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# 2025-08-14

## Work

Yesterday Dan and I had our meeting about
[[thesis-ideas-2025-07-30 | topic ideas]]. The results were
as follows:

5. Integrating Shielding in Nuclear Power
3. Formally Verified NN CTRL of CRS
1. Temporal Logic Specifications for Autonomous Control
   Synthesis.
1. Formally Verified Runtime Monitoring and Fallback
6. High Assurance Fault Detection with Digital Twins
4. Verified Adaptive Control.

The final topic result? 

*Hybrid Controller Synthesis from Temporal Logic
Specifications* 

The research will be basically a mix of the third and fourth
idea. More work to come on this one.

I also got roped into making a presentation about Strix for
next week's meeting. So I must learn about that!

## Reading

Yesterday I read more of *The Power of Habit* and I learned
about the **craving**. A craving is what actually makes the
habit loop work. It was explained to me that the brain
releases a spike in activity at first when it recognizes the
reward. Once the cue and routine are associated with the
reward, the brain over time will deliver the activity spike
as an anticipation of the reward *earlier and earlier*. The
result is that the brain gets the activity spike as soon as
it sees the cue, anticipates the reward, and is thus
motivated to do the routine. The craving is what makes
habits easy. 


## Personal 

Finally my personal info. I feel pretty good today. I didn't
get a lot done this morning but I'm steady cooking now that
I'm working in a Starbucks on campus. I've been
peoplewatching as people slowly move in for the fall
semester. It's fun to see all the different kinds of people
walking around and to see the connection between kids and
parents. The kids definitely look more nervous on average
than the parents. And I get it, the parents know what to
expect, but for the kids, this is the transition to the deep
end. They'll be fine.

On the lady front, here's today's update:

**Miranda:** 
Honestly I'm getting a little bored. I think it might just
be a texting issue, or perhaps the infatuation wearing off.
That's okay though, she's really busy this week som maybe
that has something to do with it.

**Abby:** 
No update!

**Katarina:** 
Also no update, but I'm excited for our date tonight. We'll
see how it goes.

I made some updates to my hinge profile to make things sound
more serious and better indicate what I want / who I am.
Maybe this'll stand out more. Honestly, I tried to write the
profile like one I'd be looking for.