:00

Decided to begin finishing my series of presidential posters. The best part of JFK's 'We choose to go to the Moon' speech isn't necessarily the actual goal, but the justification for why we want to achieve that goal.

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book review: Zero to One http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/164 biafra ahanonu 2015-03-20T00:00:00+01:00 2015-03-20T00:00:00+01:00

A short review of the excellent Zero to One, mostly analyzing an important question it ask early on: "What important truth do very few people agree with you on?"

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book review: The Old Man's War http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/167 biafra ahanonu 2015-02-13T00:00:00+01:00 2015-02-13T00:00:00+01:00

A brilliant science fiction novel that raises many questions and sets up an intriguing universe.

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Dynamic Goodreads SASS formatting http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/161 biafra ahanonu 2015-01-18T00:00:00+01:00 2015-01-18T00:00:00+01:00

Putting up some code that might be useful to others when formatting Goodreads widgets using dynamic class creation in SASS.

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interstellar review: was this the final cut? http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/155 biafra ahanonu 2014-12-17T00:00:00+01:00 2014-12-17T00:00:00+01:00

A review of Christopher Nolan's latest movie Interstellar. To put it briefly, rarely has a movie so vastly deviated from my expectations going in. And not in a good way.

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neuroscience and biology technologies http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/158 biafra ahanonu 2014-11-30T00:00:00+01:00 2014-11-30T00:00:00+01:00

Earlier this year I created a webpage to list various labs, websites, and other resources related to neuroscience and biotechnology. Decided to expand on this and create a living document of various technologies currently used in neuroscience.

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American Eagle http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/design/?picture=american_eagle_cropped.jpg biafra ahanonu 2014-10-10T00:00:00+02:00 2014-10-10T00:00:00+02:00

Decided to continue playing around with Illustrator. Wanted to update the bald eagle with a USA flag wallpaper I have. Wanted something a little different and distinct, so went for the cel-shaded look. Maybe next time i'll get an eagle in flight...

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Stanford biology retreat 2014 tshirt http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/design/?picture=cmb_retreat_2014_design_set4.jpg biafra ahanonu 2014-09-06T00:00:00+02:00 2014-09-06T00:00:00+02:00

Simple design I had for the Stanford biology 2014 retreat. Focused on a molecular structure of DNA and a pipette, a commonly used device in biology.

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book review: the path to power http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/152 biafra ahanonu 2014-08-29T00:00:00+02:00 2014-08-29T00:00:00+02:00

The Path to Power (The Years of Lyndon Johnson) is a sweeping tale about the early years of LBJs life and political career. It is easily one of the best books I've read in awhile and would heartily recommend to others. Here i'll do a brief review of the book.

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book review: the power of myth http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/150 biafra ahanonu 2014-08-11T00:00:00+02:00 2014-08-11T00:00:00+02:00

Recently finished The Power of Myth, which covers interviews with Joseph Campbell about myths, and was greatly disappointed. I'll briefly outline why in this review.

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evolving actaeon http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/149 biafra ahanonu 2014-07-16T00:00:00+02:00 2014-07-16T00:00:00+02:00

Wanted to quickly turn an idea that came up during a conversation into a short story. Touches on ideas of genetic engineering and cockfighting.

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reading list and book mini-reviews http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/146 biafra ahanonu 2014-05-21T00:00:00+02:00 2014-05-21T00:00:00+02:00

Below is the current crop of books I'm reading along with ratings and mini-reviews for other novels I've recently finished. I'm always excited to start a new book, so recommendations are welcome! __NOTE!__ The ratings are a combination of how impactful the book was on my thinking about a particular topic or how well I think it was written/got its point across. Thus, at times whether I agree or disagree with the content/thesis/etc. of the book, it could still get 5 stars if the point it makes gets me to think about the subject in a new way or changes how I interpret the world around me.

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neuroscience and biology resources http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/145 biafra ahanonu 2014-05-09T00:00:00+02:00 2014-05-09T00:00:00+02:00

A continually updated repository of scientific resources (journals, blogs, etc.) in biology with a focus on neuroscience.

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custom colormaps in matlab http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/144 biafra ahanonu 2014-05-09T00:00:00+02:00 2014-05-09T00:00:00+02:00

A function to easily create custom colormaps in Matlab.

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an exhaustive search for the truth http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/143 biafra ahanonu 2014-04-18T00:00:00+02:00 2014-04-18T00:00:00+02:00

The project had started out with a simple question: would it be faster to assemble complete knowledge about all truths past, present, and future through scientific inquiry or via brute force computation?

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sochi olympic stats: medal count http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/134 biafra ahanonu 2014-02-19T00:00:00+01:00 2014-02-19T00:00:00+01:00

There have been several articles that re-order the medal count ranking by comparing medals to population or GDP, which then show small countries topping the charts. This analysis ignores some obvious facts: small countries are over-represented in the number of athletes they send and the relationship between athletes sent and medals is linear. I present a brief analysis to support and expand on these claims.

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dealing with variable options (varargin) in matlab http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/133 biafra ahanonu 2014-02-17T00:00:00+01:00 2014-02-17T00:00:00+01:00

There are various ways to handle variable input arguments (varargin) in Matlab. I present the standard _getOptions_ method I developed that is simple, flexible, and allows for more readable code.

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r functions: city skylines http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/132 biafra ahanonu 2013-12-28T00:00:00+01:00 2013-12-28T00:00:00+01:00

An artistic rendering of Boston's skyline using R. Code and source data are included.

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c�i�t�y� �s�k�y�l�i�n�e�s�:� �b�o�s�t�o�n��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100093 biafra ahanonu 2013-12-28T00:00:00+01:00 2013-12-28T00:00:00+01:00

The heights of various buildings in Boston's skyline, converted into polar coordinates and randomly grouped.

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coding practices, part 1 http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/131 biafra ahanonu 2013-12-10T00:00:00+01:00 2013-12-10T00:00:00+01:00

Some thoughts on coding practices and an outline of a work-flow that i find useful when starting any project. Future posts will focus on concrete examples.

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excess humanity http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/130 biafra ahanonu 2013-10-26T00:00:00+02:00 2013-10-26T00:00:00+02:00

The point was nearing when humanity needed to optimize the population. And so the question arose: how many humans do we need?

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passing command-line parameters to imagej http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/129 biafra ahanonu 2013-10-11T00:00:00+02:00 2013-10-11T00:00:00+02:00

The processes of passing command-line parameters to ImageJ plugins isn't the most direct. Illustrated is a simple solution to this problem, full code included.

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the human abstraction http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/110 biafra ahanonu 2013-10-06T00:00:00+02:00 2013-10-06T00:00:00+02:00

How much effort would you expend to abstract man?

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r functions: knitr wrapper http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/122 biafra ahanonu 2013-07-13T00:00:00+02:00 2013-07-13T00:00:00+02:00

Thought i'd share the wrapper function i use to knit files using the excellent knitr package in R. This allows easy creation of an html page that integrates commentary, R code, and the resulting plots (which are base64 encoded, so the html file is fully portable).

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from the archives: declaration of independence, internet edition http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/105 biafra ahanonu 2013-07-11T00:00:00+02:00 2013-07-11T00:00:00+02:00

A revised Declaration of Independence I did awhile ago (i.e. high school) for a writing class. It is slightly a mockery of the style of writing sometimes used back then, e.g. finding unnecessarily complicated ways of saying a simple concept; long, ponderous sentences; and an abuse of the Capital.

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t�h�o�m�a�s� �j�e�f�f�e�r�s�o�n��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100092 biafra ahanonu 2013-07-10T00:00:00+02:00 2013-07-10T00:00:00+02:00

He got us the Louisiana Purchase and wrote the Declaration of Indepedence. Enough said.

