Joshua Otti
@joshuaotti.bsky.social
Hi, My name is Joshua Cook Otti. I am a PhD in theoretical computer science, software engineer, and the author for stemforest books.
My website: joshuaotti.com
Stem Forest Books website: stemforestbooks.com
My website: joshuaotti.com
Stem Forest Books website: stemforestbooks.com
Pinned
Joshua Otti
@joshuaotti.bsky.social
· Nov 7
Want to teach stem concepts to your elementary age children? Teach them binary search with my book, Leaf's Library. It's about brown fairies who learn binary search to find books faster.
Can we stop making posts blaming Amazon for nitrates in water where the data does not support the conclusion?
No data about size of the aquafor, specific numbers about water lost make it hard to determine the size of the effect. And the numbers in this article support the opposite of the claim.
No data about size of the aquafor, specific numbers about water lost make it hard to determine the size of the effect. And the numbers in this article support the opposite of the claim.
Data centers in Oregon might be helping to drive an increase in cancer and miscarriages | The Verge share.google/tFiz2i2UJeJ7...
Data centers in Oregon might be helping to drive an increase in cancer and miscarriages
Amazon data centers might be adding to a public health crisis in Morrow County, Oregon.
share.google
December 1, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Can we stop making posts blaming Amazon for nitrates in water where the data does not support the conclusion?
No data about size of the aquafor, specific numbers about water lost make it hard to determine the size of the effect. And the numbers in this article support the opposite of the claim.
No data about size of the aquafor, specific numbers about water lost make it hard to determine the size of the effect. And the numbers in this article support the opposite of the claim.
Worried about how expensive the new steamframe will be with the dram prices. Right now 16gb is only $100, but that really shouldn't be one of the primary costs of the headset.
December 1, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Worried about how expensive the new steamframe will be with the dram prices. Right now 16gb is only $100, but that really shouldn't be one of the primary costs of the headset.
There are many Maga break up articles right now but this happened before after January 6. Trump won again 4 years later with greater institutional support than ever.
The GOP won't turn on Trump, they'll just temporarily act disappointed until they can stop acting.
The GOP won't turn on Trump, they'll just temporarily act disappointed until they can stop acting.
November 30, 2025 at 8:18 AM
There are many Maga break up articles right now but this happened before after January 6. Trump won again 4 years later with greater institutional support than ever.
The GOP won't turn on Trump, they'll just temporarily act disappointed until they can stop acting.
The GOP won't turn on Trump, they'll just temporarily act disappointed until they can stop acting.
So, luckily my job has given me a very annoying thing to test at work that is requiring me to learn some knew statistics to deal with it. Essentially, I need to use the DKW inequality, but I need a strengthened one with tighter bounds on the tails.
Fairly interesting stuff!
Fairly interesting stuff!
November 30, 2025 at 8:00 AM
So, luckily my job has given me a very annoying thing to test at work that is requiring me to learn some knew statistics to deal with it. Essentially, I need to use the DKW inequality, but I need a strengthened one with tighter bounds on the tails.
Fairly interesting stuff!
Fairly interesting stuff!
Had an idea for a VR treadmill, and now that I have some disposable income, I'm gonna try it! Anyway, if I break my ankles in the next few weeks you know what happened.
November 26, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Had an idea for a VR treadmill, and now that I have some disposable income, I'm gonna try it! Anyway, if I break my ankles in the next few weeks you know what happened.
Every instrument is a drum if you believe hard enough.
November 23, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Every instrument is a drum if you believe hard enough.
We don’t need steam OS for companies to build Linux desktops. Just put Ubuntu on it, maybe with some pre-installed stuff.
I'm all for valve making steam OS more widely available, but if they'd rather focus their OS on specific hardware, that's fine. Proton works on other Linux distros.
I'm all for valve making steam OS more widely available, but if they'd rather focus their OS on specific hardware, that's fine. Proton works on other Linux distros.
November 23, 2025 at 10:42 AM
We don’t need steam OS for companies to build Linux desktops. Just put Ubuntu on it, maybe with some pre-installed stuff.
I'm all for valve making steam OS more widely available, but if they'd rather focus their OS on specific hardware, that's fine. Proton works on other Linux distros.
I'm all for valve making steam OS more widely available, but if they'd rather focus their OS on specific hardware, that's fine. Proton works on other Linux distros.
Lukewarm take: short people are cool, and genetically engineering your kids to try to make them above average height is bad.
