Gracy Whelihan

hi. im gracy

[email protected]
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Please hit me up with any question you have.

screenshot of a joke from dad jokes site, 2025

My dad texts often texts me jokes. He started doing this in 2022, and has been sending them ever since. I decided to started archiving the jokes and rating them.

This project freatures all of the jokes he has texted me with whith ratings I gave them. Check it out here

BEWARE! I have been having some trouble getting this site live. That is why it has a scary url. Hopefully it will be fixed soon.

random window 1, 2024

acrylic, Ardunio Nano 33 IoT, servo motor

Random Windows 1 is 1 of 2 acrylic windows, Inspired by LEGO windows, that use random motion to create a moment of nostalgic playfulness.

Featured in the 2024 ITP Residents Show at Clive Davis Gallery.

small houses made of acrylic housing arduinos and environmental sensors.

2023

PRNG is a random number generator that uses real-time environmental sensor data and a linear congruential generator (LCG) algoritm to generate random numbers.

This project originated from a curiosity about the generation of random numbers by humans and computers. While randomness has diverse applications, creating it poses a significant challenge. Computers generate pseudo-random numbers through deterministic processes, appearing statistically random but relying on a seed number and a complex algorithm.

In contrast to algorithmic randomness and biased human randomness, nature can produce true randomness. Observable phenomena like atmospheric noise, radioactive decay, and quantum events exhibit genuinely random behavior. Leveraging this concept, the project aims to develop a "closer to truly random" number generator by employing environmental sensors to collect data from the natural surroundings.

Various environmental sensors, such as sound, light, temperature, and distance sensors, collect data to generate a seed number for an algorithm. Each sensor is connected to an Arduino Nano 33 IoT, transmitting data through Wi-Fi and an MQTT broker to a server. The server computes the random number, which is logged into a dataset and displayed live on the screen for real-time observation.

Additionally, the generated numbers are sent back to the broker and can be used by other clients either by subscribing to the broker or throught an API call.

The implementation of environmental sensors is a critical aspect of this project, contributing to the creation of a truly random number generator. Each type of sensor plays a unique role in capturing the intricacies of the surrounding environment. The richness of our random number generation process lies not only in the diversity of the data but also in the variety of sensors employed.

The success of this project hinges on community contributions. With a diverse range of environmental data contributing to an extensive seed number, the goal is to achieve randomness closer to true randomness. This project opens the door for people worldwide to contribute to the random number generator, collectively creating a level of randomness that humans and computers have struggled to achieve independently.

PRNG is an open source project :)

To see the random numbers generating live, go here.

To contribute/view source code, go here.

*** currently this project is offline :( hopefully it will be up again soon!

screenshot of the Compared to Yesterday weather app

comparedToYesterday is a weather app that lets you see how today's weather stacks up against yesterday's conditions. Check it out here!

This project combines several technologies: the Geolocation API to get your location and the WeatherAPI to get historical, real-time, and future weather data data.

Currently the WeatherAPI fetches a 48-hour window of weather data, including yesterday's historical weather, current conditions, and today's forecast. It also, shows a brief forecast for the next 2 days. The app was built with assistance from v0, Claude, and Cursor to streamline the development process.

I created this app because I realized a major gap in typical weather services - they show current and future conditions, but not how they compare to what we just experienced. When I'm getting ready in the morning, I'm constantly wondering if I need the jacket I lugged around yesterday or if I can leave it at home. Will there be more rain than yesterday? Less wind? How can you properly prepare by comparing today to a future you haven't experienced yet?

The app provides these practical day-to-day comparisons that help you make better decisions about what to wear and bring with you. Currently under construction and hosted here, with many more features and updates on the way!