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gantis: toward the edge http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/93 biafra ahanonu 2013-06-28T00:00:00+02:00 2013-06-28T00:00:00+02:00

The first in a series of short stories exploring a universe in which our negative space (i.e. space) is turned into their positive space (i.e. matter) and vice-versa. Thus, it is like the entire universe is a series of caves that they must excavate. This story introduces a few key characters, explore a bit of the lore, and is an attempt by me to write a story in which a clearer light is shone on a relationship between two characters. More to come, enjoy!

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bash scripting: randomly rename files http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/118 biafra ahanonu 2013-06-13T00:00:00+02:00 2013-06-13T00:00:00+02:00

Small script to enable quick randomization of files in a directory and conversion back to original names later. Original inspiration was a way to blind data analysis, e.g. if studying images from an experiment and don't want to be biased by the conditions applied.

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Global History of Architecture http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/91 biafra ahanonu 2013-06-08T00:00:00+02:00 2013-06-08T00:00:00+02:00

One of my favorite classes at MIT was 4.605 (Global History of Architecture), which explored various styles and themes found throughout different buildings and other types of architecture from the beginning of civilization to the present. In the spirit of sharing my enthusiasm for the course i'll discuss some takeaways from, and have included a couple papers i wrote for, the class.

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r functions: ggplot barplot with errorbars http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/116 biafra ahanonu 2013-06-06T00:00:00+02:00 2013-06-06T00:00:00+02:00

The best way to create a barplot with errorbars using ggplot in R is not obvious. I'll show a super simple solution.

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BRAIN initiative notes http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/115 biafra ahanonu 2013-05-27T00:00:00+02:00 2013-05-27T00:00:00+02:00

This is a continually updated collection of news, ideas/findings, and other tidbits related to the BRAIN initiative, promising biotechnologies, and neuroscience/biology in general. This is a really exciting time in neuroscience and I hope to capture a bit of that here.

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¿qué es la calle? http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/113 biafra ahanonu 2013-05-24T00:00:00+02:00 2013-05-24T00:00:00+02:00

Había terminado y salé para mi cocina. Tenía hambre pero este día no había comida dentro de mi despensa. Me fui y caminé hacienda la Tport—una máquina que puede transportar una persona a otro lugar sin energía y tiempo. Cuando entré la máquina, toqué algunos botónes y esperé. Pero nada ocurrió y lo hice las mismas acciones otra vez—y nada ocurrió.

How would the disappearance of streets affect the social fabric? This short story briefly (in castellano!) explores a world in which instantaneous, free transport is possible. Meant mainly to practice my spanish, i plan to follow-up with a more detail story in the future.

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bash scripting: youtube downloading macro http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/106 biafra ahanonu 2013-05-17T00:00:00+02:00 2013-05-17T00:00:00+02:00

Once again, the command line is the root of all that is good in the world. This time, it has helped improve on a long-standing issue for me: what is the easiest way to get a copy of all the luscious melodies i hear on youtube? Courtesy of youtube-dl, a nifty little command line utility, this problem has been solved. However, every once in awhile it throws errors and i wanted a wrapper bash script to take care of this and some other processing. I'll briefly go over the code.

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bioc218: predicting co-translational pausing with neural networks http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/108 biafra ahanonu 2013-05-14T00:00:00+02:00 2013-05-14T00:00:00+02:00

Wanted to share my final paper for bioc218, a computational biology class i took this winter 2013. We were tasked with choosing a particular technique, algorithm, or any material discussed in the class and exploring it in more detail. Neural networks seemed particularly interesting—and not just because i'm a neuroscientist. I wanted to use machine learning algorithms to improve predictions for the project i am working on in Judith Frydman's lab.

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bio42: notes http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/107 biafra ahanonu 2013-05-12T00:00:00+02:00 2013-05-12T00:00:00+02:00

While teaching bio42 (cell biology and animal physiology) I created weekly notes to help students in my section study and focus on the important materials presented in the class. I built off of the latex boilerplate that I have been improving over time to create weekly notes. This highlights why I love LaTeX so much, especially for larger projects that are heavily linked—it allows easy annotation, indexing, creation of new document styles, and other related processes rapidly and consistently. Plus, separating content and style is always a plus and images stay uncoupled from a propriety source (e.g. Word files). I really love the resulting notes and student feedback was quite positive. I thought sharing them might be useful for others in the future. The source latex files and raw images can be sent upon request (I'm considering making a Github repository in the future). I'll briefly talk about the document below and certain decisions that were made to get it to its current state.

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c�l�u�b� �c�o�a�t� �c�h�e�c�k� �s�t�a�t�s�:� �p�a�r�t� �1��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100091 biafra ahanonu 2013-04-19T00:00:00+02:00 2013-04-19T00:00:00+02:00

Made a script to access the facebook api, extract information from our group and parse the data for youtube links. Kept the date posted and other information then graphed the contributions of each user over time. Axis and other flourishes have been removed to focus on the aesthetics of the graph.

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C�h�e�y�n�e�-�S�t�o�k�e� �R�e�s�p�i�r�a�t�i�o�n��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100094 biafra ahanonu 2013-04-12T00:00:00+02:00 2013-04-12T00:00:00+02:00

One can create art with data, many have proven that with beautiful infographics or dazzling company reports. I thought using R to create an artistic rendering of a normally mundane process would be neat. I created a graphic based on Cheyne-Stokes respiration with the help of ggplot package. I think the resulting work has a sci-fi feel to it, almost like it could be a symbol for a corporation should the sinusoidal lobes be made solid.

Note: The black line is the breathing rate while the red and blue interlocking lines signify aponea and hyperponea, respectively.

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Cheyne-Stoke Respiration http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/111 biafra ahanonu 2013-04-12T00:00:00+02:00 2013-04-12T00:00:00+02:00

One can create art with data, many have proven that with beautiful infographics or dazzling company reports. I thought using R to create an artistic rendering of a normally mundane process would be neat. I developed a graphic based on Cheyne-Stokes respiration using ggplot. Code is included at the end.

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C�.� �N�o�v�y�i� �a�n�d� �P�o�m�a�l�i�d�o�m�i�d�e� �m�o�u�s�e� �t�r�e�a�t�m�e�n�t��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100064 biafra ahanonu 2013-04-11T00:00:00+02:00 2013-04-11T00:00:00+02:00

Wanted to expand my use of ggplot in R to analyzing old data from previous projects and see how quickly I could make it look polished given a minimum amount of coding. In effect, I am slowly trying to eliminate my dependence on Excel, Matlab, and other propriety analysis tools while improving how I structure and organize my data.

This particular plot was from my work in the lab of Ian Cheong at Temasek Life Sciences in Singapore. C. novyi is an anaerobic bacteria that targets tumors when injected, the hypoxic environment found in tumor cores is a good breeding ground. Pomalidomide is a immunomodulator that we hoped to deliver with C. novyi as a one-two punch: the bacteria would destroy the core while the drug activated the immune system to attack the periphery. Unfortunately, the results from the first several dozen mice were inconclusive. The technique shows promise and hopefully it will be expanded upon in the future.

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Sharing Minds http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/94 biafra ahanonu 2013-03-26T00:00:00+01:00 2013-03-26T00:00:00+01:00

We had just met and she knew everything about me: where I'd come from, job, favorite books, hideaway where I went to think, special Sunday bike routes, time of day I woke and slept, first time abroad, family members' names, secret hobbies, wants, desires, people I abhorred, my first love...everything.

What if you could access all of another's memory? What would you do?

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From the Archives: Poems, Part 1 http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/104 biafra ahanonu 2013-03-24T00:00:00+01:00 2013-03-24T00:00:00+01:00

A couple of my old poems from way back when, with minor edits. Enjoy.

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bash scripting: playlist maker http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/103 biafra ahanonu 2013-03-23T00:00:00+01:00 2013-03-23T00:00:00+01:00

Decided to take another stab at converting small programs to bash. This time, the python playlist maker was updated to bash and greatly simplified, no longer need to do sketchy recursions.

