Chris Samuel
@chris-bloke.mastodon.acm.org.ap.brid.gy
A Welsh/Aussie #HPC geek with lifelong interests in archaeology, history, astronomy and computing.
Cardiff -> Aberystwyth -> Malvern -> Melbourne -> Berkeley […]
🌉 bridged from ⁂ https://mastodon.acm.org/@chris_bloke, follow @ap.brid.gy to interact
Cardiff -> Aberystwyth -> Malvern -> Melbourne -> Berkeley […]
🌉 bridged from ⁂ https://mastodon.acm.org/@chris_bloke, follow @ap.brid.gy to interact
December 4, 2025 at 1:19 AM
This is a nice resource for digging into people in UK #history who are often missing from view - a database of ~290,000 medieval soldiers. https://theconversation.com/we-built-a-database-of-290-000-english-medieval-soldiers-heres-what-it-reveals-270750
We built a database of 290,000 English medieval soldiers – here’s what it reveals
We created the database in order to challenge assumptions about the lack of professionalism of everyday soldiers.
theconversation.com
December 2, 2025 at 1:21 PM
This is a nice resource for digging into people in UK #history who are often missing from view - a database of ~290,000 medieval soldiers. https://theconversation.com/we-built-a-database-of-290-000-english-medieval-soldiers-heres-what-it-reveals-270750
Reposted by Chris Samuel
That thing where some current sunspot is compared to Carrington's…
https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=02&month=12&year=2025
https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=02&month=12&year=2025
Spaceweather.com Time Machine
spaceweather.com
December 2, 2025 at 1:06 PM
That thing where some current sunspot is compared to Carrington's…
https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=02&month=12&year=2025
https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=02&month=12&year=2025
Nice to see Kernewek/Cornish bring protection in a similar way to Cymraeg/Welsh and the Gaelic languages! https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/nov/30/cornish-language-kernewek-part-iii-status-protected-european-charter
December 1, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Nice to see Kernewek/Cornish bring protection in a similar way to Cymraeg/Welsh and the Gaelic languages! https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/nov/30/cornish-language-kernewek-part-iii-status-protected-european-charter
OK OK, so not quite a mastodon, but a mammoth day here today! 🙌 Thanks to the PBS Eons folks on their Patreon I'm now the custodians of two 1/18th scale models and a 1/35th scale model of mammoths!
The project is on BackerKit […]
[Original post on mastodon.acm.org]
The project is on BackerKit […]
[Original post on mastodon.acm.org]
November 30, 2025 at 10:21 PM
OK OK, so not quite a mastodon, but a mammoth day here today! 🙌 Thanks to the PBS Eons folks on their Patreon I'm now the custodians of two 1/18th scale models and a 1/35th scale model of mammoths!
The project is on BackerKit […]
[Original post on mastodon.acm.org]
The project is on BackerKit […]
[Original post on mastodon.acm.org]
Well that's the first time I've had to stop mowing the lawn because it started snowing... (you can tell I'm a recent arrival in PHL). 😀 🌨️
November 30, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Well that's the first time I've had to stop mowing the lawn because it started snowing... (you can tell I'm a recent arrival in PHL). 😀 🌨️
Calling all palaeontologists - I think I’ve solved for once and for all why the non-avian dinosaurs went extinct!
November 29, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Calling all palaeontologists - I think I’ve solved for once and for all why the non-avian dinosaurs went extinct!
