Point of view: Te Ruru light festival 2019

Point of View is a perception based installation presented as part of Te Ruru Light Festival 2019. The work consists of a 3 sided box suspended above the viewer. The box is painted white and is projected onto from above the primary viewing point (this prevents the viewer from noticing the projector, but also from blocking the projection). The light-based projection onto the surface of the box creates the illusion that the 3 sided box is actually a 6 sided cube. The viewer is invited to move around the space, observing the cube. Once the viewer walks under or past the suspended cube, they enter the secondary viewpoint in which they see the actual form of the box – a 3 sided/open box. The work talks about how our individual experiences shape the way we see. It raises questions about the difference between reality and perception

The Kepler Problem: Orbit Cones and Cylinders

Planetary orbits, being conic sections, may be obtained as the locus of intersection of planes and cones. The planes involved are familiar to anyone who has studied the classical Kepler problem. We focus here on the cones

Point of view: Waikato Museum 2018

Point of View is a perception based installation presented as part of the 'INDELIBLE' exhibition at Waikato Museum. The work consists of a 3 sided box suspended above the viewer. The box is painted white and is projected onto from above the primary viewing point (this prevents the viewer from noticing the projector, but also from blocking the projection). The light-based projection onto the surface of the box creates the illusion that the 3 sided box is actually a 6 sided cube. The viewer is invited to move around the space, observing the cube. Once the viewer walks under or past the suspended cube, they enter the secondary viewpoint in which they see the actual form of the box – a 3 sided/open box. The work talks about how we as individuals perceive communities depending on our unique viewpoints. One may see a community as a negative group, where others see the same group as supportive or encouraging. Communities are built on shared or common attitudes and interests, because of this, our own experiences shape the way we see them. It raises questions about the difference between reality and perception

Controls on ecosystem respiration of carbon dioxide across a boreal wetland gradient in Interior Alaska

Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2012Permafrost and organic soil layers are common to most wetlands in interior Alaska, where wetlands have functioned as important long-term soil carbon sinks. Boreal wetlands are diverse in both vegetation and nutrient cycling, ranging from nutrient-poor bogs to nutrient- and vascular-rich fens. The goals of my study were to quantify growing season ecosystem respiration (ER) along a gradient of vegetation and permafrost in a boreal wetland complex, and to evaluate the main abiotic and biotic variables that regulate CO₂ release from boreal soils. Highest ER and root respiration were observed at a sedge/forb community and lowest ER and root respiration were observed at a neighboring rich fen community, even though the two fens had similar estimates of root biomass and vascular green area. Root respiration also contributed approximately 40% to ER at both fens. These results support the conclusion that high soil moisture and low redox potential may be limiting both heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration at the rich fen. This study suggests that interactions among soil environmental variables are important drivers of ER. Also, vegetation and its response to soil environment determines contributions from aboveground (leaves and shoots) and belowground (roots and moss) components, which vary among wetland gradient communities.Introduction -- Introduction to boreal wetlands -- Ecosystem respiration and its role in peatland function -- Brief rationale for this study -- Goals, objectives, and hypotheses -- Methods -- Description of study site and the gradient design -- Atmospheric and soil environmental variables -- Ecosystem respiration fluxes -- Root respiration fluxes and aboveground vegetation measurements -- Results -- Soil environmental variables along the gradient -- Ecosystem respiration -- Contributions of root respiration to ER -- Discussion -- Patterns of ecosystem respiration along the wetland gradient -- The role of roots in ecosystem respiration of CO₂ -- Study limitations and ideas for future research -- Conclusions

DeBruijn Strings, Double Helices, and the Ehrenfeucht-Mycielski Mechanism

We revisit the pseudo-random sequence introduced by Ehrenfeucht and Mycielski and its connections with DeBruijn strings