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C�a�t�a�l�a�s�e� �R�e�a�c�t�i�o�n��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100063 biafra ahanonu 2013-03-09T00:00:00+01:00 2013-03-09T00:00:00+01:00

An old, proposed catalase mechanism I pieced together from various sources and made in ChemDraw. Need to go back and verify it at some point...

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N�e�u�r�a�l� �N�e�t�w�o�r�k� �D�i�a�g�r�a�m��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100001 biafra ahanonu 2013-03-08T00:00:00+01:00 2013-03-08T00:00:00+01:00

Short diagram for bio42 illustrating several types of neural networks: self-, feed-forward, and lateral inhibition along with a model of pain and instestinal peristalsis.

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H�y�p�o�t�h�a�l�a�m�u�s� �t�h�e�r�m�o�r�e�g�u�l�a�t�i�o�n��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100002 biafra ahanonu 2013-03-02T00:00:00+01:00 2013-03-02T00:00:00+01:00

Made this for bio42 physiology section. Wanted to convey how the hypothalamus responds to inputs in an easy to understand way. Started to use more colors in diagrams and different hues to make it easier to look at.

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bash scripting: batch file renamer http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/102 biafra ahanonu 2013-02-25T00:00:00+01:00 2013-02-25T00:00:00+01:00

Bit by bit, I have replaced repetitive tasks completed using downloaded programs with scripts that do the same thing more efficiently, without the residual registry and file junk many programs leave, and with the flexibility to allow me to modify the script to suite specific needs in the future. This was the case with batch renaming files. I've included the script and briefly go over the code.

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c�l�u�b� �c�o�a�t� �c�h�e�c�k� �l�o�g�o��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100003 biafra ahanonu 2013-02-23T00:00:00+01:00 2013-02-23T00:00:00+01:00

Wanted to improve the logo slightly by added the original club coat check logo from the website I made along with making the text style more blocky, to better align with the slick, modern feel. The background is sci-fi in feel, but the pastel gives the whole logo a slight retro feel.

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bio42: diagrams, part 1 http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/98 biafra ahanonu 2013-01-25T00:00:00+01:00 2013-01-25T00:00:00+01:00

Had a couple minutes to spare before leaving lab, so decided to throw together some diagrams to help explain a couple biological pathways students of bio42, a bio class at Stanford I'm TAing. Hoping to make a set for each system we study. Started with vesicle budding and fusion along with muscle contraction in smooth and skeletal muscles.

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M�u�s�c�l�e� �C�o�n�t�r�a�c�t�i�o�n��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100004 biafra ahanonu 2013-01-23T00:00:00+01:00 2013-01-23T00:00:00+01:00

This outlines smooth and skeletal muscle contraction. Trying to show similarity in pathways for students and get the basic components down.

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V�e�s�i�c�l�e� �T�r�a�f�f�i�c�k�i�n�g��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100005 biafra ahanonu 2013-01-23T00:00:00+01:00 2013-01-23T00:00:00+01:00

Created this for bio42, which I am TAing. Outlines the basic components of vesicle budding and fusion.

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r functions: pca http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/95 biafra ahanonu 2013-01-10T00:00:00+01:00 2013-01-10T00:00:00+01:00

Started a github repository to put online R functions I've create for some common types of analysis and plots. Aim to have a core set of functions to make figures look prettier, even on preliminary analysis. A couple examples are included focusing on the first function: principal component analysis.

A GitHub repository can be found at: R plotting functions.

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LaTeX Boilerplate http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/63 biafra ahanonu 2012-12-27T00:00:00+01:00 2012-12-27T00:00:00+01:00

LaTeX Boilerplate is for those starting a project or more experienced users who want an organized structure to their documents. All code (e.g. \newcommand, pgfkeys) and packages included are commented. The boilerplate contains examples for common tasks: figures, tables, BibTeX, index, new commands (including some using pgfkeys), and more.

A GitHub repository can be found at: LaTeX Boilerplate. I briefly explain the layout; installation and usage can be found in the repository readme.

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D�e�t�e�r�m�i�n�i�n�g� �F�e�a�r��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100006 biafra ahanonu 2012-12-24T00:00:00+01:00 2012-12-24T00:00:00+01:00

Wanted a quick function to determine how fearful I should be (or should have been) under certain scenarios at particular points in my life.

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Stanford Bing Concert Hall: First Impressions http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/89 biafra ahanonu 2012-12-15T00:00:00+01:00 2012-12-15T00:00:00+01:00

Designed by architect Richard Olcott (Ennead Architects) and sound designer Dr. Yasuhisa Toyota (Nagata Acoustics), the Bing Concert Hall is stunning. Robert Campbell (Fisher Dachs Associates) was on hand during the second sound check (along with Richard and Dr. Toyota) to discuss the philosophy behind the building, a bit of history, and where they hope it will be in the future. This post is my impressions of the place along with notes from their interview.

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Freedom in a Dying World http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/90 biafra ahanonu 2012-12-01T00:00:00+01:00 2012-12-01T00:00:00+01:00

Flash, crackle, bang. Pit-pat, pit-pat, pit-pat. The flare skidded down the long, narrow tunnel that appeared to stretch downward forever. Another corridor, if you want to call the passages in this labyrinth of a make-shift cave that, ran to our right. Behind us, a sliver of light, flickering on and off, spilling in from the opening from whence we came. We all gave each other the look-n-nod, donned our breathing masks then proceeded to attach the hooks and ropes. Minutes later, one by one, we rappelled down into the abyss below...

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The Reporter http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/73 biafra ahanonu 2012-11-23T00:00:00+01:00 2012-11-23T00:00:00+01:00

I was blown off my feet! The entire place was a mess, people everywhere! I don't know what to say, I just...I don't know, it was just...Jesus! The people, there were people all over the ground!

A new organization can 'predict' the future and uses it to get the story first rather than manipulate or prevent horrible events from occurring.

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Automatic Python Playlist Creator http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/86 biafra ahanonu 2012-11-16T00:00:00+01:00 2012-11-16T00:00:00+01:00

Now that I've gotten back in the python groove somewhat, wanted to make a playlist script that recursively went through a folder, found all files in a sub-folder and create a playlist from them. Implementation described and link to github repository.

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B�I�O�2�0�0� �P�r�o�p�o�s�a�l� �S�m�a�l�l��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100007 biafra ahanonu 2012-11-11T00:00:00+01:00 2012-11-11T00:00:00+01:00

The graphical abstract was supposed to illustrate one hypothesis for determining the coupling between BOLD and neuronal activity. This is the improved, more concise version.

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The Graphical Abstract, Part 1 http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/87 biafra ahanonu 2012-11-11T00:00:00+01:00 2012-11-11T00:00:00+01:00

The graphical abstract is an effective way to convey a complex message in an eye pleasing format that is easily digested. I wanted to create a neuroscience-based one as it would be an extension of my work with creating graphic designs and would take advantage of my current studies. From the initial, crowded to the final, clean abstract, I'll go through my thought process and provide links to useful resources.

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B�I�O�2�0�0� �P�r�o�p�o�s�a�l��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100008 biafra ahanonu 2012-10-30T00:00:00+01:00 2012-10-30T00:00:00+01:00

The graphical abstract was supposed to illustrate one hypothesis for determining the coupling between BOLD and neuronal activity.

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Justifying Hyphens http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/85 biafra ahanonu 2012-10-21T00:00:00+02:00 2012-10-21T00:00:00+02:00

Justified text is awesome. Clean lines align well with other elements and it doesn't produce a crazy jagged edge. But without hyphens, problems quickly arise. Some lines have super large spaces between words and the end look is quite ugly. There are several solutions: css, server-side, and javascript.

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Week 9-12 | Scooting along http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/61 biafra ahanonu 2012-10-17T00:00:00+02:00 2012-10-17T00:00:00+02:00

And here it seemed I'd forgotten to write about the last exhilarating weeks in Singapore. Fear not! Beautiful buildings, a Hong Kong speed-run, and more food await the eager reader.

