46p noodle soup

As a student, economy is very important in my meal plans. This is a dish I make quite often, that costs a whopping 46p per serving, provides one of your "five a day" and 6% of your protein RDA. Tesco's 11p noodles are one of my favourite things in the world - they're vegetarian if you throw away the flavouring packet, and they have a nice texture. You can substitute in any other brand of instant noodles - you just might have to adjust the cooking time and amount of water. This serves 1.

Ingredients and cost
1 tsp sesame oil for frying (£0.02)
1 tsp Chinese five spice powder (£0.04)
1/4 spring onion, finely chopped (£0.03)
200ml boiling water (free)
1 vegetable stock cube (£0.09)
50g frozen peas (£0.07)
50g frozen sweetcorn (£0.07)
sprinkle of chilli flakes (£0.03)
1 packet of Tesco's 11p noodles (£0.11)
optional: 1/4 red bell pepper, finely chopped (£0.20, bringing the total cost up to a shocking 66p)

Method
1. Heat up the sesame oil in a saucepan, then add the onion and five spice powder, and fry for a minute or so.
2. Add the boiling water, stock cube, frozen vegetables, bell pepper (if using) and chilli flakes, and bring to the boil.
3. Add the noodles and cook for 2.5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve with a spoon, fork and napkin. It's messy to eat!

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Modifying a FLAME model

As I mentioned in my previous post about my adventures in FLAME modelling, I started out with code from my lecturer. I started with three two-dimensional models, each of which contained a different type (genus) of bacteria (Vibrio, Sar11 and "Bacteria X"). Each bacteria agent had X and Y co-ordinates, an ID and a radius. The radius was different for each type of bacteria, and it defined the rules that applied to that bacteria. They moved around by Brownian motion, and if they hit a virus there was a certain probability that they would be killed. The phages moved around in a similar fashion.

My code can be downloaded from here. In this post, I'm going to take you through how I converted these three models into a single model, added a third dimension, and persuaded the viruses and bacteria to replicate. This is a tale of how it's possible to do some quite cool things to a program even if you don't fully understand how it works.

If you're particularly interested, you can download a PDF of the report I handed in here. It starts with a brief review of a mathematical bacteriophage model, then goes on to the FLAME model in the second half (page 2). I got a mark of 95% for it, so I'm showing it off to everyone ^_^

Continue reading Modifying a FLAME model

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Bring It, Don't Bin It! Summer 2012

If you're a University of Sheffield student, the "bring it, don't bin it" scheme gives you the chance to donate unwanted items to charity when you move out. If you live in any of the following postcode areas, you can collect a clear sack from propertywithUS or the Student Advice Centre between Wednesday 23 May and Friday 22 June 2012:

  • S3 7
  • S6 3
  • S10 1
  • S10 2
  • S10 5

Items that can be donated include bedding, clothes, shoes, cutlery, crockery, unopened toiletries, books, CDs and DVDs. Leave your clear sack outside your house out for collection on:

  • Monday 28 May
  • Thursday 31 May
  • Friday 08 June
  • Monday 11 June
  • Monday 25 June
  • Thursday 28 June
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