Wow, The Guardian preamble for the Wales vs Springboks game really lets the WRU have both barrels for how they’re managing the game. 🏴 🏉 […]
Original post on mastodon.acm.org
mastodon.acm.org
November 29, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Wow, The Guardian preamble for the Wales vs Springboks game really lets the WRU have both barrels for how they’re managing the game. 🏴 🏉 […]
Da iawn pawb! Very good all! 🏴
Aberystwyth and its surrounding area in Ceredigion has become Wales's first UNESCO City of Literature! https://www.library.wales/news/article/aberystwyth-ceredigion-becomes-waless-first-unesco-city-of-literature
#wales #cymru #aberystwyth #unesco
Aberystwyth and its surrounding area in Ceredigion has become Wales's first UNESCO City of Literature! https://www.library.wales/news/article/aberystwyth-ceredigion-becomes-waless-first-unesco-city-of-literature
#wales #cymru #aberystwyth #unesco
Aberystwyth Ceredigion becomes Wales’s first UNESCO City of Literature
Aberystwyth Ceredigion recognised by UNESCO for the area's contribution to literature
www.library.wales
November 26, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Da iawn pawb! Very good all! 🏴
Aberystwyth and its surrounding area in Ceredigion has become Wales's first UNESCO City of Literature! https://www.library.wales/news/article/aberystwyth-ceredigion-becomes-waless-first-unesco-city-of-literature
#wales #cymru #aberystwyth #unesco
Aberystwyth and its surrounding area in Ceredigion has become Wales's first UNESCO City of Literature! https://www.library.wales/news/article/aberystwyth-ceredigion-becomes-waless-first-unesco-city-of-literature
#wales #cymru #aberystwyth #unesco
RE: https://live.acarsdrama.com/@top_shelf/115579375086865455
I wonder what "lost cell phone coffee" tastes like?
I wonder what "lost cell phone coffee" tastes like?
live.acarsdrama.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:07 AM
RE: https://live.acarsdrama.com/@top_shelf/115579375086865455
I wonder what "lost cell phone coffee" tastes like?
I wonder what "lost cell phone coffee" tastes like?
Reposted by Chris Samuel
Andreas Dilger is now working for The Lustre Collective (https://thelustrecollective.com) after leaving DDN. I am glad to see his leadership continue to drive Lustre into the future. Say what you will about it, Lustre is the standard to which every other #hpc file system is compared.
#sc25
#sc25
November 18, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Andreas Dilger is now working for The Lustre Collective (https://thelustrecollective.com) after leaving DDN. I am glad to see his leadership continue to drive Lustre into the future. Say what you will about it, Lustre is the standard to which every other #hpc file system is compared.
#sc25
#sc25
Saw the #aurora from Ph iladelphia - barely visible to the unaided eye as a red/pink glow (after ducking down out of the way of a light) but could see it better on Marisol's iPhone! No longer visible here now sadly.
That's my first ever aurora... 🎉
That's my first ever aurora... 🎉
November 12, 2025 at 3:10 AM
Saw the #aurora from Ph iladelphia - barely visible to the unaided eye as a red/pink glow (after ducking down out of the way of a light) but could see it better on Marisol's iPhone! No longer visible here now sadly.
That's my first ever aurora... 🎉
That's my first ever aurora... 🎉
Today is Armistice Day - these are photos of my grandfather who was part of the BEF and served in France from 1916-1918 and thankfully returned home in 1919 with just a minor injury.
Lest we forget.
Lest we forget.
November 11, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Today is Armistice Day - these are photos of my grandfather who was part of the BEF and served in France from 1916-1918 and thankfully returned home in 1919 with just a minor injury.
Lest we forget.
Lest we forget.
Reposted by Chris Samuel
While cleaning a storage room, our staff found this tape containing #unix v4 from Bell Labs, circa 1973
Apparently no other complete copies are known to exist: https://gunkies.org/wiki/UNIX_Fourth_Edition
We have arranged to deliver it to the Computer History Museum
#retrocomputing
Apparently no other complete copies are known to exist: https://gunkies.org/wiki/UNIX_Fourth_Edition
We have arranged to deliver it to the Computer History Museum
#retrocomputing
November 6, 2025 at 8:50 PM
While cleaning a storage room, our staff found this tape containing #unix v4 from Bell Labs, circa 1973
Apparently no other complete copies are known to exist: https://gunkies.org/wiki/UNIX_Fourth_Edition
We have arranged to deliver it to the Computer History Museum
#retrocomputing
Apparently no other complete copies are known to exist: https://gunkies.org/wiki/UNIX_Fourth_Edition
We have arranged to deliver it to the Computer History Museum
#retrocomputing
Out for a walk today and came across a few crocus in flower - apparently there are some that do flower in autumn! #bloomscrolling
November 2, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Out for a walk today and came across a few crocus in flower - apparently there are some that do flower in autumn! #bloomscrolling
Autumn colours from this mornings walk on the edge of Philadelphia.
