John Winston Garth's Webpage

Hi! I go by John Winston. I am a computer scientist living in Athens, Alabama working at RelationalAI while finishing up my graduate degree in computer science at Athens State University.

Recreational mathematics is one of my hobbies. In 2020, I discovered a Conway’s Game of Life pattern I named Doo-dah, later featured in Siobhan Roberts' New York Times article “The Lasting Lessons of John Conway’s Game of Life”. Since then, I have focused on using Doo-dah as a vector for educational and artistic outreach.

After completing a bachelor's degree in computer science, an internship at NASA opened doors to the Space Launch System flight software simulation laboratory. The role involved using simulation data to recreate flights using the Unreal Engine.

From there, I landed a contractor position with Jacobs Technology in the same department. The work focused on the Urine Processor Assembly aboard the International Space Station. The UPA converts astronaut urine into drinking water, saving the cost of launching water into space. This is a picture of me in the Mission Control Center in Houston, TX.

My new (used) Portaball telescope is my current obsession. I am a lifetime member of the Von Braun Astronomical Society, I have completed the Messier Observing Program, and I have been building custom eyepieces.

Limestone County Archives

My passion for family history research led to my Master's degree project. Working with the local county archives, I am currently digitizing all of Athens, Alabama's microfilmed newspaper collection. I hope to use AI techniques to aid the local researchers learning about the area and their families.