Building Software for Biological Systems: When Code Meets Rot and Fermentation
By
valzevul
A five-star bake. Worth schmearing, sharing, saving.
Summary
The article explores the challenges of designing software for systems involving biological processes like fermentation and food preservation, using the author's personal experience with making salami as a case study. It contrasts traditional 'happy-path' software development with the unpredictable nature of biological systems where things rot, ferment, and evolve. The author shares their journey from relying on internet strangers for food safety advice to building a decision tree system using a £150 eBay fridge, highlighting how software for biological processes requires embracing uncertainty, edge cases, and the reality that things don't always follow predictable paths.
Key quotes
· 4 pulled"What I didn't have, was the confidence. 'Is that safe to eat?' my neighbour asked, eyeing the salami hanging in my garage. Fair question: it's raw meat that's been sitting at room temperature"
"How a £150 eBay fridge and a decision tree taught me to stop asking internet strangers if my salami would kill me"
"building for rot is nothing like building happy-path apps"
"The white mold was good. The green-grey mold was probably fine. The fuzzy black spot was... well, that's when I ended up in a midnight rabbit hole"
You might also wanna read
How to Monitor Avian Visitors From Your Window: A Quick Project Guide
A quick afternoon project turned into a writeup about monitoring birds (avian visitors) passing by your window. The author initially planned
theodore.net·19h ago
Why "Fits on a Floppy" remains a relevant measure of software quality in 2026
The article discusses the "Fits on a Floppy" manifesto, which advocates for small, compact, and comprehensible software in an era dominated
theregister.com·2d ago
8 common solar panel mistakes that reduce power output and how to avoid them
An experienced solar power user shares 8 common mistakes that can significantly reduce solar panel output, based on years of hands-on experi
zdnet.com·4d ago
Epicure: Multilingual Ingredient Embeddings from 4.14M Recipes Using Skip-Gram and Metapath2Vec
Epicure is a research project that develops three sibling skip-gram ingredient embeddings trained on a multilingual recipe corpus of 4.14M r
arxiv.org·4d ago
YouTuber builds functional real-life 'stillsuit' from Dune that recycles body fluids into drinking water
A YouTuber has built a real-life version of the 'stillsuit' from Frank Herbert's Dune novels, which captures and recycles body fluids into d
newatlas.com·4d ago
Privacy concerns rise as smart kitchen appliances with cameras track and monetize eating habits
The article discusses the privacy and surveillance implications of Internet of Things (IoT) kitchen appliances, using the Gourmia FryHigh Au
thecounter.org·4d ago