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Recently I learned something about DNA that blew my mind, and in this thread, I'll attempt to blow your mind as well. Behold: Chargaff's 2nd Parity Rule for DNA N-Grams.
If you are into cryptography or reverse engineering, you should love this.
Thread:
DNA consists of four different 'bases', A, C, G and T. These bases have specific meaning within our biology. Specifically, within the 'coding part' of a gene, a triplet of bases encodes for an amino acid
Most DNA is stored redundantly, in two connected strands. Wherever there is an A on one strand, you'll find a T on the other one. And similarly for C and G:
T G T C A G T
A C A G T C A
(note how the other strand is upside down - this matters!)
If you take all the DNA of an organism (both strands), you will find equal numbers of A's and T's, as well as equal numbers of C's and G's. This is true by definition.
This is called Chargaff's 1st parity rule.
https://t.co/jD4cMt0PJ0
Strangely enough, this rule also holds per strand! So even if you take away the redundancy, there are 99% equal numbers of A/T and C/G * on each strand *. And we don't really know why.
This is called Chargaff's 2nd parity rule.
If you are into cryptography or reverse engineering, you should love this.
Thread:
DNA consists of four different 'bases', A, C, G and T. These bases have specific meaning within our biology. Specifically, within the 'coding part' of a gene, a triplet of bases encodes for an amino acid
Most DNA is stored redundantly, in two connected strands. Wherever there is an A on one strand, you'll find a T on the other one. And similarly for C and G:
T G T C A G T
A C A G T C A
(note how the other strand is upside down - this matters!)
If you take all the DNA of an organism (both strands), you will find equal numbers of A's and T's, as well as equal numbers of C's and G's. This is true by definition.
This is called Chargaff's 1st parity rule.
https://t.co/jD4cMt0PJ0
Strangely enough, this rule also holds per strand! So even if you take away the redundancy, there are 99% equal numbers of A/T and C/G * on each strand *. And we don't really know why.
This is called Chargaff's 2nd parity rule.
đ„This is a story about a supermarket chain.
- One of the largest employers in the U.S. (~193,000 employees)
- ~$38 B in revenue
- 1200+ locations in 7 states
- Employee owned with majority shares still owned by the Jenkins family members
Itâs called PUBLIX
THREAD
1/
I deleted an earlier tweet because I started to quickly. Forgive me for jumping the gun.
It was about a story that came out today in the WSJ about a big Trump Donor helping fund the #EllipseRally in D.C.
Great reporting by @rebeccaballhaus @shalini @AlexandraBerzon
2/
https://t.co/ru13PVfTzp
Hereâs that story
3/
The donor who gave the money to help fund the #EllipseRally in DC that led to domestic terrorists storming the capital was Julie Ansley Jenkins Fancelli.
Julie gave $300,000 to help fund that rally.
But this THREAD is also about PUBLIX.
4/
Julie is the daughter of George Jenkins, the original founder of PUBLIX. It began as one store in 1930 and grew to what it is today, despite the Great Depression and World Wars.
But thatâs another story.
5/
- One of the largest employers in the U.S. (~193,000 employees)
- ~$38 B in revenue
- 1200+ locations in 7 states
- Employee owned with majority shares still owned by the Jenkins family members
Itâs called PUBLIX
THREAD
1/
I deleted an earlier tweet because I started to quickly. Forgive me for jumping the gun.
It was about a story that came out today in the WSJ about a big Trump Donor helping fund the #EllipseRally in D.C.
Great reporting by @rebeccaballhaus @shalini @AlexandraBerzon
2/
https://t.co/ru13PVfTzp
Hereâs that story
3/
The donor who gave the money to help fund the #EllipseRally in DC that led to domestic terrorists storming the capital was Julie Ansley Jenkins Fancelli.
Julie gave $300,000 to help fund that rally.
But this THREAD is also about PUBLIX.
4/
Julie is the daughter of George Jenkins, the original founder of PUBLIX. It began as one store in 1930 and grew to what it is today, despite the Great Depression and World Wars.
But thatâs another story.
5/
@adfichter 1/9 How world's most advanced #eID system works in #Estonia and how it compares to proposed #Swiss #eID? https://t.co/CeCoHxKool
2/9 Everyone in Estonia has national #eID smart card issued by the government(police officer) with authentication and #qualified #digitalSignature certificates signed by private company #eIDAS trust service provider https://t.co/ZC6kDEnbic
3/9 #eID card can be used by the e-service for user identification and #qualified #digitalSignature without any middleman directly from the browser. Only the service you are interacting sees your data.
4/9 All the software and documentation is open source. All programmers can implement all 3 #eID methods to their service very easily.
