I thought I was done with exploring anomeric effects in small sulfur rings. However, I then realised that all the systems that I had described had an odd number of atoms and that I had not looked at any even numbered rings.

Last year I reminisced on the occasion of the 40th Anniversary of the Macintosh computer.

Evaluating LLMs for providing evidence-based information on conservation actions This is an idea proposed in 2025 as a good starter project, and is currently being worked on by Radhika Agrawal. It is co-supervised with Alec Christie and Sadiq Jaffer. We are building a Conservation Co-Pilot to improve worldwide conservation action through evidence-driven insights.

Low power audio transcription with Whisper This is an idea proposed in 2025 as a good starter project, and is currently being worked on by Dan Kvit. It is co-supervised with Josh Millar. The rise of batteryless energy-harvesting platforms could enable ultra-low-power, long-term, maintenance-free deployments of sensors.

Evaluating a human-in-the-loop AI framework to improve inclusion criteria for evidence synthesis This is an idea proposed in 2025 as a good starter project, and is available for being worked on. It may be co-supervised with Alec Christie and Sadiq Jaffer.

Habitat mapping of the Cairngormes Connect restoration area This is an idea proposed in 2025 as a good starter project, and is currently being worked on by Isabel Mansley. It is co-supervised with David Coomes and Aland Chan.

Validating predictions with ranger insights to enhance anti-poaching patrol strategies in protected areas This is an idea proposed in 2025 as a good starter project, and is currently being worked on by Hannah McLoone. It is co-supervised with Charles Emogor and Rob Fletcher. Biodiversity is declining at an unprecedented rate, underscoring the critical role of protected areas (PAs) in conserving threatened species and ecosystems.

Mapping urban and rural British hedgehogs This is an idea proposed in 2025 as a good starter project, and is currently being worked on by Gabriel Mahler. It is co-supervised with Silviu Petrovan. The National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme aims to provide robust population estimates for the beloved hedgehog. The People's Trust for Endangered Species has been coordinating the programme.

ZFS replication strategies with encryption This is an idea proposed in 2025 as a good starter project, and is currently being worked on by Becky Terefe-Zenebe. It is co-supervised with Mark Elvers. We are using ZFS in much of our Planetary Computing infrastructure due to its ease of remote replication. Therefore, its performance characteristics when used as a local filesystem are particularly interesting.

I made my first podcast appearance on the Foresight Institute’s podcast! The episode turned out to be a phenomenal one-hour summary of the most important ideas FreakTakes has covered. YouTube and Spotify embeddings are below.

Data Sustainability In the rapidly evolving landscape of bioinformatics, research data is the bedrock of discovery, innovation, and progress. But how secure is this foundation for the future?