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the nobel prize browser http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/84 biafra ahanonu 2012-10-12T00:00:00+02:00 2012-10-12T00:00:00+02:00

Made a small app that allows browsing of Nobel Laureates. Also provides link to their Wikipedia and Pubmed. Might expand to include pictures or some publications. Enjoy!

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facebook crawler and youtube api: part 1 http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/83 biafra ahanonu 2012-10-07T00:00:00+02:00 2012-10-07T00:00:00+02:00

Created a small app, implemented in python and PHP, that crawls authenticated Facebook page for Youtube videos and adds them to a specified user's Youtube playlist. Useful for groups that post a lot of youtube videos and want a centralized playlist to share with others. I'll go over some of the implementation details in this post.

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archive everything! http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/79 biafra ahanonu 2012-10-01T00:00:00+02:00 2012-10-01T00:00:00+02:00

Archived everything in my inbox. It's awesome. Continues my general trend of simplifying. Logging off websites, only checking the news for brief periods, and focusing on a core set of hobbies. Eliminating distractions and reducing information overload are doing wonders to fight off stress and keep me humming along.

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R�o�n� �P�a�u�l��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100074 biafra ahanonu 2012-09-29T00:00:00+02:00 2012-09-29T00:00:00+02:00

Ron Paul often speaks the truth regarding foreign, monetary and other policies. He sheds light on the hard decisions we must face. He doesn't treat the average voter as dimwits, as other candidates do. For those, and many of reasons, he has my vote.

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Why we need more James Polks http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/59 biafra ahanonu 2012-09-25T00:00:00+02:00 2012-09-25T00:00:00+02:00

James J. Polk expanded the territory of the United States by about one-third during his tenure. A remarkable feat. Not only that, but it was done through an astonishing three ways: territorial conquest, gold and negotiation.

Some thoughts on why we should demand less rhetoric and more pragmatism/details from our presidents.

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When Darkness Falls http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/57 biafra ahanonu 2012-09-18T00:00:00+02:00 2012-09-18T00:00:00+02:00

"You can't prove other stars exist!"
We lived in fear. Those in the past cannot understand this fear. Swirling under the sea of anxiety is hatred, a deep abhorrence for the past and all it held. I skittered along the barren floor, my features obscure and hidden by the dearth of light. A hundred, thousand, countless years ago there was light, said the old text. But none was to be found. They warned of a time when no 'stars' would twinkle in the sky, but they were wrong. There were never stars.


What happens when the universe changes, forever hiding information about its past.

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Singapore: Final Report http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/75 biafra ahanonu 2012-09-16T00:00:00+02:00 2012-09-16T00:00:00+02:00

Before finishing my adventures in Singapore, I was asked to put together a final report describing my experiences and where the program could improve. Rather than bore you with details, I've included a link to download the report. This is a draft form and I'll update the link with a finished version in the future.

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Citizenship, War and Social Networks http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/67 biafra ahanonu 2012-09-09T00:00:00+02:00 2012-09-09T00:00:00+02:00

Scott Adams recently wrote about citizenship and how the Internet will bring the fall of territory-based national governments, and by extension wars. In this post I briefly highlight where he errs and give reasons why country divides will only grow sharper in the coming decades, in part due to competition for dwindling water, oil and other resources along with increasingly fraught intranational civil relations.

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Guild Wars 2 Chef Excel Guide http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/70 biafra ahanonu 2012-09-08T00:00:00+02:00 2012-09-08T00:00:00+02:00

The chef's ingredients are scattered throughout the Guild Wars 2 map, but the profession is a cheap way to get 10 levels quickly. Because I am OCD and would rather not read text when I can browse a spreadsheet, compiled information from a couple of sources that is more easily searchable.

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Who Needs Oxygen? http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/69 biafra ahanonu 2012-08-31T00:00:00+02:00 2012-08-31T00:00:00+02:00

We have entered into unknown territory, the nebula around us swirls with shades of pink, purple and orange and the light of stars long dead. It is a breathtaking sight. There are several young stars drifting through the ether that flare and burn the sky. It has been two years since our last encounter with a solid planet and some of the crew was starting to lose it. Luckily for us, we'd been given some ridiculous suits.

A tale that examines that pressing question of all explorers: How far would you go, and what would you sacrifice, for knowledge?

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G�e�o�r�g�e� �W�a�s�h�i�n�g�t�o�n��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100075 biafra ahanonu 2012-08-30T00:00:00+02:00 2012-08-30T00:00:00+02:00

People on either side, left or right, tend to disparge opponents. They misrepesent the facts and construe the truth in their favour. This annoys me greatly and this quote from Washington's Farewell Adress Speaks to that.

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M�a�n�i�f�e�s�t� �D�e�s�t�i�n�y��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100009 biafra ahanonu 2012-08-25T00:00:00+02:00 2012-08-25T00:00:00+02:00

A banner for our Guild Wars 2 group. President Polk helped complete the original Manifest Destiny. The font is Blackadder ITC and helps maintain the somewhat classical feel. However, the sole use of black, white and red is very modern.

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Flesh and Blood http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/66 biafra ahanonu 2012-08-22T00:00:00+02:00 2012-08-22T00:00:00+02:00

Like many people, I was programmed to like my job, least I grow bored or suicidal. But this was the future! The biologist were supposed to engineer out man's desires and policy makers slowly outlaw this barbaric practice. But it is hardly surprising that didn't happen.

A story about the future of prostitution.

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Week 7 and 8 | Good Times http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/56 biafra ahanonu 2012-08-20T00:00:00+02:00 2012-08-20T00:00:00+02:00

Marina Bay Sands, Sydney, Haw Pa Villa and more! The good times keep rolling in Singapore.

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Sublime Text http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/64 biafra ahanonu 2012-08-16T00:00:00+02:00 2012-08-16T00:00:00+02:00

When coding, writing up blog post, or doing any other task, I generally have used Notepad++. It is a great program that automatically detects, based on the extension, the type of code you are writing and parses the file accordingly. It is light and gets the job done, but it always felt like it could be taken to the next level. Enter Sublime Text 2, a program that seems to have everything I am looking for in a text editor and then some.

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quicklinks github http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/65 biafra ahanonu 2012-08-12T00:00:00+02:00 2012-08-12T00:00:00+02:00

quicklinks is a new homepage for those looking for efficiency over lavish use of big buttons commonly seen in Firefox, Opera and other browser's homepages. As quicklinks is still a little rough around the edges and needs to be updated, I've added it to GitHub to allow me to update it easier.

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W�i�l�l�i�a�m� �T�a�f�t��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100010 biafra ahanonu 2012-08-10T00:00:00+02:00 2012-08-10T00:00:00+02:00

William Taft is one of the oft forgotten presidents. He was very efficient and a great problem solver, but this led to problems politically. He became a Supreme Court justice after being president.

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PowerPoint Themes http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/62 biafra ahanonu 2012-08-10T00:00:00+02:00 2012-08-10T00:00:00+02:00

Many default PowerPoint themes are too outlandish and graphics heavy for my taste. So over the last year or so, I have begun designing my own themes for PowerPoint. I'll go over the design decisions behind a couple and provide links to download the themes.

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J�a�m�e�s� �J�.� �P�o�l�k��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100011 biafra ahanonu 2012-08-06T00:00:00+02:00 2012-08-06T00:00:00+02:00

James Polk was an extraordinary president who accomplished a lot in only one term. For this reason he is my favorite president and this is a poster to that.

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B�e�n�j�a�m�i�n� �F�r�a�n�k�l�i�n��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100012 biafra ahanonu 2012-08-05T00:00:00+02:00 2012-08-05T00:00:00+02:00

Benjamin Franklin is the president that never was, a renaissance man who masterminded much of the Revolution and helped it mature into the great nation it became.

