alex
@alexmulkerrin.bsky.social
Advent of Code has been ramping up in difficulty. I can solve part 1 of both day 5 and 6 but their second parts are really hard. I might be reaching the point where I'll have to give up...
December 6, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Advent of Code has been ramping up in difficulty. I can solve part 1 of both day 5 and 6 but their second parts are really hard. I might be reaching the point where I'll have to give up...
Day 4 of Advent of Code was really fun as it involved what was pretty much a Cellular Automata.
I was so confident in my solution to part 2 that I didn't even try with the example data and got it to work *and* get the right answer on the first try :D
I was so confident in my solution to part 2 that I didn't even try with the example data and got it to work *and* get the right answer on the first try :D
December 5, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Day 4 of Advent of Code was really fun as it involved what was pretty much a Cellular Automata.
I was so confident in my solution to part 2 that I didn't even try with the example data and got it to work *and* get the right answer on the first try :D
I was so confident in my solution to part 2 that I didn't even try with the example data and got it to work *and* get the right answer on the first try :D
I completed the 3rd day of Advent of Code. It seemed really easy :?
I'm sure it'll get more difficult from here...
I'm sure it'll get more difficult from here...
December 4, 2025 at 8:12 PM
I completed the 3rd day of Advent of Code. It seemed really easy :?
I'm sure it'll get more difficult from here...
I'm sure it'll get more difficult from here...
I did day 2 of Advent of Code. I'm not too familiar with python so I've been exploring what can be done with the language. Second part has a rather *unique* way of getting the answer :P
December 3, 2025 at 8:23 PM
I did day 2 of Advent of Code. I'm not too familiar with python so I've been exploring what can be done with the language. Second part has a rather *unique* way of getting the answer :P
I might be a day behind but I completed the first day of Advent of Code.
My solution for the second part of the puzzle was as dumb as it was possible to be but it got the correct answer so it's fine :)
My solution for the second part of the puzzle was as dumb as it was possible to be but it got the correct answer so it's fine :)
December 2, 2025 at 7:49 PM
I might be a day behind but I completed the first day of Advent of Code.
My solution for the second part of the puzzle was as dumb as it was possible to be but it got the correct answer so it's fine :)
My solution for the second part of the puzzle was as dumb as it was possible to be but it got the correct answer so it's fine :)
I mentioned it in my blog post but over November I did something kinda like NaNoWriMo where I wrote as much as I could about anything at all.
I managed to write a whopping 116K words, double the required! Which while mostly being journaling I did do a few thousand fiction notes.
I managed to write a whopping 116K words, double the required! Which while mostly being journaling I did do a few thousand fiction notes.
December 2, 2025 at 4:26 PM
I mentioned it in my blog post but over November I did something kinda like NaNoWriMo where I wrote as much as I could about anything at all.
I managed to write a whopping 116K words, double the required! Which while mostly being journaling I did do a few thousand fiction notes.
I managed to write a whopping 116K words, double the required! Which while mostly being journaling I did do a few thousand fiction notes.
For the first time in over a year I have written something for my blog :D
It's a review of the year and the things I've managed to get up to. Places visited and lots of new habits formed.
tangentialtopics.blogspot.com/2025/12/2025...
It's a review of the year and the things I've managed to get up to. Places visited and lots of new habits formed.
tangentialtopics.blogspot.com/2025/12/2025...
2025 Review
As it is nearing the end of the year I thought it would be nice to write about what I've been up to this year. This is mostly a list of thin...
tangentialtopics.blogspot.com
December 2, 2025 at 7:13 AM
For the first time in over a year I have written something for my blog :D
It's a review of the year and the things I've managed to get up to. Places visited and lots of new habits formed.
tangentialtopics.blogspot.com/2025/12/2025...
It's a review of the year and the things I've managed to get up to. Places visited and lots of new habits formed.
tangentialtopics.blogspot.com/2025/12/2025...
Watched the film The Goonies. It was pretty goofy. I thought it must've been an early Stephen Spielberg but no it came out after Temple of Doom.
November 20, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Watched the film The Goonies. It was pretty goofy. I thought it must've been an early Stephen Spielberg but no it came out after Temple of Doom.
I read Hail Mary by Andy Weir, very much like The Martian where a plucky astronaut has to solve his problems out in space.
I thought the conceit of the main character suffering memory loss worked well and the science was plausible sounding, very nice end :)
I thought the conceit of the main character suffering memory loss worked well and the science was plausible sounding, very nice end :)
November 19, 2025 at 4:19 PM
I read Hail Mary by Andy Weir, very much like The Martian where a plucky astronaut has to solve his problems out in space.
I thought the conceit of the main character suffering memory loss worked well and the science was plausible sounding, very nice end :)
I thought the conceit of the main character suffering memory loss worked well and the science was plausible sounding, very nice end :)
I read the rulebook for Starfinder, a tabletop roleplaying game based on Pathfinder, which itself is an offshoot of Dungeons and Dragons.