November 2, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Autumn colours from this mornings walk on the edge of Philadelphia.
Everyone hates rail replacement buses, but how do you fancy a rail replacement helicopter? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFgsUVF82OE #transport #avgeek
November 1, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Everyone hates rail replacement buses, but how do you fancy a rail replacement helicopter? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFgsUVF82OE #transport #avgeek
October 26, 2025 at 5:58 PM
I do like some of the NWS forecast discussions, for instance the current one from the Mount Holly office here covering the Philadelphia area starts:
"As I write this (early Tuesday afternoon), we are right in the middle of the nicest day for the entire forecast period... in other words, its all […]
"As I write this (early Tuesday afternoon), we are right in the middle of the nicest day for the entire forecast period... in other words, its all […]
Original post on mastodon.acm.org
mastodon.acm.org
October 22, 2025 at 12:19 AM
I do like some of the NWS forecast discussions, for instance the current one from the Mount Holly office here covering the Philadelphia area starts:
"As I write this (early Tuesday afternoon), we are right in the middle of the nicest day for the entire forecast period... in other words, its all […]
"As I write this (early Tuesday afternoon), we are right in the middle of the nicest day for the entire forecast period... in other words, its all […]
This is a great article for folks interested in the history of computing. I’d come across Tommy Flowers in one of the books I have about Bletchley Park but nothing like this level of detail […]
Original post on mastodon.acm.org
mastodon.acm.org
October 12, 2025 at 10:56 PM
This is a great article for folks interested in the history of computing. I’d come across Tommy Flowers in one of the books I have about Bletchley Park but nothing like this level of detail […]
He who lives by the patent dies (metaphorically) by the patent. In a dispute over patents for railway wheels in the1830s an earlier patent holder challenged a later one over insufficient innovation. Though the earlier holder prevailed at first it went to a higher court where instead it was found […]
Original post on mastodon.acm.org
mastodon.acm.org
October 12, 2025 at 2:07 PM
He who lives by the patent dies (metaphorically) by the patent. In a dispute over patents for railway wheels in the1830s an earlier patent holder challenged a later one over insufficient innovation. Though the earlier holder prevailed at first it went to a higher court where instead it was found […]
Reposted by Chris Samuel
A prime minister is a minister that is not the product of two smaller ministers and thus is only divisible by 1 and itself.
October 11, 2025 at 11:47 AM
A prime minister is a minister that is not the product of two smaller ministers and thus is only divisible by 1 and itself.
Reposted by Chris Samuel
BBC: 'Their resilience is a lesson to us all': The maritime lions hunting seals on the beach
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20251009-the-photo-showing-namibias-desert-lions-living-on-the-beach
#beach #lions
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20251009-the-photo-showing-namibias-desert-lions-living-on-the-beach
#beach #lions
'Their resilience is a lesson to us all': The maritime lions hunting seals on the beach
In Namibia, a group of desert lions have left their traditional hunting grounds for the Atlantic coast and are now thriving as the world's only maritime lions.
www.bbc.com
October 11, 2025 at 3:31 PM
BBC: 'Their resilience is a lesson to us all': The maritime lions hunting seals on the beach
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20251009-the-photo-showing-namibias-desert-lions-living-on-the-beach
#beach #lions
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20251009-the-photo-showing-namibias-desert-lions-living-on-the-beach
#beach #lions
A bit of aircraft history today - BA Concorde G-BOAB ("Alpha Bravo") at LHR, seen from inside AA737 taxiing from Terminal 3 to the runway to head back to Philly. #avgeek
October 11, 2025 at 12:18 AM
A bit of aircraft history today - BA Concorde G-BOAB ("Alpha Bravo") at LHR, seen from inside AA737 taxiing from Terminal 3 to the runway to head back to Philly. #avgeek