5/9 For more convenience you can use Mobile-ID with authentication and #digitalSignature certificates on your SIM card. Does not need any app installs and works in any mobile phone. Needs to be activated with #eID card. Is #eIDAS notified list
2/9 Everyone in Estonia has national #eID smart card issued by the government(police officer) with authentication and #qualified #digitalSignature certificates signed by private company #eIDAS trust service provider https://t.co/ZC6kDEnbic
3/9 #eID card can be used by the e-service for user identification and #qualified #digitalSignature without any middleman directly from the browser. Only the service you are interacting sees your data.
4/9 All the software and documentation is open source. All programmers can implement all 3 #eID methods to their service very easily.
5/9 For more convenience you can use Mobile-ID with authentication and #digitalSignature certificates on your SIM card. Does not need any app installs and works in any mobile phone. Needs to be activated with #eID card. Is #eIDAS notified list
Machine translation can be a wonderful translation tool, but its uses are widely misunderstood.
Let's talk about Google Translate, its current state in the professional translation industry, and why robots are terrible at interpreting culture and context.
Straight to the point: machine translation (MT) is an incredibly helpful tool for translation! But just like any tool, there are specific times and places for it.
You wouldn't use a jackhammer to nail a painting to the wall.
Two factors are at play when determining how useful MT is: language pair and context.
Certain language pairs are better suited for MT. Typically, the more similar the grammar structure, the better the MT will be. Think Spanish <> Portuguese vs. Spanish <> Japanese.
No two MT engines are the same, though! Check out how human professionals ranked their choice of MT engine in a Phrase survey:
https://t.co/yiVPmHnjKv
When it comes to context, the first thing to look at is the type of text you want to translate. Typically, the more technical and straightforward the text, the better a machine will be at working on it.
Let's talk about Google Translate, its current state in the professional translation industry, and why robots are terrible at interpreting culture and context.
Straight to the point: machine translation (MT) is an incredibly helpful tool for translation! But just like any tool, there are specific times and places for it.
You wouldn't use a jackhammer to nail a painting to the wall.
Two factors are at play when determining how useful MT is: language pair and context.
Certain language pairs are better suited for MT. Typically, the more similar the grammar structure, the better the MT will be. Think Spanish <> Portuguese vs. Spanish <> Japanese.
No two MT engines are the same, though! Check out how human professionals ranked their choice of MT engine in a Phrase survey:
https://t.co/yiVPmHnjKv
When it comes to context, the first thing to look at is the type of text you want to translate. Typically, the more technical and straightforward the text, the better a machine will be at working on it.
You have to be one locked in, arrogant Representative to be seen in a photo with Mike Bitar - and all the @FBI baggage he brings.
District 1: @SupervisorAlejo
District 2: @PhillipsForSupe
District 3: @SupervisorLopez
District 4: @WendyRootAskew
District 5: @MaryLAdams https://t.co/PbrHnXPTGY
District 1: @SupervisorAlejo
District 2: @PhillipsForSupe
District 3: @SupervisorLopez
District 4: @WendyRootAskew
District 5: @MaryLAdams https://t.co/PbrHnXPTGY
Thanks to the Grupo Flor team for showing me their Salinas facility this week. Glad to hear more about their cannabis retail operations. pic.twitter.com/3xSiObpUSS
— Rep. Jimmy Panetta (@RepJimmyPanetta) January 29, 2021
Another #FreeLoveFriday. So far, Iâve covered Bitcoin, Mastercoin/Omni, and last week ChainLink and the importance of decentralized oracles. Today, letâs talk about one of the most fascinating projects in crypto - @MakerDAO
In my thread about Mastercoin, I briefly touched on the vital role fiat-backed stablecoins play in crypto markets, but thereâs a catch with them:
The counterparty risk of a third-party holding fiat in reserves.
Enter MakerDAO, which set out to create a decentralized, collateral-backed cryptocurrency, DAI, that would be âsoft-peggedâ to the U.S. Dollar using the power of algorithms. In crypto tradition, its supporters said trust game theory, not operators.
In 2017, MakerDAO published a whitepaper describing a system where anyone could create DAI by leveraging ETH as collateral to create Collateralized Debt Positions. Essentially, you take out a digital USD loan against your crypto.
The game theory of the system is structured such that DAI issuance is controlled to keep the price pegged to $1.00. In essence, it buffers the fluctuations of the underlying collateral to create a synthetic dollar bill.
Back with another #FreeLoveFriday. Last time, we covered how Mastercoin/@Omni_Layer pioneered digital asset issuance on blockchains. Today, let\u2019s discuss @Chainlink and the vital role it plays in connecting blockchains to the real world. https://t.co/0poYIBtGrt
— Emin G\xfcn Sirer (@el33th4xor) January 22, 2021
In my thread about Mastercoin, I briefly touched on the vital role fiat-backed stablecoins play in crypto markets, but thereâs a catch with them:
The counterparty risk of a third-party holding fiat in reserves.
