Distractions and amusements, with a sandwich and coffee.
Words are easy, like the wind;
Faithful friends are hard to find.
—William Shakespeare
The uncountries are places that don't exist, but perhaps should. If you're starting your own country or are hoping to secede from your current employer (here's looking at you States of the US), you might find this list useful.
The list of uncountries is generated by training on list of 257 countries and territories.
Here's my bucket list of where I'm going next:
Below are the alphabetically first 4–10 letter single-word uncountries for each letter. In some cases, no names of a given length were generated for a given letter.
And below are uncountries that are composed of compound words. The neural network doesn't always do a good job in capitalization.
Here are all some lists with common suffixes
*nia Ariania Aruenia Bamenia Bolsnia Bukania Caminia Carenia Copania Eniania Eruinia Eryinia Eyuinia Fvounia Gapania Gorania Guyinia Imgania Lebania Lepania Mezania Pagonia Pamonia Piainia Pirania Saminia Sesinia Simania Somenia Sorinia Tinonia Turunia Urzenia Badetcinia Damalhania Denwarinia Inteniania Mangevinia Seregiania Tezadtinia Tudennenia Akinia Arenia Arunia Bocnia Boinia Bounia Buinia Burnia Byunia Caunia Eminia Gainia Geenia Geinia Giania Guania Guinia Guonia Gwinia Jhunia Jiinia Jirnia Kcenia Leinia Lornia Neenia Rernia Ruenia Sannia Shinia Siinia Siunia Suinia Uninia Vasnia Arefeonia Bevomania Dacucania Eziboonia Gibstania Klbininia Setrounia Shlatania Suunienia Teroninia EwDirireonia Aeirania Bemginia Bunyonia Canmania Carginia Carnania Cosrania Culiinia Cumiinia Duinania Ezupinia Geziania Guinenia Guurania Konvonia Lalzinia Lertania Marbania Nandania Narnania Nenconia Pastania Sadiania Sazcinia Sigwenia Smeminia Sonconia Surbania Taigonia Tebcania Tendania Unyrania Cania Conia Fania Henia Jania Jonia Kinia Lonia Mania Ninia Nonia Sania Tenia Tonia Vania
*lan Anualan Binelan Biselan Comelan Donolan Eduulan Iferlan Ilaslan Iudelan Papilan Potalan Srinlan Takilan Tamglan Cemuneilan Gehsyanlan Mecineslan Amurenoilan Aralan Cralan Geilan Inilan Innlan Kerlan Nanlan Sorlan Tnulan Beugeilan Condamlan Cunogslan Gantiulan Geevallan Gienyslan Memsinlan Mertorlan Minnaulan Mururolan Neminolan Sandeslan Sennerlan Titorilan Vertonlan Andenlan Betarlan Ceneslan Cunmelan Curislan Femanlan Geamilan Keberlan Larielan Meloelan Menrulan Molielan Otenelan Redallan SDatelan Selenlan Alan Glan Tlan Bolan Bulan Culan Galan Malan Selan Solan
*land Garland Hasland Ujoland Bandesland Benhelland Bhqlalland Dhinioland Lenkalland Macgalland Vuleslland Caland Feland Maland Saland Anderland Cemerland Geunoland Lutkaland Mowurland Panciland Parraland Anreland Asealand Hzuuland Maerland Masrland Memoland Namaland Navaland Ponoland Tuysland Vetaland
*ana Amynana Balpana Burgana Congana Fuubana Gainana Gaulana Guiiana Somuana Tartana Vehcana Cunheqrana Berniwhpana Antana Argana Buvana Mabana Merana Mobana Relana Rucana Semana Sikana Nteradana Gitanana Hana Lana Mana Sana Giana Guana Gvana Toana
*ica Cinuica Deyrica Goitica Maltica Mannica Merlica Peotica Raryica Sortica Stamica Sumhica Tektica Tiumica Utiuica Bemgbicica Aniica Bapica Narica Sanica Selica Sibica Gatuitica Iuperiica Ventalica Buuntica Bwentica Sorgeica Uica Baica Umica
*can Banecan Celican Jelican Pelecan Deslisacan Hatendacan Leucan Noccan Tircan Tlycan Shaylican Suniracan Cerarcan Emunecan Gepuucan Mamescan Salgican Vongican Ucan
*dan Euvadan Gtardan Monmdan Seundan Srisdan Unendan Banitisdan Ringkeldan Bildan Landan Saldan Soldan Sordan Tamdan Gakgasdan Mremaldan Stelosdan Lapardan Siwesdan Srunadan
*stan Baystan Caistan Velstan Gentiastan Getnicistan Naporrestan Gistan Mastan Tengastan Sinistan
*tar Lalatar Sanktar Simntar Somytar Swettar Temitar Burekertar Jartar Tantar Unitar Gornitar Satar
My poster showing the genome structure and position of mutations on all SARS-CoV-2 variants appears in the March/April 2022 issue of American Scientist.
