What is the newest installment of 'Random Thoughts' on Physics Forums?

[WWGD]

You should have recognized it long before this critical moment. Why in the world didn't make you wonder how they came in ...

May I offer you warmed up beer and microwaved Oscar Mayer wieners ;) (Most recent nationality test, just aproved by the Bundestag) ?

 

[WWGD]

I wonder how well the name " Christino" would do. I just heard of some lady whose name is Davida. ( And it is not Inagada Davida, baby).

 

[fresh_42]

May I offer you warmed up beer and microwaved Oscar Mayer wieners ;) (Most recent nationality test, just aproved by the Bundestag) ?

Hasn't there been something with a Wieners and some unpleasant photos a couple of years ago? Thanks, but no thanks. And it's already too late. I just caught myself making a Darjeeling. More than 100,000 are already permanently here. Good, I didn't add cream or milk, yet. I hate this Id.

 

[WWGD]

Hasn't there been something with a Wieners and some unpleasant photos a couple of years ago? Thanks, but no thanks. And it's already too late. I just caught myself making a Darjeeling. More than 100,000 are already permanently here. Good, I didn't add cream or milk, yet. I hate this Id.

At least try the Kinder chocolate, it is grrreat!

 

[fresh_42]

At least try the Kinder chocolate, it is grrreat!

Yeah, I like it, too. And I can even buy surprise eggs

 

[WWGD]

Yeah, I like it, too. And I can even buy surprise eggs

Ok, last reqs: you must like Kraftwerk, dress like them , and cross all the bridges at Konigsberg ( background?) going through each only once --that's how they get you! ;).

 

[fresh_42]

Kraftwerk is o.k. but I abstain from the bridges. The last one who didn't believe Euler is still running around in Königsberg ...

 

[Borek]

(from http://www.openculture.com/2017/06/...put-the-daunting-degree-into-perspective.html)

 

[dkotschessaa]

View attachment 206385

(from http://www.openculture.com/2017/06/...put-the-daunting-degree-into-perspective.html)

Always liked that explanation. It also kind of clearly illustrates why I probably would never be a good PhD Candidate. I was never really good at being a specialist.

 

[BillTre]

View attachment 206385

(from http://www.openculture.com/2017/06/...put-the-daunting-degree-into-perspective.html)

This reminds me of how I approached giving talks when I was a graduate student.
It was my goal to know more about what I was talking about than anyone else there.
Thus I had confidence in what I was saying and could feel the audience was just there to be informed.
Great attitude for not getting stage fright!

I also realized that as an (advanced) graduate student (in biology at least), it is not that difficult to know more about some small subject than anyone else in the world.
However, that position won't last very long without maintenance efforts.

I think the diagram shows that, except the outer circle should be constantly expanding to make my last point.

 

[dkotschessaa]

I think that to really appreciate independence day in America tomorrow we should (just for fun) go under British rule. Just for a day. That would be fun. Yes. Let' do that.

 

[WWGD]

View attachment 206385

(from http://www.openculture.com/2017/06/...put-the-daunting-degree-into-perspective.html)

I like the description of the PHD hyperspecialist: a person who increasingly knows more and more about less and less until s/he knows everything about nothing.

 

[dkotschessaa]

This reminds me of how I approached giving talks when I was a graduate student.
It was my goal to know more about what I was talking about than anyone else there.
Thus I had confidence in what I was saying and could feel the audience was just there to be informed.
Great attitude for not getting stage fright!

I also realized that as an (advanced) graduate student (in biology at least), it is not that difficult to know more about some small subject than anyone else in the world.
However, that position won't last very long without maintenance efforts.

I think the diagram shows that, except the outer circle should be constantly expanding to make my last point.

What was the audience of said talks?

I gave some talks for a seminar class in the math department, but the audience is mostly Professors. It was tricky business, because they WANT to understand it. So if you hyperspecialize, they will question for clarification until they do. What you planned to be the first 5 minutes of your talk will end up being the whole thing. So instead you try to break it down to a nonspecialist level - but you can't break it down so far that it is an elementary talk. Tough line to walk.

 

[OmCheeto]

My friend gave me a 3" reflecting telescope on Friday.
On Saturday, I looked at the moon. I almost cried.
On Sunday, I saw Jupiter, and the four Galilean moon. I almost cried again.

Tonight, I'm meeting with an old friend, who didn't believe what I saw.
Apparently, telescopes are not common household items.

ps. Young peeps, don't wait until you are ≈60 years old to buy a 3" reflecting telescope, as they are only $35, brandy new.
It was the first time I'd ever looked through a telescope, if anyone hadn't guessed.

 

[Ibix]

I think that to really appreciate independence day in America tomorrow we should (just for fun) go under British rule. Just for a day. That would be fun. Yes. Let' do that.

Go for it. It'll certainly give you a new perspective on any problems you have with your political system. I suspect there's quite a lot we could learn from one another.

 

[WWGD]

Go for it. It'll certainly give you a new perspective on any problems you have with your political system. I suspect there's quite a lot we could learn from one another.

Are you willing to drink Lipton iced tea with a straw ( and without crumpets)? Ice cubes and Splenda? As a trade off, I will eat finger sandwiches and play ( virtual) cricket.

 

[fresh_42]

Go for it. It'll certainly give you a new perspective on any problems you have with your political system. I suspect there's quite a lot we could learn from one another.