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Comment System! http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/60 biafra ahanonu 2012-08-05T00:00:00+02:00 2012-08-05T00:00:00+02:00

Wanted to add the ability for people to comment on this website, but delayed adding the feature until I could write the code myself. There are many pre-built PHP solutions on the market (like commentator), but the original purpose of this site was to allow me to learn how to build a website from scratch. So I've implemented the comment system using about a hundred lines of code to access the MySQL database, verify inputs and display all the comments for a particular article.

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TED Talks http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/55 biafra ahanonu 2012-08-01T00:00:00+02:00 2012-08-01T00:00:00+02:00

Reflections on a couple TED talks.

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Killing Time http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/54 biafra ahanonu 2012-07-27T00:00:00+02:00 2012-07-27T00:00:00+02:00

I killed Time. And now I stand trial for my crimes.

A short story about laziness and the pitfalls of language.

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Week 5 and 6 | Once Again http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/53 biafra ahanonu 2012-07-21T00:00:00+02:00 2012-07-21T00:00:00+02:00

Sometimes it feels like life should have a record button that nicely parses the endless stream of awesomeness that comes at you. Not a camecorder or microphone, but a program that understands the world, can automatically find and retrieve the most useful links then type-up a nicely formatted document to present to others. Alas, while some of this technology exist, it isn't in one nice little package. Plus, writing about Singapore is almost as fun as experiencing it. Below are some finds from my fifth and sixth week in Singapore, from adventures in Bali to savouring the taste of Ayam Goreng Pedas Ramen (super spicy!).

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Weatherman's God http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/52 biafra ahanonu 2012-07-10T00:00:00+02:00 2012-07-10T00:00:00+02:00

"You know Harry, I don't understand this God."
"What about him Bob?"
"He went through all the trouble of creating life, only to make it mortal."
"Yes, and...?"
"Well, why did he go through all the trouble of making us, if only to let us die. Seems like a waste."
"There's a lot of waste in the world Bob, this ain't no different."
"No, but think about it. He's omnipresent, no? He sees and knows all. Past, present and future. The whole shebang. But he can't make us immortal?"
"Maybe he can't. Or doesn't want to. That ever cross ya mind?"

A short story about God.

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Week 4 | Ramping Up http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/51 biafra ahanonu 2012-07-08T00:00:00+02:00 2012-07-08T00:00:00+02:00

Massive artificial trees, beautiful orchid gardens, clubbing till late and learning about Singapore from students and labmates--this week was a blast.

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Dreams http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/50 biafra ahanonu 2012-07-02T00:00:00+02:00 2012-07-02T00:00:00+02:00

I have been recording down many recent and very old dreams in a Word document, which has swelled to over 7,000+ words and contains near one hundred stories. The plan is to clean-up and compile all these stories into one novella that has several characters exploring the dream-worlds with some overarching story to tie it all together. Should be a fun experiment.

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Week 3 | Up and Away http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/49 biafra ahanonu 2012-07-02T00:00:00+02:00 2012-07-02T00:00:00+02:00

Allowed a bit of a breather this week, but nonetheless still full of adventures: getting an equivalent of Montezuma's revenge (but still trudging on), visiting the awesome Mustafa Indian centre, a trip to Malaysia, biking and plenty more. Let's dive in.

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Short Story Collection http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/48 biafra ahanonu 2012-06-24T00:00:00+02:00 2012-06-24T00:00:00+02:00

The short stories that I have written will now include a link to a pdf containing all the short stories on this website and a couple others. The link will stay the same, I'll just update the file from time-to-time.

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O�b�a�m�a� �2�0�1�2� �P�o�s�t�e�r� �A�l�t��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100014 biafra ahanonu 2012-06-23T00:00:00+02:00 2012-06-23T00:00:00+02:00

Supporting Obama, this poster tries to focus on the positive rather than the negative. I hope Obama will campaign in this style

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O�b�a�m�a� �2�0�1�2� �P�o�s�t�e�r��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100013 biafra ahanonu 2012-06-23T00:00:00+02:00 2012-06-23T00:00:00+02:00

Supporting Obama, this poster tries to focus on the positive rather than the negative. I hope Obama will campaign in this style

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Week 2 | Day and Night http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/47 biafra ahanonu 2012-06-19T00:00:00+02:00 2012-06-19T00:00:00+02:00

This pace can't keep up. Saw some crazy animals at a night safari, wandered around NUS's campus late at night (the place is chaotic, beautiful and slightly eerie at night), met with SUTD's president and more. It seems that staying in Singapore for most of the summer is a go, there is so much here to find out and explore. That might also be because I severely underestimated the size of the country (e.g. don't glance at a map's scale and assume 20 miles = 2 miles, haha). Anyhow, here goes, another eventful week summarized in small snippets.

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Week 1 | Go Time http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/46 biafra ahanonu 2012-06-12T00:00:00+02:00 2012-06-12T00:00:00+02:00

Wow, what a week. Ran around Hong Kong, learned a couple new things in the lab, meet a bunch of awesome MIT/SUTD students, went clubbing twice, ate a different type (Indian, Indonesian, Muslim, etc.) of food each meal, wandered around Singapore several of the nights and so much more. To top it all off, I was able to learn a ton about Singapore's culture. This place is awesome.

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Countdown to Equality http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/45 biafra ahanonu 2012-06-10T00:00:00+02:00 2012-06-10T00:00:00+02:00

It was December 31st, 2089 and I was feeling a bit hungry. The neighbors down the street were throwing a New Year’s party; they were a superstitious bunch and assumed all their savings would disappear on New Year’s Day due to a computer glitch. I decided to pitch in, though I’m not the superstitious type, just to show my appreciation. The parties from past years, after all, were quite a hoot.

A look at an extreme take on conservation and were it could take us.

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Putting the Customer First http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/44 biafra ahanonu 2012-06-09T00:00:00+02:00 2012-06-09T00:00:00+02:00

“So, Mr. Paterson, I have heard great things about your business. The earnings reports you gave me look stellar. But there aren’t any real details about what your business does. I couldn’t find specific information on your considerable series A funding. As a series B investor, I would like to know a little more before investing.”

We listen in on a business meeting between the founder of a company and a potential investor. What is the business? Well, that fact may surprise you.

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Week 1 | Flying Out http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/43 biafra ahanonu 2012-06-09T00:00:00+02:00 2012-06-09T00:00:00+02:00

I fly out to Singapore today. Two days, 11,459 miles and (hopefully) one A Song of Fire and Ice book later, I'll be in my dream city. Can't wait!

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A�r�o�u�n�d� �t�h�e� �W�o�r�l�d��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100016 biafra ahanonu 2012-06-04T00:00:00+02:00 2012-06-04T00:00:00+02:00

For the Spring 2012 party

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P�r�e�s�i�d�e�n�t� �R�o�m�n�e�y��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100015 biafra ahanonu 2012-06-03T00:00:00+02:00 2012-06-03T00:00:00+02:00

Pro-Romney ad, going to make one for Pres. Obama as well.

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Setting the Record Straight http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/42 biafra ahanonu 2012-06-02T00:00:00+02:00 2012-06-02T00:00:00+02:00

The sun beat down and I raised my hand to cover my eyes. It had been days, weeks, maybe even years. Who knew? I surely didn’t. The dry sands whipped our faces, blurring our vision and making us believe we saw things. Water, chief among them. Haha, it’s funny how that most abundant always seems to be the end of us. You either drown in it or die from not having it. No one wins. Someone told me that they’d managed to survive a month without water. I don’t believe it, but guess I’m about to find out. We’d seen other things. Silver buildings that rose into the sky, it blinded us and as we got close, a sandstorm would appear and when it was gone, so was the house. It is incredible what you imagine when under stress…

A return to writing short stories, this one focuses on the surreal memories of two hapless 'heroes'...