It is pretty interesting and I really like the idea of a scifi trpg. I'm working on making a starship generator for it :D
It is pretty interesting and I really like the idea of a scifi trpg. I'm working on making a starship generator for it :D
November 13, 2025 at 8:16 PM
I read the rulebook for Starfinder, a tabletop roleplaying game based on Pathfinder, which itself is an offshoot of Dungeons and Dragons.
It is pretty interesting and I really like the idea of a scifi trpg. I'm working on making a starship generator for it :D
It is pretty interesting and I really like the idea of a scifi trpg. I'm working on making a starship generator for it :D
I've been making starships with the Starfinder rules. Came up with the statline of a Von Neumann probe :D
I'm also working on making an interactive webpage to make them with instead of using pen and paper.
I'm also working on making an interactive webpage to make them with instead of using pen and paper.
November 6, 2025 at 7:29 PM
I've been making starships with the Starfinder rules. Came up with the statline of a Von Neumann probe :D
I'm also working on making an interactive webpage to make them with instead of using pen and paper.
I'm also working on making an interactive webpage to make them with instead of using pen and paper.
I read The Scout Mindset by Julia Galef a book on motivated reasoning.
I found it to be quite light reading as she goes over various cognitive biases and why we use them. It was good in that it gave actionable goals for having a more rational view of facts.
I found it to be quite light reading as she goes over various cognitive biases and why we use them. It was good in that it gave actionable goals for having a more rational view of facts.
October 17, 2025 at 12:43 PM
I read The Scout Mindset by Julia Galef a book on motivated reasoning.
I found it to be quite light reading as she goes over various cognitive biases and why we use them. It was good in that it gave actionable goals for having a more rational view of facts.
I found it to be quite light reading as she goes over various cognitive biases and why we use them. It was good in that it gave actionable goals for having a more rational view of facts.
I read Logic: an introduction to elementary logic by Wilfred Hodges, A simple textbook I was meant to read during my masters.
I enjoyed the parts of it that involved converting English words in formal logic, if only all of English could be described so.
I enjoyed the parts of it that involved converting English words in formal logic, if only all of English could be described so.
October 14, 2025 at 10:57 AM
I read Logic: an introduction to elementary logic by Wilfred Hodges, A simple textbook I was meant to read during my masters.
I enjoyed the parts of it that involved converting English words in formal logic, if only all of English could be described so.
I enjoyed the parts of it that involved converting English words in formal logic, if only all of English could be described so.
I took part in the 58th Ludum Dare. The theme was collector so I made a bit of a fantasy collecting game. First time I had a dialog system so that was fun to make.
alexmulkerrin.itch.io/ludum-dare-58
alexmulkerrin.itch.io/ludum-dare-58
Ludum Dare 58: Grand Collector by AlexMulkerrin
Ludum Dare entry
alexmulkerrin.itch.io
October 6, 2025 at 5:23 PM
I took part in the 58th Ludum Dare. The theme was collector so I made a bit of a fantasy collecting game. First time I had a dialog system so that was fun to make.
alexmulkerrin.itch.io/ludum-dare-58
alexmulkerrin.itch.io/ludum-dare-58
I read The Truth by Terry Pratchett, a tale of the first newspaper in the discworld.
It was clear that Pratchett had fond memories of his time as a newspaper columnist and has them save the day in a classic Ankh Morpork situation.
It was clear that Pratchett had fond memories of his time as a newspaper columnist and has them save the day in a classic Ankh Morpork situation.
October 6, 2025 at 5:21 PM
I read The Truth by Terry Pratchett, a tale of the first newspaper in the discworld.
It was clear that Pratchett had fond memories of his time as a newspaper columnist and has them save the day in a classic Ankh Morpork situation.
It was clear that Pratchett had fond memories of his time as a newspaper columnist and has them save the day in a classic Ankh Morpork situation.
I read "If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies" by Elizer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares.
It was a good summary of their stance and I feel like anyone who works in the AI industry should be familiar with the dangers described in it. Also the short stories were nice.
It was a good summary of their stance and I feel like anyone who works in the AI industry should be familiar with the dangers described in it. Also the short stories were nice.
September 30, 2025 at 12:34 PM
I read "If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies" by Elizer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares.
It was a good summary of their stance and I feel like anyone who works in the AI industry should be familiar with the dangers described in it. Also the short stories were nice.
It was a good summary of their stance and I feel like anyone who works in the AI industry should be familiar with the dangers described in it. Also the short stories were nice.
Was away on a trip to Egypt last week. It was cool to see the pyramids and I even got to go inside the great pyramid. It is impressive how long civilization has existed and one has to wonder what the world would be like if everyone was building monuments like the Egyptians.
September 30, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Was away on a trip to Egypt last week. It was cool to see the pyramids and I even got to go inside the great pyramid. It is impressive how long civilization has existed and one has to wonder what the world would be like if everyone was building monuments like the Egyptians.
Finished reading Essential Cell Biology, a textbook I used for my final year research project.
