Journal
7/7 Entry
What are your thoughts about the lectures today? What did you learn from the lectures and labs?
The lectures today were rather simple, but still informative. I learned from the lectures how to use the Jupyter Notebook for Python, and from the lab how to use RobotC to program different outputs on the robot.
7/8 Entry
What did you learn or experience from working with your robot today? What did you find most interesting about the DLS talk about developing vaccines? How comfortable are you with adding journals and course content to this website?
From working with the robot today, I learned the importance of testing the device multiple times to make sure that it always performs as desired. The most interesting thing about the DLS talk today was how the need to approve/test the vaccines meant that it takes much more time to test the vaccines than to make them.
7/9
How many MegaPixels is the camera on your phone? How much money is $10,000 in 1983, today?
The camera on my phone is 12 megapixels. $10,000 in 1983 is worth about $27,000 today.
7/12
What is the difference bias and noise? Write the truth table for the items in the images to the left.
Bias is a systematic deviation from the mark, while noise is random deviation.
7/13
What are your insights about the critique process? How has it already been useful or how do you think it will be useful in the future of this project?
The critique process is very helpful for finding flaws in the project. By involving multiple people to critique the project, we were able to consider many different points of view that helped us refine the project.
7/14
What "pebbles did you pick up" while watching Joshua, Serena, and/or Dr. Koehl's presentations?
Today, through watching the presentations of Dr. Koehl, I learned about how microorganisms in marine environments navigate through water.
7/15
Compare python programming with another language you are familiar with. What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of each?
Another language I am familiar with is Java. Java is different from Python in that it has less libraries, so more functions need to be defined, but it also runs slightly quicker.
7/16
How is the function of the ribosome in your cells the same as or different from the python DNA translation program you worked with?
Ribosomes in the cells convert tRNA to protein in roughly the same way as the program, but in cells the tRNA is edited before it reaches the ribosome to have introns cut out.
7/20
What concerns do you have about the feasibility of your robotics project? How will you address these concerns?
I am not too concerned, because I am pretty confident that the project is possible because I found a model online to follow.
7/21
What pebbles did you pick up about the locomotion of other organisms from Dr. Nicholas Gravish's DLS talk?
I learned about how organisms traveling over rough terrain move, as well as how their movement is measured and used to make robots that can travel the same way.
7/22
What do you think will happen in a Gambler's Ruins problem when the odds are slightly not fair? For example 51% to 49% odds for the two gamblers. (Hint: Both M1 and M2 are relatively large.)
The gambler that the odds favor is going to win in the end, if M1 and M2 are large enough.
7/23
What connections did you make between diffusion and motor proteins to random walks?
Diffusion involves the random walking of particles that can go between a semi permeable membrane. Eventually, it will balance out. Motor proteins take random walks.
7/26
What changes have you made to your project(s) based on critique feedback from others?
We changed the goals of the project because of issues with feasibility.
7/28
Based on your experience with COSMOS so far, what pebbles have you picked up that will potentially take you forward in a career direction (like our speaker Dr. Jacqueline Thomas)?
I have learned much about programming in C and Python, both of which I was not as familiar with. These skills can help in the future when I need to program in different languages.
7/29
Reflect upon how you handled pressure and/or collaboration this week.
This week, there was a lot of pressure to finish the projects on time. I think that I handled working with my partners, being able to work well with them to complete the projects on time.