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quicklinks http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/41 biafra ahanonu 2012-05-29T00:00:00+02:00 2012-05-29T00:00:00+02:00

The new-tab page on most browsers inefficiently uses screen real estate by giving each website a picture and large button. While useful for tablets, it prevents addition of many websites and can't be organized into groups without increasing the number of clicks required. Also, often only one search site is accessible, with the rest found in a drop-down menu. To alleviate this, I created quicklinks. It uses javascript to create a row of categories (that you choose), which when hovered over show associated links. Further, there are several search bars readily avaliable, no extra clicking needed. Enjoy.

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Quantized Art http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/40 biafra ahanonu 2012-05-28T00:00:00+02:00 2012-05-28T00:00:00+02:00

Quantized art. The idea came about while reading how the music industry assembles top-liners, producers, artists, performers, etc. to create top 40 hits. For example, there has been a recent trend in pop music to use 'drops', when the song builds to a crescendo and then a crazy, catchy bass line is released that causes everyone to dance. This has been perfected to the point where even an okay song can become popular because the producers know when to build, at what moment to intersperse catchy, meaningless lyrics and how to end the song on a high. I like the idea that art (as in paintings, drawings, etc.) can be dissected and quantified.

My first pass at developing an algorithm to break art down to its details and then use this knowledge to generate art that people would consider 'great'. We'll see how this evolves.

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Week 0 | Singapore! http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/39 biafra ahanonu 2012-05-26T00:00:00+02:00 2012-05-26T00:00:00+02:00

First post about Singapore lays out some of the background surrounding the trip and Singapore itself. This summer is going to be awesome!

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Designing Icons http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/38 biafra ahanonu 2012-05-25T00:00:00+02:00 2012-05-25T00:00:00+02:00

How do you design an icon for a website? This question arose once I'd finished writing the back-end of this website. There is a great book called Creative Workshop: 80 Challenges to Sharpen Your Design Skills that helped me answer this question.

This essay focuses on the icon I designed for the website and the thinking process behind it.

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Filugori Reboot http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/37 biafra ahanonu 2012-05-15T00:00:00+02:00 2012-05-15T00:00:00+02:00

Several months ago I took a hard look at Filugori: The Long Tale, the story I started in grade school that was meant to be a mash-up of my favorite books and fictional universes. However, it lacked a certain vision. The story was fun, frantic and fanciful, but there was no heart. It lacked cohesion and the universe did not appear to justify its own existence. Why should someone care to read this tale? What would they gain from it? While fleshing out the background of the universe, providing details on the four major epochs that define the story, I came to realize that I wanted to tell a very different tale than originally planned.

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S�y�s�c�a�r�u�t��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100017 biafra ahanonu 2012-05-13T00:00:00+02:00 2012-05-13T00:00:00+02:00

Logo for the website. Wrote an article detailing the design process: was attempting to go for a SF look that conveyed a sense of motion. Alt black version.

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S�y�s�c�a�r�u�t��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100065 biafra ahanonu 2012-05-10T00:00:00+02:00 2012-05-10T00:00:00+02:00

Logo for the website. Wrote an article detailing the design process: was attempting to go for a SF look that conveyed a sense of motion.

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S�t�a�n�f�o�r�d� �B�i�o�l�o�g�y��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100018 biafra ahanonu 2012-05-07T00:00:00+02:00 2012-05-07T00:00:00+02:00

Made this poster for a facebook group.

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S�t�a�n�f�o�r�d� �B�i�o�l�o�g�y��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100066 biafra ahanonu 2012-05-06T00:00:00+02:00 2012-05-06T00:00:00+02:00

Used for the internal CAP website.

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M�I�T�-�S�i�n�g�a�p�o�r�e��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100019 biafra ahanonu 2012-04-14T00:00:00+02:00 2012-04-14T00:00:00+02:00

For the MIT-Singapore program

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G�r�a�f�f�i�t�i� �P�a�r�t�y��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100020 biafra ahanonu 2012-04-12T00:00:00+02:00 2012-04-12T00:00:00+02:00

Post for CPW graffiti party. The dark background helps accentuate the red and white used for the text and spray-can.

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G�r�a�f�f�i�t�i� �P�a�r�t�y��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100067 biafra ahanonu 2012-04-10T00:00:00+02:00 2012-04-10T00:00:00+02:00

First draft of the Graffiti party poster. Was going for a very dramatic look.

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The Evolving Style http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/36 biafra ahanonu 2012-03-29T00:00:00+02:00 2012-03-29T00:00:00+02:00

This website was built from scratch using only Notepad. While it would have been easier to create the site in Dreamweaver or another program and then upload it, I wanted to learn first-hand about the steps involved in web development. The site has allowed me to hone my design skills, both aesthetically and organizationally. This is an essay detailing the evolution of the website.

This was an internal document for me to keep track of what I was changing and why, but decided to reword it and make it an article. Hope you like it.

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C�l�u�b� �C�o�a�t� �C�h�e�c�k��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100021 biafra ahanonu 2012-03-28T00:00:00+02:00 2012-03-28T00:00:00+02:00

Poster for my facebook group where we post songs.

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O�n�w�a�r�d��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100078 biafra ahanonu 2012-03-12T00:00:00+01:00 2012-03-12T00:00:00+01:00

An homage to Chris Foss's classic SF work. Dark version goes better with the SF feel. Onward signifies the purpose of SF, to give us purpose to make the next journey into the unknown.

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O�n�w�a�r�d��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100077 biafra ahanonu 2012-03-12T00:00:00+01:00 2012-03-12T00:00:00+01:00

An homage to Chris Foss's classic SF work.

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R�e�l�a�y� �f�o�r� �L�i�f�e�:� �D�e�s�s�e�r�t� �P�r�e�v�i�e�w��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100026 biafra ahanonu 2012-03-06T00:00:00+01:00 2012-03-06T00:00:00+01:00

We had a Relay for Life event Spring 2012, I helped with the posters and organization. This gives a preview of some of the desserts on the menu.

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R�e�l�a�y� �f�o�r� �L�i�f�e�:� �F�a�c�e�b�o�o�k� �P�r�o�f�i�l�e��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100025 biafra ahanonu 2012-03-06T00:00:00+01:00 2012-03-06T00:00:00+01:00

This is the facebook profile picture people could use for our Phi Sig relay for life.

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R�e�l�a�y� �f�o�r� �L�i�f�e�:� �P�o�s�t�e�r��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100024 biafra ahanonu 2012-03-06T00:00:00+01:00 2012-03-06T00:00:00+01:00

We had a Relay for Life event Spring 2012, I helped with the poster and organization.

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G�r�a�f�f�i�t�i� �P�a�r�t�y� �M�o�c�k��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100079 biafra ahanonu 2012-02-20T00:00:00+01:00 2012-02-20T00:00:00+01:00

Made my own font for this poster. Focus on large, recognizable text so people won't forget. The lack of anything else intices people to come.

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G�r�a�f�f�i�t�i� �P�a�r�t�y��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100069 biafra ahanonu 2012-02-20T00:00:00+01:00 2012-02-20T00:00:00+01:00

Early sketch for our CPW party.

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G�r�a�f�f�i�t�i� �P�a�r�t�y��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100068 biafra ahanonu 2012-02-20T00:00:00+01:00 2012-02-20T00:00:00+01:00

The original, wide angle graffiti party poster. Was trying to make a cartoon look that stood out.

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M�a�r�d�i� �G�r�a�s��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100028 biafra ahanonu 2012-02-20T00:00:00+01:00 2012-02-20T00:00:00+01:00

The poster for our Mardi Gras party. Went for a simple, distinct look. Gold and white contrast well with black, so it helps the poster pop out.

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P�h�i� �S�i�g� �L�o�g�o�s��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100027 biafra ahanonu 2012-02-20T00:00:00+01:00 2012-02-20T00:00:00+01:00

While creating posters in the new cartoon-ish style, realized I needed a set of Phi Sig logos that would match.