It was nice to go over the material again and I find it a fascinating topic. Nanomachines already exist and are in all of us :D
It was nice to go over the material again and I find it a fascinating topic. Nanomachines already exist and are in all of us :D
September 12, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Finished reading Essential Cell Biology, a textbook I used for my final year research project.
It was nice to go over the material again and I find it a fascinating topic. Nanomachines already exist and are in all of us :D
It was nice to go over the material again and I find it a fascinating topic. Nanomachines already exist and are in all of us :D
Watched Wicked. It was interesting how it was half a musical, pretty long though and that was only part 1.
August 14, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Watched Wicked. It was interesting how it was half a musical, pretty long though and that was only part 1.
Went to the cinema to see the new Fantastic Four film, it was better than my expectations.
They fitted a lot into the film and didn't get bogged down with the origin story. The retro future aesthetic was neat and all the characters were depicted well.
They fitted a lot into the film and didn't get bogged down with the origin story. The retro future aesthetic was neat and all the characters were depicted well.
August 10, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Went to the cinema to see the new Fantastic Four film, it was better than my expectations.
They fitted a lot into the film and didn't get bogged down with the origin story. The retro future aesthetic was neat and all the characters were depicted well.
They fitted a lot into the film and didn't get bogged down with the origin story. The retro future aesthetic was neat and all the characters were depicted well.
I read The Story of Egypt by Joann Fletcher a chronology of Ancient Egypt.
It was quite exhaustive in its coverage of all the kings and pharaohs and what was really striking is how long Egypt has existed as a civilization. I never knew Alexander the Great was crowned pharaoh.
It was quite exhaustive in its coverage of all the kings and pharaohs and what was really striking is how long Egypt has existed as a civilization. I never knew Alexander the Great was crowned pharaoh.
August 4, 2025 at 2:28 PM
I read The Story of Egypt by Joann Fletcher a chronology of Ancient Egypt.
It was quite exhaustive in its coverage of all the kings and pharaohs and what was really striking is how long Egypt has existed as a civilization. I never knew Alexander the Great was crowned pharaoh.
It was quite exhaustive in its coverage of all the kings and pharaohs and what was really striking is how long Egypt has existed as a civilization. I never knew Alexander the Great was crowned pharaoh.
Read There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak and was most impressed by it.
It was great to see a novel with so much research done on ancient Mesopotamia and it gave me an appreciation for the archaeology done there in the 19th century.
The three intertwined stories worked well.
It was great to see a novel with so much research done on ancient Mesopotamia and it gave me an appreciation for the archaeology done there in the 19th century.
The three intertwined stories worked well.
July 17, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Read There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak and was most impressed by it.
It was great to see a novel with so much research done on ancient Mesopotamia and it gave me an appreciation for the archaeology done there in the 19th century.
The three intertwined stories worked well.
It was great to see a novel with so much research done on ancient Mesopotamia and it gave me an appreciation for the archaeology done there in the 19th century.
The three intertwined stories worked well.
Watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and found it fun and silly.
I remembered most of the iconic moments in the film once I started watching it which is always nice when you return to something from your childhood.
The music was excellent.
I remembered most of the iconic moments in the film once I started watching it which is always nice when you return to something from your childhood.
The music was excellent.
July 17, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and found it fun and silly.
I remembered most of the iconic moments in the film once I started watching it which is always nice when you return to something from your childhood.
The music was excellent.
I remembered most of the iconic moments in the film once I started watching it which is always nice when you return to something from your childhood.
The music was excellent.
I read The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin, the original source of theories of evolution (although he calls it Natural Selection).
The writing was pretty long winded and filled with examples but it was good to read to see the historical context the theory was introduced in.
The writing was pretty long winded and filled with examples but it was good to read to see the historical context the theory was introduced in.
July 10, 2025 at 12:55 PM
I read The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin, the original source of theories of evolution (although he calls it Natural Selection).
The writing was pretty long winded and filled with examples but it was good to read to see the historical context the theory was introduced in.
The writing was pretty long winded and filled with examples but it was good to read to see the historical context the theory was introduced in.
I read Rosewater by Tade Thompson an alien cyberpunk novel set in Nigeria.
The setting was interesting as it had been warped by alien colonists a bit like District 9. It was gritty and action packed with a bit too much focus on sex.
Still it was nice to read some recent scifi.
The setting was interesting as it had been warped by alien colonists a bit like District 9. It was gritty and action packed with a bit too much focus on sex.
Still it was nice to read some recent scifi.
July 2, 2025 at 2:14 PM
I read Rosewater by Tade Thompson an alien cyberpunk novel set in Nigeria.
The setting was interesting as it had been warped by alien colonists a bit like District 9. It was gritty and action packed with a bit too much focus on sex.
Still it was nice to read some recent scifi.
The setting was interesting as it had been warped by alien colonists a bit like District 9. It was gritty and action packed with a bit too much focus on sex.
Still it was nice to read some recent scifi.