“Everything is either a success or a learning experience.”

Finally back in the UK after two weeks in Canada, and hitting the ground running by immediately flying to Nairobi for a conference (after rescheduling from the first flight I have ever missed in my life).

Presentations

Once I finally got to Nairobi on a red-eye flight, I hit the ground running by immediately presenting my flood forecasting work at the INFLOW workshop (directly from airport to workshop). I had no idea how much the workshop was going to feature the INFLOW-AI model that I built. I presented twice at the main workshop, then again for two straight hours (!!) to engineers at ICPAC (the IGAD Climate Prediction & Applications Centre, whose nested acronym means its Christian name is the Intergovernmental Authority on Development Climate Prediction & Applications Centre – quite the mouthful).

Presenting my flood forecasting model, INFLOW-AI to engineers at ICPAC.

Nairobi was excellent, I wish I had more time to see the city between meetings and presentations. As always, my favourite part of these conferencences are meeting interesting and well-informed local academics and engineers. I spent every free second I could get discussing East African politics (particularly relevant given the ongoing “election” in Uganda at the time) and limitations of humanitarian interventions with the attendees.

Back in the UK, I also got invited to the Red Cross Climate Centre (RCCC) 2030 Strategic Vision session in London. Like a lot of orgs these days, it seems they are quite keen to use “AI” to magically solve problems and improve efficiency – so I jumped in with a few comments on using tools to serve goals and not generating goals to justify tools. It makes no sense to want to use AI unless there is a specific use-case in which it is cost-effective to do so. Though of course, there are certainly plenty of those potential use-cases. But using AI shouldn’t be a goal in and of itself.

Saying things I hope are intelligent at the RCCC 2030 Strategic Vision session.

Immediately after this I had to run into a closet to have a meeting with the Rotary Foundation back in Canada, who want to fund my research. Fun! I think it went incredibly well, so I will hopefully have additional funding next year.

Adventures in Canadaland

Jumping back in time a bit, I travelled with Alec at the start of the month back to Victoria, BC to visit his parents. It was my first time in BC, and it lived up to the hype.

I’m so back.

Classic BC hike.

Top of a pretty impressive waterfall.

Walking across an abandoned railway high above the trees.

Alley in Victoria Chinatown.

Blending in with my peacock friends in Beacon Hill.

Totally normal and not scary.

At one point when we were leaving Alec’s parents’ house, a deer casually crossed the road right in front of us.

Fun phasmid at the Victoria Bug Zoo.

Some walking sticks can reproduce asexually, in a process called parthenogenesis.

Lots of time in airports gave me a bit more time to practice sketching, with clothed references this time to not alarm the general public.

Climbed up to the Sheldonian for a better mid-winter view of the city.

Oh, I also got three pet neocaridinia dwarf shrimp which I will be keeping in this jar with my marimo. They are incredibly fascinating to watch as they contantly move about living their shrimp lives.