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Humanism in European Art and Society http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/34 biafra ahanonu 2012-01-06T00:00:00+01:00 2012-01-06T00:00:00+01:00

One of the main themes of the renaissance was the rebirth in the interest of classical themes or greco-roman culture. Many artist, either through paintings, sculptures or architecture, portrayed this general movement by using Greek/roman themes, such as pillars, and integrating it into their works. But it wasn?t just an interest in greek/roman architecture or appearance but also their cultures.

An essay looking at various European paintings and how they were used to capture the essence of European culture, both old and new.

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Social Chair Spring 2012 http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/28 biafra ahanonu 2011-12-27T00:00:00+01:00 2011-12-27T00:00:00+01:00

My terms as social chair during Fall 2011 went quite well, but there were several things I was unsatisfied with. This presentation outlines several different areas I would like to see improved.

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T�s�a�i� �L�a�b��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100080 biafra ahanonu 2011-12-26T00:00:00+01:00 2011-12-26T00:00:00+01:00

Implemented the mock-up during a wait at Logan airport. It is world's better than the current site, both navigationally and on the eyes.

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T�s�a�i� �L�a�b��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100081 biafra ahanonu 2011-12-22T00:00:00+01:00 2011-12-22T00:00:00+01:00

The Tsai Lab's website was a bit ramshackle and I aimed to improve it. This mock-up is an attempt to improve it.

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D�r�e�a�m�s��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100082 biafra ahanonu 2011-12-19T00:00:00+01:00 2011-12-19T00:00:00+01:00

A foray into the abstract. It captures the chaotic nature of my dreams, but it doesn't capture the wonder and Romanticism that prevades them. Need another go.

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J�a�b�e�z� �R�e�d�e�s�i�g�n��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100032 biafra ahanonu 2011-12-19T00:00:00+01:00 2011-12-19T00:00:00+01:00

We have an internal website for Phi Sig. This was one of my redesign mockups.

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W�e�b�s�i�t�e� �V�e�r�s�i�o�n� �2��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100033 biafra ahanonu 2011-12-17T00:00:00+01:00 2011-12-17T00:00:00+01:00

The original site design was a bit bland, so I added a bit of color. Still think of reverting t this design, the colors harken to another era.

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P�h�i� �S�i�g�m�a� �K�a�p�p�a��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100083 biafra ahanonu 2011-12-10T00:00:00+01:00 2011-12-10T00:00:00+01:00

Poster I made for our fraternity's massive 1st lounge TV. A soft blue goes well with white and red. There is an implied diagonal axis to the poster as well.

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4�2��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100084 biafra ahanonu 2011-11-30T00:00:00+01:00 2011-11-30T00:00:00+01:00

The number 42 is odd. Originally I obsessed over it due to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. But as I used it more often, it took on a life of its own. The bold text and color I think do the number justice.

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J�i�m� �T�h�o�r�p�e��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100035 biafra ahanonu 2011-11-22T00:00:00+01:00 2011-11-22T00:00:00+01:00

Design for a Jim Thorpe website.

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B�a�l�a�n�c�e�d� �D�e�s�i�g�n��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100085 biafra ahanonu 2011-11-17T00:00:00+01:00 2011-11-17T00:00:00+01:00

The first mock-up for this website. In a way, I've returned to this original, minimalistic design

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T�e�n�n�i�s� �F�o�n�t��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100039 biafra ahanonu 2011-11-14T00:00:00+01:00 2011-11-14T00:00:00+01:00

I love tennis and this font is meant to convey motion and a sense of modern style.

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T�e�n�n�i�s��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100038 biafra ahanonu 2011-11-14T00:00:00+01:00 2011-11-14T00:00:00+01:00

A montage of imagery from Catalina Foothills tennis using the previously created tennis font. Good times.

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A�m�e�r�i�c�a� �A�d��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100041 biafra ahanonu 2011-11-12T00:00:00+01:00 2011-11-12T00:00:00+01:00

Somewhat satirical take on American life.

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M�a�d�r�i�d��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100086 biafra ahanonu 2011-11-08T00:00:00+01:00 2011-11-08T00:00:00+01:00

Living in Madrid gave me my first homestay experience and I learned a great deal from it--both about myself and Hispanic culture. I'll never forget that experience.

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B�a�r�c�e�l�o�n�a�!��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100042 biafra ahanonu 2011-11-04T00:00:00+01:00 2011-11-04T00:00:00+01:00

A crazy, pro-barcelona poster. I love that city.

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A�m�e�r�i�c�a�n� �W�a�y��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100047 biafra ahanonu 2011-10-20T00:00:00+02:00 2011-10-20T00:00:00+02:00

Basically a pro-America poster. Some people might not get the joke...

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E�m�a�i�l� �S�i�g�n�a�t�u�r�e�s��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100048 biafra ahanonu 2011-10-19T00:00:00+02:00 2011-10-19T00:00:00+02:00

Some people have long, obnoxious email signatures. This is my response.

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A�m�e�r�i�c�a�n� �P�r�i�d�e��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100049 biafra ahanonu 2011-10-16T00:00:00+02:00 2011-10-16T00:00:00+02:00

Love this poster. Inspired by a conversation with a friend, we were talking about whether America is an example for the world to follow. I focused on two American greats and used the contrast between the drab, authoritative gray with the bright red, white and blue flag to give the image a kick.

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I�M� �S�o�c�c�e�r��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100088 biafra ahanonu 2011-10-13T00:00:00+02:00 2011-10-13T00:00:00+02:00

Phi Sig plays in IM Soccer, we normally have good turnout, but when we don't, the following poster can be used.

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P�h�i� �S�i�g��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100072 biafra ahanonu 2011-10-09T00:00:00+02:00 2011-10-09T00:00:00+02:00

An old-school looking poster for Phi Sig.

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C�o�u�r�s�e� �1�0��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100057 biafra ahanonu 2011-10-09T00:00:00+02:00 2011-10-09T00:00:00+02:00

Chemical engineering can induce many thoughts, but I thought that this best symbolized what people thought about. I particularly like the man with the red tube.

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C�o�u�r�s�e� �1�1��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100056 biafra ahanonu 2011-10-09T00:00:00+02:00 2011-10-09T00:00:00+02:00

Was supposed to highlight how urban planning can help the world. A little basic, but gets the message across.

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C�o�u�r�s�e� �1�7��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100055 biafra ahanonu 2011-10-09T00:00:00+02:00 2011-10-09T00:00:00+02:00

Part of my series of posters for each major at MIT. I think this is one of the better ones.

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S�p�a�n�i�s�h��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100054 biafra ahanonu 2011-10-09T00:00:00+02:00 2011-10-09T00:00:00+02:00

More people should learn spanish. This poster gives a clear reason why: over 400 million people spread out over various countries speak it.

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C�o�u�r�s�e� �2�2�:� �N�u�c�l�e�a�r��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100053 biafra ahanonu 2011-10-09T00:00:00+02:00 2011-10-09T00:00:00+02:00

The poster can be interpreted two ways, either as a statement of what nuclear can help bring or the threat it carries.

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M�I�T��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100052 biafra ahanonu 2011-10-09T00:00:00+02:00 2011-10-09T00:00:00+02:00

One of the first design posters, it states many of the things I partake in or enjoy at MIT. Was trying to channel the old Swiss masters.

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P�h�i� �S�i�g��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100051 biafra ahanonu 2011-10-09T00:00:00+02:00 2011-10-09T00:00:00+02:00

An old-school looking poster for Phi Sig. Gives directions to use Windows 8

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C�o�u�r�s�e� �6��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100050 biafra ahanonu 2011-10-09T00:00:00+02:00 2011-10-09T00:00:00+02:00

One of the first posters in the MIT Courses series, that made a cartoon that highlighted certain aspects of each course.

