Meet the scientists!

My CV

School:

Wallington County Grammar School 2000-2005, Rochester Independent College 2005-2007

University:

University Of Leeds, Philosophy with the History and Philosophy of Science 2007-2011

Work History:

I’m currently working on improving non-real time natural language processing. Feel free to ask me about this project.

Employer:

Myself at monoton.us

Current Job:

I program at monoton.us

Photo:

Joseph Finlayson

I'm off to a conference today. And I'll have no internet :( - hope to answer all your questions when I get back!

Favourite Thing: Using academic research to make things work better. There’s such a wealth of knowledge in universities across a variety of disciplines. Too much of it stays in the ivory tower and I want to bring it to the public through technology and writing. Also, arguing with people

Me and my work

While I was studying Philosophy, I looked at the philosophical implications of science. Does Quantum Mechanics entail a probabilistic view of matter? Does Einsteinian relativity imply that their are different ‘presents’ than our own? Are these questions even worth asking? Stuff like that.

My Typical Day

I’m working on natural language processing but I’ve recently recieved a grant from my university to spend some time looking at how smartphone apps can help treat mental illness – particularly how social anxiety can be treated by cognitive bias modification

So generally I get up, check my email and spend the rest of my day at my desk programming, either testing language processing programs, or implementing cognitive bias modification techniques into the Android platform. I occasionally pause to meet academics in Leeds to find out ways to make my programs more effective.

Show less

What I'd do with the money

I’d try to encourage students to study the History and Philosophy of Science.

My Interview

How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

Driven, Argumentative, Sociable

Who is your favourite singer or band?

Deltron 3030, or Handsome Boy Modelling School, of MF Doom. I like hip hop.

What is the most fun thing you've done?

Going to Berghain – a club in Berlin

If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!

1. Have a team of underlings to implement my crazy ideas. 2. Live in a Nozickian utopia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchy,_State,_and_Utopia) 3. Upload my mind to a computer

What did you want to be after you left school?

A journalist

Were you ever in trouble in at school?

All the time, especially in chemistry.

What's the best thing you've done as a scientist?

I’ve made a way of saving energy, and tracking movements using the bluetooth on iphones.

Tell us a joke.

“To be is to do” – said Socrates. “To do is to be” – said Satre. What did Sinatra say? Do be do be do.