Hot take: if it was possible, genetically engineering your kids to be shorter WOULD be cool.
Hot take: if it was possible, genetically engineering your kids to be shorter WOULD be cool.
November 23, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Lukewarm take: short people are cool, and genetically engineering your kids to try to make them above average height is bad.
Hot take: if it was possible, genetically engineering your kids to be shorter WOULD be cool.
Hot take: if it was possible, genetically engineering your kids to be shorter WOULD be cool.
I mean, they should also work to set up better federal laws to regulate voting to fix fundamental problems with our voting system. But until the rules are fixed, yeah play the game to win.
I don’t care what happens with the Texas legislative maps. Democrats should still gerrymander the shit out of blue states.
November 20, 2025 at 2:30 AM
I mean, they should also work to set up better federal laws to regulate voting to fix fundamental problems with our voting system. But until the rules are fixed, yeah play the game to win.
Soon, very soon, one can buy truly native, Canadian Honeyberries. research-groups.usask.ca/fruit/articl...
Well, half Canadian half Japanese, but close enough.
Well, half Canadian half Japanese, but close enough.
'Boreal Bliss' - USask Fruit Program
Boreal Bliss will be available in late 2025 or 2026.
research-groups.usask.ca
November 20, 2025 at 2:28 AM
Soon, very soon, one can buy truly native, Canadian Honeyberries. research-groups.usask.ca/fruit/articl...
Well, half Canadian half Japanese, but close enough.
Well, half Canadian half Japanese, but close enough.
Cloud providers are not utilities like water and electric. Adding a new provider made available to everyone is not expensive. It is not expensive to switch someone from AWS to GCP.
Now, they are large powerful companies and they should be regulated. But they are not utilities.
Now, they are large powerful companies and they should be regulated. But they are not utilities.
November 19, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Cloud providers are not utilities like water and electric. Adding a new provider made available to everyone is not expensive. It is not expensive to switch someone from AWS to GCP.
Now, they are large powerful companies and they should be regulated. But they are not utilities.
Now, they are large powerful companies and they should be regulated. But they are not utilities.
I am a little concerned that valve has chosen a two year old XPu for the steam frame. This is similar to what Oculus did for the quest 1, and probably for similar reasons. It still worked well, but it seriously hurt it's shelf life.
November 13, 2025 at 5:03 PM
I am a little concerned that valve has chosen a two year old XPu for the steam frame. This is similar to what Oculus did for the quest 1, and probably for similar reasons. It still worked well, but it seriously hurt it's shelf life.
Early 2026, I will finally upgrade my 13 year old PC. Something will need the new hardware.
November 13, 2025 at 5:26 AM
Early 2026, I will finally upgrade my 13 year old PC. Something will need the new hardware.
Do I even want a vr treadmill anymore? Now I just play video games while I'm waiting for my program to finish. Being too emersed could stop me from working.
Anyway, yes I do.
Anyway, yes I do.
November 12, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Do I even want a vr treadmill anymore? Now I just play video games while I'm waiting for my program to finish. Being too emersed could stop me from working.
Anyway, yes I do.
Anyway, yes I do.
I'm looking through my previous experiment, and I think I accidentally approximated the normal distribution using only 7 points, instead of the 121 I meant to. Maybe. Oops.
It doesn’t invalidate the earlier result either way, but woops.
It doesn’t invalidate the earlier result either way, but woops.
November 11, 2025 at 12:55 PM
I'm looking through my previous experiment, and I think I accidentally approximated the normal distribution using only 7 points, instead of the 121 I meant to. Maybe. Oops.
It doesn’t invalidate the earlier result either way, but woops.
It doesn’t invalidate the earlier result either way, but woops.
It's weird. The time changed and all of a sudden I'm at work 9 till 5 and eating lunch at lunch time. I guess I've always just been on standard time.
November 5, 2025 at 8:58 PM
It's weird. The time changed and all of a sudden I'm at work 9 till 5 and eating lunch at lunch time. I guess I've always just been on standard time.
Revamped my imaginary calendar system to make sunrise approximately zero o'clock. Two major consequences:
1: time zones are now based on longitude and latitude.
2: days have more minutes in summer and fall than winter and spring.
Not sure if it's better or not.
1: time zones are now based on longitude and latitude.
2: days have more minutes in summer and fall than winter and spring.
Not sure if it's better or not.
