matthras.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

Local Discord server does a Wednesday WIPpies (work-in-progress) check-in in their "arts & crafts" channel, so y'all also get to see updates on my lace crochet.

submitted 6 hours ago • 0 comments

Have you submitted to arXiv recently? What was the biggest annoyance in your way?

submitted 9 hours ago • 1 comment

Lately I've been addicted to watching stand-up crowd-work comedy (shout out to Gianmarco Soresi, his Youtube has lots of videos!) and being able to make (hilarious) connections between seemingly disparate ideas or recently talked about concepts is definitely key to good comedy.

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

Lunchtime discussion with the usual crowd drifted onto the topic of chess and now I'm itching to get myself a set to play with others, hmm. Playing online/digital doesn't give the same feeling as physical chess pieces 🫤 I guess it's more about human presence for me.

submitted 2 days ago • 0 comments

omg I just read someone describing sharps/flats as kiki/bouba and it's like someone opened a door right in front of me that I didn't know was there but it was there the whole time

submitted 3 days ago • 7 comments

The "biology" part of my mathematical biology apparently had a biochemistry component and my biology (technically regenerative medicine) supervisor WARNED me not to fall into that rabbit hole, but little does she know what I've been doing my entire life... 🥲

submitted 3 days ago • 0 comments

🧠: Look, yes, that weighted hugging panda plushie in your Instagram ads is mightily tempting to buy, but look! You have a bunch of yarn and weighted pellets, why not crochet YOUR OWN weighted hugging plushie?! Me: Siiiiigh I guess I will 🙄

submitted 5 days ago • 0 comments

I just realised a false assumption and an overlooked equation in my modelling. I should be glad that I've realised them but my perfectionist brain is going to stew in self-hate for the next couple of hours, ugh.

submitted 5 days ago • 1 comment

Brain self-sabotaged itself today, ugh. Have recovered, at least!

submitted 5 days ago • 0 comments

Successfully used artificial last minute panic to smash out two long-enough-hanging tasks on my to-dos before a planned appointment. Didn't realise the planned appointment was 30 minutes later because I never checked my calendar😑

submitted 7 days ago • 1 comment

Finished watching Netflix's "The Chair" and it's just a very solid single story arc that expresses a lot of topical things with just the right amount of caricature, not over the top. Very well written, hilarious in its own ways, didn't overstay its welcome. Defs recommended.

submitted 7 days ago • 0 comments

It's finally cold enough here for me to break open the vacuum-sealed bag of winter clothes. THE CHEESY MATHS BEANIES ARE MAKING A COMEBACK.

submitted 8 days ago • 0 comments

This morning's PhD work has mostly been re-organising a set of notes for a mathematical model but I'm surprised at how well it's unsticking all the random ruts/issues I've mentally had about it but was unable to enunciate or even figure out in the first place. Yay, clarity!

submitted 9 days ago • 0 comments

Elder Millennials getting a sore reminder for getting their prostate checked, I guess!

submitted 9 days ago • 0 comments

Started watching Netflix's "The Chair" (the one based in an English academic department) and even though I can feel my blood pressure rising I'm at least able to laugh at the satire & on-the-nose display of...topical issues. 😅😓 (Esp. after recent "glass cliff" conversations!)

submitted 10 days ago • 0 comments

Please share. 2 tenure-track T&R math/stat jobs at the University of Queensland, Australia. Amazing weather, gorgeous campus & lifestyle. 17% employer retirement contribution, lots of leave. Strong global reputation. Supports diversity @stevenstrogatz.com uq.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/uqcare...

submitted 12 days ago • 1 comment

My brain is having the weirdest mental shitfit over it finally sinking in that when a layman says 'random', they usually mean a uniform distribution. So it's forcing me to try and readjust my language (esp for my Bayesian studies) and my brain is NOT liking it at all. Blerg.

submitted 12 days ago • 0 comments

Monash University has made many positions available specifically for young and early career researchers who would like to take some time away from the USA. These are case by case, not advertised. So if you are interested or know anyone interested have them get in contact with someone at Monash.

submitted 12 days ago • 1 comment

It's not a mathematicians' board games arvo/evening without someone randomly asking a question about banana consumption on a trip and distracting half the players from the game in play while they strategise a solution 😂 (Citadels is pretty neat, though!)

submitted 12 days ago • 1 comment

Current crochet project now that the previous one is in the blocking+stiffening stage. Really enjoying it 🥰

submitted 13 days ago • 0 comments

Note to self: Try to have more verbal conversations with people. It seems to be the fastest way of unsticking myself from mental ruts. But when you're doing a PhD and the topics are specialised enough such that there's even fewer readily available people to talk to... 🥲

submitted 13 days ago • 1 comment

Finished watching Lie to Me S3. Can definitely see & understand why it was cancelled. Did some searching and found this behind-the-scenes comments from the scientist whose work the show was based on: lietome.com/the-trut...

submitted 14 days ago • 0 comments

This is a great post about the magic mixture that made Bell labs work. I especially like this bit because it accords very strongly with something I've always believed. "Why would you expect information theory from someone who needs a babysitter?"

submitted 15 days ago • 3 comments

one thing I really like about @cogscisociety.bsky.social is they disclose publicly the rough costs of running their conference this is not a trivial decision, many orgs don't do so, and it provides useful context for "why should it cost $600 to see my science friends" (here's why!)

submitted 16 days ago • 2 comments

I missed a teleconference meeting because I was half an hour behind due to being interstate and the reminder text didn't mention the timezone - the only hint that would've clued me otherwise in was the state phone code 💢 1/2

submitted 16 days ago • 1 comment

Finally started blocking+stiffening my crochet'd yarn bowl after like a week of my brain slowly deliberating over the anxiety of getting it right. The last thing it was stuck on was figuring out what bowl to hold the PVA glue/water mix 🙄

submitted 16 days ago • 1 comment

“Prisons do become warehouses for people who have mental health issues or disability support needs” essential reading from @gingerandhoney.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

submitted 17 days ago • 1 comment

Yesterday (Friday) was pretty sluggish, but today, Saturday, which I usually designate as "let my brain do what it wants" day for my mental health, my brain is actually raring to go on some PhD work. I, okay, brain, let's just satisfy your whims. For my mental health.

submitted 18 days ago • 1 comment

I got pizza for dinner. The place offered a 9", 12", 15", 18" for $14, $18, $24, $29 respectively. Like any good mathematician I ordered the one with the most area per dollar 😁 It was "just right" /chefkiss

submitted 18 days ago • 1 comment