Not quite new this idea. Somehow telling that it becomes less and less absurd ...

 

[Ibix]

Not quite new this idea. Somehow telling that it becomes less and less absurd ...

I've had mixed experience with US beer. A lot of it could safely be poured back into the horse and leave the world a better place, but some of the microbrewery stuff is very drinkable. *hic*

 

[fresh_42]

I've had mixed experience with US beer. A lot of it could safely be poured back into the horse and leave the world a better place, but some of the microbrewery stuff is very drinkable. *hic*

Not quite sure. I think basically John has been right. On the other hand, the only beer I ever threw away for it had been undrinkable was Watney's brown ale

 

[Ibix]

Not quite sure. I think basically John has been right. On the other hand, the only beer I ever threw away for it had been undrinkable was Watney's brown ale

I had to look that one up - Watney's went out of business in 1958. Either you're in your 70s or it may have been a tiny bit past its sell-by date.

I went to a conference in Florida a couple of times. Key West (the beer, not the island) turned out to be dangerously tasty.

Aside: I found this beer review site: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/161/2350/ You appear to be able to leave scores out of five, accurate to the nearest quarter point, in five dimensions. These are averaged (edit: somehow - maybe weighting or root mean square?) and reported to two decimal places.

 

[WWGD]

Yes, room temperature, but what kind of room are we talking about?

 

[fresh_42]

I had to look that one up - Watney's went out of business in 1958. Either you're in your 70s or it may have been a tiny bit past its sell-by date.

Strange. It was 1979 or so. All I remember is, that we bought us once across the supermarket aisle to taste as many different brews as possible. So I cannot rule out that it might have been expired, but 20 years seems strange.

 

[fresh_42]

Yes, room temperature, but what kind of room are we talking about?

An igloo would be fine.

 

[jim hardy]

On Saturday, I looked at the moon. I almost cried.
On Sunday, I saw Jupiter, and the four Galilean moon. I almost cried again.

that's how i felt first time, though through only a 1' refractor.
Saturn looked like a black eyed pea but was unmistakable.

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/astronomy-podcasts/astronomy-podcast-july-2017/

Well to the left of due south, is Saturn, our solar system’s second-largest planet. In contrast to Jupiter’s slow disappearing act, Saturn is ascending in the evening sky. It was at what’s called opposition, directly opposite the Sun in the sky, back in mid-June. And ever since this beautiful planet has inched a little higher in the sky at sunset.

 

[fresh_42]

In bigger malls here, there are sometimes announcements to be heard over the speakers to call someone to the phone or to call service personal to give additional support at crowded stations and things like that. They usually communicate by codes like "42, please 7." Is it only here?

 

[Evo]

In bigger malls here, there are sometimes announcements to be heard over the speakers to call someone to the phone or to call service personal to give additional support at crowded stations and things like that. They usually communicate by codes like "42, please 7." Is it only here?

We do have number codes, but here I don't know if people notice in large stores they might notice the Muzak momentarily interrupted with a short series of bell tones, those bell tones are calling a manager, 3 bells might be the manager of men's shoes.

 

[fresh_42]

We do have number codes, but here I don't know if people notice in large stores they might notice the Muzak momentarily interrupted with a short series of bell tones, those bell tones are calling a manager, 3 bells might be the manager of men's shoes.

I just wanted to know, because there is a hilarious story called the "Karstadt Verschwörung" which could be translated as the "Target conspiracy" and I asked myself whether it would make sense to translate it. I like it very much, but it is a bit context sensitive.

 

[Evo]

I just wanted to know, because there is a hilarious story called the "Karstadt Verschwörung" which could be translated as the "Target conspiracy" and I asked myself whether it would make sense to translate it. I like it very much, but it is a bit context sensitive.

Interesting, translate it here, or where?

 

[BillTre]

What was the audience of said talks?

I gave some talks for a seminar class in the math department, but the audience is mostly Professors. It was tricky business, because they WANT to understand it. So if you hyperspecialize, they will question for clarification until they do. What you planned to be the first 5 minutes of your talk will end up being the whole thing. So instead you try to break it down to a nonspecialist level - but you can't break it down so far that it is an elementary talk. Tough line to walk.

Talks at meetings. Its easy if you are doing the talking.

On the other hand, for my thesis defense, they asked the questions and did what I assume is a time tested approach:
Ask a bunch of increasingly difficult questions they knew about until they reach the point where you have to say you don't know. However, you can mention possible approaches to the issue.

Seminar classes and journal clubs were just fun discussions in which I used a lot of pictures.

 

[fresh_42]

Why not. For a lame joke it is too long, and as @WWGD and me are regular participants here, it somehow fits. Could well play in NYC .
But if you think it's not appropriate I don't have to. It was just a random thought I had. From time to time it pops up in my mind.

I'll start with the first entry, so you can get an idea whether it's worth typing.

The Wallmart Conspiracy.
3/26. Wallmart is getting weird. As I was shopping this morning, I heard this message for the first time: "42, please 7". What does that mean? I quickly put down the dog brush, which I intended to buy for my retriever and left the store. Cameras everywhere.

3/27. Same thing in the food department: "20, please 20!". Strange: Immediately after the message, the woman at the butcher's counter accepted the customer complaint about the sausage without any objection. A coincidence?

<to be continued? (a dozen days)>