Tootfinder

Primer to get you started with Optimization and Mathematical Programming in R #rstats

CRAN Task View: Optimization and Mathematical Programming
This CRAN Task View contains a list of packages that offer facilities for solving optimization problems. Although every regression model in statistics solves an optimization problem, they are not part of this view. If you are looking for regression methods, the following views will also contain useful starting points: MachineLearning, Econometrics, Robust Packages are categorized according to the following sections. See also the “Related Links” and “Other Resources” sections at the end.

The Trump administration may have just axed the IRS Direct File program.
During a summit earlier this week, IRS Commissioner Billy Long said the free tax filing service is “gone,”
adding that “big beautiful Billy wiped that out
https://news.bloombe…

IRS Chief Says Direct File Is ‘Gone,’ Other Audit Tech Is Coming
The Biden-era IRS free filing tool, Direct File, is “gone,” IRS Commissioner Billy Long said.

Also failing to squish “portmanteau” and “mangle” together in a way that preserves both.
Portmantangle?
Portmangleteau?
eh

Effect of Deposition Pressure on the Superconductivity of Ti40V60 Alloy Thin Films
Shekhar Chandra Pandey, Shilpam Sharma, R. Venkatesh, L. S. Sharath Chandra, M. K. Chattopadhyay
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.25772

Effect of Deposition Pressure on the Superconductivity of Ti40V60 Alloy Thin Films
The growth and characterization of high quality superconducting thin films is essential for fundamental understanding and also for the use of these films in technological applications. In the present study, Ti40V60 alloy thin films have been deposited using DC magnetron co sputtering of Ti and V at ambient temperatures. The effect of deposition pressure on the film morphology, superconducting and normal state properties has been studied. Measurement of electrical resistance as a function of tem…

Mike Schultz, the same weirdo from Hooper, Utah who thought he should have a say in my Millcreek representative choice by creating and funding a PAC that tried to trans scare people out of voting for the progressive candidate.
Thankfully, my neighbors and I like trans people and voted for a candidate that does, too.
Now, it appears Mike is using public funds to attack a judge who is following the law and upholding the power of the people, from whom the legislature gets its power…

Utah House Speaker spends taxpayer money to attack judge
Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz uses taxpayer funds to produce video attacking judge who struck down the state's gerrymandered congressional map.

Day 9: Eniko Fox
Edit: added a store link for Kitsune Tails.
We're back to videogames, and with another author who's on the fediverse: @…
Fox has developed a few games, but the one that I've played and love is Kitsune Tails. It's a sapphic romance take on Super Mario Bros. 3, and (critically for a platformer) it's got very crisp controls and runs smoothly. I think one thing a lot of indie platforms devs struggle with is getting those fundamentals right, because on the technical side they require very challenging things like optimization of your code and extremely careful input handling that go beyond the basic skills necessary to put together a game. From following her on Twitter and now the Fediverse, it's clear that Fox is a deeply competent programmer, and her games reflect that. Beyond the fundamentals, Kitsune Tails has a very sweet plot with a very cool twist in the middle, and without spoilers, that twist made both the levels and gameplay very difficult to design, but Fox rose to that challenge and put together a wonderful game. Particularly past the plot twist (but in subtle ways before it) Fox is able to build beyond SMB3 mechanics in ways that gracefully complement the original, and the movement in the game ends up being difficult but extremely satisfying, with an excellent skill/speed response allowing for both slower, easier approaches that work for a range of players and high-skill extremely-fast options for those who want to push themselves.
There have been plenty of people I follow with indie game projects that are kinda meh in the end, and I'll still boost them without much comment if they're decent. Fox' work is actually amazing, which is why if you've followed me for a while you'll know I tend to mention it periodically, and which is why she makes this list of authors I respect.
You can buy Kitsune Tails here: #20AuthorsNoMen

"People notice that while AI can now write programs, design websites, etc, it still often makes mistakes or goes in a wrong direction, and then they somehow jump to the conclusion that AI will never be able to do these tasks at human levels, or will only have a minor impact. When just a few years ago, having AI do these things was complete science fiction!"

Challenge accepted: A reader wrote a program to find fake references in books https://retractionwatch.com/2025/10/28/challenge-accepted-a-reader-wrote-a-program-to-find-fake-references-in-books/

Challenge accepted: A reader wrote a program to find fake references in books
Hermann/Pixabay Following our coverage this summer of a book with citations that did not exist, we asked you to send us examples of other books with similar issues. One reader took the request as a…

A Survey of Scientific Large Language Models: From Data Foundations to Agent Frontiers
Ming Hu, Chenglong Ma, Wei Li, Wanghan Xu, Jiamin Wu, Jucheng Hu, Tianbin Li, Guohang Zhuang, Jiaqi Liu, Yingzhou Lu, Ying Chen, Chaoyang Zhang, Cheng Tan, Jie Ying, Guocheng Wu, Shujian Gao, Pengcheng Chen, Jiashi Lin, Haitao Wu, Lulu Chen, Fengxiang Wang, Yuanyuan Zhang, Xiangyu Zhao, Feilong Tang, Encheng Su, Junzhi Ning, Xinyao Liu, Ye Du, Changkai Ji, Cheng Tang, Huihui Xu, Ziyang Chen, Ziyan Hu…

A Survey of Scientific Large Language Models: From Data Foundations to Agent Frontiers
Scientific Large Language Models (Sci-LLMs) are transforming how knowledge is represented, integrated, and applied in scientific research, yet their progress is shaped by the complex nature of scientific data. This survey presents a comprehensive, data-centric synthesis that reframes the development of Sci-LLMs as a co-evolution between models and their underlying data substrate. We formulate a unified taxonomy of scientific data and a hierarchical model of scientific knowledge, emphasizing the…

Agriculture Secretary Brooke
Rollins gave a candid message to Americans about the continued impasse and concerns that millions of people could soon miss out on food benefits.
“My message to America is, first, the fact that your government is failing you, right now,”
said Rollins, whose department oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

Mike Johnson Steps In After Trump Official Tells Americans: 'We Have Failed You'
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins gave a candid message to Americans about the shutdown – a little too candid for the House speaker.