Enter MakerDAO, which set out to create a decentralized, collateral-backed cryptocurrency, DAI, that would be âsoft-peggedâ to the U.S. Dollar using the power of algorithms. In crypto tradition, its supporters said trust game theory, not operators.
In 2017, MakerDAO published a whitepaper describing a system where anyone could create DAI by leveraging ETH as collateral to create Collateralized Debt Positions. Essentially, you take out a digital USD loan against your crypto.
The game theory of the system is structured such that DAI issuance is controlled to keep the price pegged to $1.00. In essence, it buffers the fluctuations of the underlying collateral to create a synthetic dollar bill.
âI could cause an insurrection at the capital and wouldnât lose any followersâ is the logical outcome of âI could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue & not lose any followers.â As a candidate, he ran on the platform that he could openly commit crimes without consequence.
We've been in denial - about far-right extremism, the GOP, and Trump - and now we're at a crossroads. History shows clearly what happens when you appease those who try and take down democracy. I don't want that for my country. pic.twitter.com/m2gamEkFDD
— Ruth Ben-Ghiat (@ruthbenghiat) January 28, 2021
One of the best decisions I made during a very turbulent 2020 was to leave conventional coding behind and embrace the #nocode movement. @bubble made this a reality. Although my own journey thus far is premature, Iâve learned a lot so hereâs a power thread on....
âHow I created @buildcamp sales funnel landing page in under 2hoursâ.
Preview here đ
https://t.co/s9P5JodSHe
Power thread here đ
1. Started with a vanilla bubble app ensuring that all styles and UI elements were removed. Created a new page called funnel and set the page size to 960px as this allows the page to render proportionately on both web and mobile when hitting responsive breakpoints.
2. Began dropping elements onto the page to âfind the styleâ. These had to be closely aligned to our @buildcamp branding so included text, buttons and groups - nothing too heavy. Played around with a few fonts, colors and gradients and thus pinned down the following style guide.
3. Started to map out sections using groups as my âcontainersâ to hold the relevant information and imagery needed to pad out the sales pitch. At this point, they were merely blocks of color #ff6600 with reduced opacity set to 5% to ease page flair.
âHow I created @buildcamp sales funnel landing page in under 2hoursâ.
Preview here đ
https://t.co/s9P5JodSHe
Power thread here đ
1. Started with a vanilla bubble app ensuring that all styles and UI elements were removed. Created a new page called funnel and set the page size to 960px as this allows the page to render proportionately on both web and mobile when hitting responsive breakpoints.
2. Began dropping elements onto the page to âfind the styleâ. These had to be closely aligned to our @buildcamp branding so included text, buttons and groups - nothing too heavy. Played around with a few fonts, colors and gradients and thus pinned down the following style guide.
3. Started to map out sections using groups as my âcontainersâ to hold the relevant information and imagery needed to pad out the sales pitch. At this point, they were merely blocks of color #ff6600 with reduced opacity set to 5% to ease page flair.
In September 2020, the USPS sent American households a mailer with instructions for requesting vote-by-mail ballots, but the information was inaccurate in many states.
Records we obtained show some state officials were âabsolutely apoplecticâ about the mailer.
#FOIAFriday
The mailers told voters to "request your mail in ballot... at least 15 days before Election Day." But thatâs inaccurate for Americans living in the nine states and District of Columbia that automatically mail ballots to registered voters.
https://t.co/40sz60kqyF
Colorado Sec. of State Jena Griswold sued USPS, arguing the mailer attempted to disenfranchise voters with misleading information. We asked the Colorado State Dept. for emails with USPS in anticipation of widespread use of mail-in ballots in the election.
Hereâs what the records we uncovered show:
Coloradoâs state election director Judd Choate told USPS Director of Election and Political Mail Justin Glass that he was âabsolutely apoplectic about the pre-election postcard I just learned about...â
âHow could this be sent without someone considering that several states donât have absentee voters? How could it be sent without consulting even one election official? Please pass along that this mailing will generate literally thousands of calls, emails, and texts...â
Records we obtained show some state officials were âabsolutely apoplecticâ about the mailer.
#FOIAFriday
The mailers told voters to "request your mail in ballot... at least 15 days before Election Day." But thatâs inaccurate for Americans living in the nine states and District of Columbia that automatically mail ballots to registered voters.
https://t.co/40sz60kqyF
Colorado Sec. of State Jena Griswold sued USPS, arguing the mailer attempted to disenfranchise voters with misleading information. We asked the Colorado State Dept. for emails with USPS in anticipation of widespread use of mail-in ballots in the election.
Hereâs what the records we uncovered show:
Coloradoâs state election director Judd Choate told USPS Director of Election and Political Mail Justin Glass that he was âabsolutely apoplectic about the pre-election postcard I just learned about...â
âHow could this be sent without someone considering that several states donât have absentee voters? How could it be sent without consulting even one election official? Please pass along that this mailing will generate literally thousands of calls, emails, and texts...â