An accompanying piece breaks down the anatomy of each genome — by gene and ORF, oriented to emphasize relative differences that are caused by mutations.
My cover design on the 11 April 2022 Cancer Cell issue depicts depicts cellular heterogeneity as a kaleidoscope generated from immunofluorescence staining of the glial and neuronal markers MBP and NeuN (respectively) in a GBM patient-derived explant.
LeBlanc VG et al. Single-cell landscapes of primary glioblastomas and matched explants and cell lines show variable retention of inter- and intratumor heterogeneity (2022) Cancer Cell 40:379–392.E9.
Browse my gallery of cover designs.
My cover design on the 4 April 2022 Nature Biotechnology issue is an impression of a phylogenetic tree of over 200 million sequences.
Konno N et al. Deep distributed computing to reconstruct extremely large lineage trees (2022) Nature Biotechnology 40:566–575.
Browse my gallery of cover designs.
My cover design on the 17 March 2022 Nature issue depicts the evolutionary properties of sequences at the extremes of the evolvability spectrum.
Vaishnav ED et al. The evolution, evolvability and engineering of gene regulatory DNA (2022) Nature 603:455–463.
Browse my gallery of cover designs.
Celebrate `\pi` Day (March 14th) and finally hear what you've been missing.
“three one four: a number of notes” is a musical exploration of how we think about mathematics and how we feel about mathematics. It tells stories from the very beginning (314…) to the very (known) end of π (...264) as well as math (Wallis Product) and math jokes (Feynman Point), repetition (nn) and zeroes (null).
The album is scored for solo piano in the style of 20th century classical music – each piece has a distinct personality, drawn from styles of Boulez, Feldman, Glass, Ligeti, Monk, and Satie.
Each piece is accompanied by a piku (or πku), a poem whose syllable count is determined by a specific sequence of digits from π.
Check out art from previous years: 2013 `\pi` Day and 2014 `\pi` Day, 2015 `\pi` Day, 2016 `\pi` Day, 2017 `\pi` Day, 2018 `\pi` Day, 2019 `\pi` Day, 2020 `\pi` Day and 2021 `\pi` Day.
My design appears on the 25 January 2022 PNAS issue.
The cover shows a view of Earth that captures the vision of the Earth BioGenome Project — understanding and conserving genetic diversity on a global scale. Continents from the Authagraph projection, which preserves areas and shapes, are represented as a double helix of 32,111 bases. Short sequences of 806 unique species, sequenced as part of EBP-affiliated projects, are mapped onto the double helix of the continent (or ocean) where the species is commonly found. The length of the sequence is the same for each species on a continent (or ocean) and the sequences are separated by short gaps. Individual bases of the sequence are colored by dots. Species appear along the path in alphabetical order (by Latin name) and the first base of the first species is identified by a small black triangle.
Lewin HA et al. The Earth BioGenome Project 2020: Starting the clock. (2022) PNAS 119(4) e2115635118.