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
Discover Cantor's transfinite numbers through my music video for the Aleph 2 track of Max Cooper's Yearning for the Infinite (album page, event page).
I discuss the math behind the video and the system I built to create the video.
Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what we see.
—Rene Magritte
A Hidden Markov Model extends a Markov chain to have hidden states. Hidden states are used to model aspects of the system that cannot be directly observed and themselves form a Markov chain and each state may emit one or more observed values.
Hidden states in HMMs do not have to have meaning—they can be used to account for measurement errors, compress multi-modal observational data, or to detect unobservable events.
In this column, we extend the cell growth model from our Markov Chain column to include two hidden states: normal and sedentary.
We show how to calculate forward probabilities that can predict the most likely path through the HMM given an observed sequence.
Grewal, J., Krzywinski, M. & Altman, N. (2019) Points of significance: Hidden Markov Models. Nature Methods 16:795–796.
Altman, N. & Krzywinski, M. (2019) Points of significance: Markov Chains. Nature Methods 16:663–664.
My cover design for Hola Mundo by Hannah Fry. Published by Blackie Books.
Curious how the design was created? Read the full details.
You can look back there to explain things,
but the explanation disappears.
You'll never find it there.
Things are not explained by the past.
They're explained by what happens now.
—Alan Watts
A Markov chain is a probabilistic model that is used to model how a system changes over time as a series of transitions between states. Each transition is assigned a probability that defines the chance of the system changing from one state to another.
Together with the states, these transitions probabilities define a stochastic model with the Markov property: transition probabilities only depend on the current state—the future is independent of the past if the present is known.
Once the transition probabilities are defined in matrix form, it is easy to predict the distribution of future states of the system. We cover concepts of aperiodicity, irreducibility, limiting and stationary distributions and absorption.
This column is the first part of a series and pairs particularly well with Alan Watts and Blond:ish.
Grewal, J., Krzywinski, M. & Altman, N. (2019) Points of significance: Markov Chains. Nature Methods 16:663–664.
Places to go and nobody to see.
Exquisitely detailed maps of places on the Moon, comets and asteroids in the Solar System and stars, deep-sky objects and exoplanets in the northern and southern sky. All maps are zoomable.
Quantile regression explores the effect of one or more predictors on quantiles of the response. It can answer questions such as "What is the weight of 90% of individuals of a given height?"
Unlike in traditional mean regression methods, no assumptions about the distribution of the response are required, which makes it practical, robust and amenable to skewed distributions.
Quantile regression is also very useful when extremes are interesting or when the response variance varies with the predictors.
Das, K., Krzywinski, M. & Altman, N. (2019) Points of significance: Quantile regression. Nature Methods 16:451–452.
Altman, N. & Krzywinski, M. (2015) Points of significance: Simple linear regression. Nature Methods 12:999–1000.