From time to time I want to optimize a system, or at least explore how sensitive it is to changes. For example, I may want to optimize (i.e. reduce) the curing time of an epoxy, with the parameters being the curing temperature and the dispensing quantity or method. Or maybe…
Bula! Fiji is a beautiful Pacific island archipelago with kind, helpful, friendly people. And it is a place where it is difficult to get much done -- though, not in a bad way at all! So, hang in, slow down, and enjoy fijitime! (The present account of our travels dates…
Let's say we conduct a fail/pass test. We subject $n_\mathrm{s}$ samples to an accelerated (representative) life test of $m=1$ lifetime equivalents. The test is considered a success if $100\,\%$ of the $n_\mathrm{s}$ samples survive. Yet, this leaves the important question of how certain can we be that the population as…
As discussed in another post, the signal to noise ratio (SNR) in a measurement generally improves proportional to the square root of the number of individual measurements. While I have motivated and derived the square root argument heuristically in this other post, in the present one I want to add…
The signal to noise ratio (SNR) in a measurement generally improves as one increases the acquisition time, or as one adds up over an increasing number of individual measurements, respectively. The scaling behavior is approximately proportional to the square root of the number of individual measurements. In this post I…
(originally posted on Medium on Mar 26, 2020) Impressions from three weeks on three islands Vanuatu is an island paradise off the coast of Australia. Few people know about its existence, and even fewer try to go there as backpacker. Vanuatu appears to mostly cater to tourists with large pockets.…
(originally posted on Medium on Feb 21, 2020) The sweet, sweet mix of sun, rain, sandy beaches, colorful corals, giant turtles, and curious fish. The Philippines are great. The people are very friendly and helpful. The beaches are amazing, and the dive sites awe inspiring. Nonetheless, there are a few…
(originally posted on Medium on Dec 13, 2019) Reflections after 19 days in the country. We entered Cambodia through the landport border with Laos. First destination was Siem Reap from where we explored the Angkor temples. We went on to Battambang where we roamed around in the country side and…
(originally posted on Medium on Nov 22, 2019) Impressions after four weeks of travel Laos has some amazing landscapes to see and visit. From mountains and forests, to rivers and waterfalls, to oversized caves and even some islands. This landlocked southeast asian country offers a lot to discover. Itinerary and…
(originally posted on Medium on Nov 12, 2019) Impressions after one month of travel Tavel in Myanmar is easy. Though, I wouldn’t recommend a novice traveller to start in Myanmar. Yet, a lot is similar to other southeast asian countries. Someone who has already experienced one of those other countries…