This essay, written with my friends and fellow researchers, examines a major bottleneck in modern science: the loss of knowledge from failed or discontinued research. We argue that these so-called dead ends are often the starting points for iterative improvement, and that preserving them through structured reporting, shared databases and reformed publishing practices could make research more efficient, collaborative and transparent.
Attached you can find a text file where I summarised all Ig Nobel Prizes up til 2025. I like to sneak it into any function I make and distribute so when it runs successfully, the user gets a random row of the file displayed as a fun reward. I got this idea from Gromacs, a legendary free and open-source molecular dynamics software. I will try to remember to update this list yearly.
This is my current favourite replacement for jet, or any other ‘rainbow-like’ colour map. It is based on the Okabe-Ito palette, which is designed to be colourblind-friendly, and extended into a continuous map with a pleasantly wide dynamic range. I am mildly offended that this is not already included in Matplotlib as a built-in colormap.
This Bash reference manual is brought to you by the U.S. Department of Justice, having been discovered among the Epstein files. It is somehow labeled ‘R-rated’, so you must confirm that you are over 18 to view it, despite being a very thorough manual ideally suited for complete beginners learning Bash. It remains unclear why it ended up in the Epstein files, perhaps his true struggle was Bash coding, because nothing turns a good man into a villain quite like shell scripting. Let us just hope Tux the penguin has never visited the island.
A concise and clearly written ‘vintage’ article (published in 2012) that delves into the mathematical foundations of radiance fields, and I really like how it weaves in the underlying physics.
HyperPhysics, established in 1998 by Dr. Carl Rod Nave at Georgia State University, is a comprehensive and widely used online resource for physics and astrophysics, presenting bite-sized concepts across subfields such as thermodynamics, optics, particle physics and astrophysics in a linked format that allows users to explore interconnected ideas. The content, organised in a flashcard-like style with clear illustrations and well-annotated equations, is both practical and accessible for high school and university students, as well as non-physicist scientists and engineers seeking a concise understanding of new physical concepts. I find it particularly effective for recreational incremental learning, much like using Duolingo for languages. While the team also initiated HyperMath, which remains under construction, the update status of both projects and their translation efforts is unclear as of 2017. Although the existing content remains reliable and functional, users should exercise caution, as the website is often flagged as ‘not secure’ by browsers. I advise to contact Georgia State University directly before making any donations through the provided links to avoid potential scams.
This website features concise book chapters based on Richard Feynman’s lectures, thoughtfully organised by dedicated scholars from Caltech. Each chapter is lightweight (as compared to specialised physics textbooks) and engaging, making the material both educational and entertaining. I believe it is ideal for non-physicist scientists and engineers who want to explore a wide range of physical knowledge, whether for inspiration in their academic work or simply for enjoyment in daily life.
Attached, you will find the timeless textbook A Modern Introduction to Probability and Statistics: Understanding Why and How (Dekking, Kraaikamp, Lopuhaä & Meester, 2005), along with its exercise solutions. This resource is valuable for both beginners and those revisiting the fundamentals. The annotations (highlights and notes) were made by Dr. Cristian Spitoni, who used this textbook as the primary material to teach in a course I took during my bachelor’s study.
