John Winston Garth's Webpage

Hi! I go by John Winston. I am a computer scientist living in Athens, Alabama, currently finishing 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, which was featured in Siobhan Roberts’ New York Times article ”The Lasting Lessons of John Conway’s Game of Life”. Since then, I have used Doo-dah as a vehicle for educational and artistic outreach.

After completing a bachelor's degree in computer science, I interned at NASA and joined the Space Launch System flight software simulation laboratory, where I used simulation data to recreate flights in the Unreal Engine.

I then joined Jacobs Technology as a contractor in the same department, working on the Urine Processor Assembly aboard the International Space Station, a system that converts astronaut urine into drinking water, eliminating the need to launch water into space. Pictured here at the Mission Control Center in Houston, TX.

My 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

A passion for family history research inspired my Master's degree project. In collaboration with the local county archives, I am digitizing Athens, Alabama's microfilmed newspaper collection and exploring AI techniques to help local researchers uncover the history of their area and families.