November 2, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Revamped my imaginary calendar system to make sunrise approximately zero o'clock. Two major consequences:
1: time zones are now based on longitude and latitude.
2: days have more minutes in summer and fall than winter and spring.
Not sure if it's better or not.
1: time zones are now based on longitude and latitude.
2: days have more minutes in summer and fall than winter and spring.
Not sure if it's better or not.
I get why we pinned time to noon and midnight. It makes timezones much simpler, plus sundials.
But an alternative reality where we defined time of day based on sunrise would fix most of our stupid daylight savings time issues, even if it would mean way more time zones.
But an alternative reality where we defined time of day based on sunrise would fix most of our stupid daylight savings time issues, even if it would mean way more time zones.
November 2, 2025 at 9:39 AM
I get why we pinned time to noon and midnight. It makes timezones much simpler, plus sundials.
But an alternative reality where we defined time of day based on sunrise would fix most of our stupid daylight savings time issues, even if it would mean way more time zones.
But an alternative reality where we defined time of day based on sunrise would fix most of our stupid daylight savings time issues, even if it would mean way more time zones.
It is wild that game streaming now has less input latency than my TV. Like, why the heck is input latency on some of these TVs so high?
How is it cheaper to store the image for like 5 frames before displaying it then just displaying them as they get in (with maybe 1 buffer)?
How is it cheaper to store the image for like 5 frames before displaying it then just displaying them as they get in (with maybe 1 buffer)?
November 2, 2025 at 9:25 AM
It is wild that game streaming now has less input latency than my TV. Like, why the heck is input latency on some of these TVs so high?
How is it cheaper to store the image for like 5 frames before displaying it then just displaying them as they get in (with maybe 1 buffer)?
How is it cheaper to store the image for like 5 frames before displaying it then just displaying them as they get in (with maybe 1 buffer)?
Does anyone out there know why hdrhistogram is so popular? It seems like it is just exponentially sized buckets (so larger values have larger buckets) and only the number in each bucket is stored.
Why doesn't it store more things in a bucket, like average values in that bucket, or higher moments?
Why doesn't it store more things in a bucket, like average values in that bucket, or higher moments?
October 28, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Does anyone out there know why hdrhistogram is so popular? It seems like it is just exponentially sized buckets (so larger values have larger buckets) and only the number in each bucket is stored.
Why doesn't it store more things in a bucket, like average values in that bucket, or higher moments?
Why doesn't it store more things in a bucket, like average values in that bucket, or higher moments?
It's kind of wild that AWS advertises more than 3 nines of availability on any service. Like, these outages happen, and eliminating them is practically impossible while still delivering new features (which they have to do to stay competitive).
October 21, 2025 at 7:56 AM
It's kind of wild that AWS advertises more than 3 nines of availability on any service. Like, these outages happen, and eliminating them is practically impossible while still delivering new features (which they have to do to stay competitive).
I'm trying to implement a concurrency counter for a rust rocket server. But the workload has no IO, so often times it is scheduled so that no two requests are processing at once. Great from an architectural POV, but annoying for what I want.
October 18, 2025 at 6:19 PM
I'm trying to implement a concurrency counter for a rust rocket server. But the workload has no IO, so often times it is scheduled so that no two requests are processing at once. Great from an architectural POV, but annoying for what I want.
Just ordered food from McDonald's online. I was denied entry at the door. Yes. I am now angry man complaining on the internet.
October 18, 2025 at 5:10 AM
Just ordered food from McDonald's online. I was denied entry at the door. Yes. I am now angry man complaining on the internet.
Got an excuse to write a bit more Rust today, and I finally won the lifetime achievement.
October 17, 2025 at 5:53 AM
Got an excuse to write a bit more Rust today, and I finally won the lifetime achievement.
Remember when basically every kids or action movie had a console game? They weren't very good, but it was kind of nice for the kids who liked the movie way too much.
I believe these still exist, but they are much cheaper and generally redskins of basic mobile games.
A better time.
I believe these still exist, but they are much cheaper and generally redskins of basic mobile games.
A better time.
October 16, 2025 at 2:56 AM
Remember when basically every kids or action movie had a console game? They weren't very good, but it was kind of nice for the kids who liked the movie way too much.
I believe these still exist, but they are much cheaper and generally redskins of basic mobile games.
A better time.
I believe these still exist, but they are much cheaper and generally redskins of basic mobile games.
A better time.