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F�i�r�e� �a�n�d� �I�c�e��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100059 biafra ahanonu 2011-09-18T00:00:00+02:00 2011-09-18T00:00:00+02:00

Wanted to contrast the two aspects of the party in both the picture, font and coloring. However, there are too many fonts and the onlooker does not know where to focus.

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Janelia Farm Closing Symposium http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/26 biafra ahanonu 2011-08-10T00:00:00+02:00 2011-08-10T00:00:00+02:00

The Janelia Undergrad program ended with a all-day Symposium during which each undergrad had around 15 minutes to present the results of their project. It was a fun way to end the summer and see what the others had been up to.

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Club Coat Check http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/design/?picture=C3.jpg biafra ahanonu 2011-08-08T00:00:00+02:00 2011-08-08T00:00:00+02:00

Original logo for the facebook group.

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C�l�u�b� �C�o�a�t� �C�h�e�c�k��� http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/100073 biafra ahanonu 2011-08-08T00:00:00+02:00 2011-08-08T00:00:00+02:00

Original logo for the facebook group.

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Janelia Journal Club #2 http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/24 biafra ahanonu 2011-07-06T00:00:00+02:00 2011-07-06T00:00:00+02:00

The second presentation that Alyson and I gave during the Janelia Undergrad program, it was a brilliant paper that used Hidden Markov models to build a predictive algorithm that could tell you what chromatin states you were in.

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Janelia Opening Symposium http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/25 biafra ahanonu 2011-06-24T00:00:00+02:00 2011-06-24T00:00:00+02:00

At the beginning of the Janelia Undergrad program we had to give a presentation on what we planned to do. It was a worthwhile experiences that made one really focus on the different aspects of your project and get feedback.

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Janelia Journal Club #1 http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/23 biafra ahanonu 2011-06-15T00:00:00+02:00 2011-06-15T00:00:00+02:00

Alyson Yee and I gave the first presentation of the Janelia Undergrad program. The paper tried to tease apart the different aspects of a songbird's appearance that most influenced behavior of other birds.

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Mexico Project, Final Presentation http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/20 biafra ahanonu 2011-01-29T00:00:00+01:00 2011-01-29T00:00:00+01:00

I spent January 2011 in Cuernavaca, Mexico and worked on a project to model the Notch and JAK/STAT signaling pathways. This is part of one presentation, which I gave in Spanish.

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Mexico Project, Ferrell (1996) http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/22 biafra ahanonu 2011-01-12T00:00:00+01:00 2011-01-12T00:00:00+01:00

An educational presentation I gave in Spanish about the differential equation model used in several papers to predict biological pathways.

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Comp. Neuro http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/27 biafra ahanonu 2010-11-30T00:00:00+01:00 2010-11-30T00:00:00+01:00

Presentation I gave in 9.29, the computational neuroscience class at MIT. They attempted to build a model that could use the information obtained from recordings in the prefrontal cortex and other areas of a monkey brain to predict their behavior based on the 'state' their neuron groups were in.

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Barcelona Project http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/21 biafra ahanonu 2010-07-13T00:00:00+02:00 2010-07-13T00:00:00+02:00

One of the presentations I had to give during my stay in Barcelona. Detailed some of the progress made in characterizing the response of different Drosophila species to a set of odors.

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Killer's Army http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/14 biafra ahanonu 2009-12-21T00:00:00+01:00 2009-12-21T00:00:00+01:00

The trees flew past us, the wind almost drowning out the roars, hisses, and howls that permeated the area. The gun felt cold in my hand; it weighed me down and got in the way of my agile attempts to slip through the undergrowth. To my left was Marsha, like a sly fox she twisted and turned to avoid everything Nature did to obstruct her path. To my right was Judy, her movements labored owing to the gash running down the side of her leg. It oozed green and yellow puss—we may have to kill her before she turns. The twigs and branches continued to rip through my clothes and skin, yet it was nothing compared to the terror that drove us forward. The howls grew louder and the falling of trees could be heard behind us.

Perhaps the pinnacle of my horror stories, it is a relentless, fast-paced tale of zombies, an accident in the making and a mysterious man. There are two independent stories being told, but drawing the link makes everything much more satisfying.

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Humanity's Gold http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/11 biafra ahanonu 2009-11-20T00:00:00+01:00 2009-11-20T00:00:00+01:00

Captain’s Log 1.25.2838
My eyes watered at the sight. We had finally discovered what we had spent all these years wandering aimlessly for. Shifting and moving, the silvery substance coated the land, its beauty enticing and dicing. There were several who ventured over its smooth surface, dying one by one. Out in the distance could be seen the splendorous pinnacle, atop its peak a mountain of gold. Men still strove for that most holy of materials, still killed and maimed for a chance to hold and possess it; some said that gold had become more than a sign of wealth and power.


Another story that ended up inspiring my book-in-progress Filugori, it is a focus on humanity's lust for something, anything, that will bring him fame and glory. It uses a character more obsessed with the adventure as a counter-backdrop to the drama unfolding around him.

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Broken http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/10 biafra ahanonu 2009-11-11T00:00:00+01:00 2009-11-11T00:00:00+01:00

“Haha, my brother, how have you been?”
“Great. Times are good, money is flowing, bitches crawl all over me—what more could a man desire?”
I sat in the corner through blurred vision, watching them hug and chat. Grrrrrrr. There were many things I hated about this house, least of which was the rats. I went to work every day, but that can wait. I got up and was immediately dragged back down. The chains, how could I forget?


Inspired by a series of articles on sexual slavery in Eastern Europe, this is a surreal, sad tale of a girl and her abusers. This took my experimentation with more suspenseful, fear-driven stories to another level. Unfortunately, not all stories have a fairy-tale ending...

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Filugori http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/8 biafra ahanonu 2008-12-27T00:00:00+01:00 2008-12-27T00:00:00+01:00

The pair looked out across the gorgeous vista, the golden plans below waiting to be harvested, the mountains in the distance yearning to be explored, the hidden structures and stories aching to be discovered. The sky was auburn green; owing to the transition between ecosystems as the planet was terraformed. The suits were itchy, their bright white exterior blinding those foolish enough to stare at them. They reminded him of the astronaut suits they used to see from the late 20th century photos.

Possibly the best short, it focuses on the attack by an unknown entity on an alien city. The fear, anticipation and rapidly switching perspective were an experiment in a new style for me. I think it paid off.

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Up Next! http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/29 biafra ahanonu 2007-09-16T00:00:00+02:00 2007-09-16T00:00:00+02:00

Click
I walked down the streets of New York, my skin reflective and my shirt discoloured near the armpits. The subway ticket still in my hand almost slipped out and I shoved it into my pocket. My vision blurred for a bit, but my tired body and my sticky hands prevented me from relieving my eyes of the salt and water. My sister walked slightly ahead of me, the clunk of her luggage a soothing melody compared to the rancor the rest of the city seemed to have for my ears.


A slightly fictional look at several events in my life with a story style reminiscent of watching TV.

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Death takes no bribes http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/19 biafra ahanonu 2007-08-27T00:00:00+02:00 2007-08-27T00:00:00+02:00

The ball whizzed past the net and bounced on the very edge of the service box. I reached out with Herculean effort to hit the ball as it tried to curve away from me. Relief! My return sped towards the middle of the court, only to see him already at the net, Apollo at his back. He sliced the ball to my forehand, I rushed and managed to get to the ball, and turned, waiting for the succeeding surge of energy to do battle with against this unstoppable foe.

A mythical take on a tennis match that I had during high school. Part of a "Kernal Writing" assignment in my high school writing class.

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55 Fiction http://bahanonu.com/syscarut/articles/1 biafra ahanonu 2006-03-02T00:00:00+01:00 2006-03-02T00:00:00+01:00

Collection of three short pieces of fiction that contain only fifty-five words. They are all play on words.

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