http://asymptotia.com/2006/10/27/panel-matters/ Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:36:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 http://asymptotia.com/2006/10/27/panel-matters/#comment-29869 Random Travel Matters - Asymptotia Tue, 27 Feb 2007 05:20:48 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2006/10/27/panel-matters/#comment-29869 [...] I was in Dublin and London again. Dublin mainly on a work mission, London on the way back for non-work. I was having panel deliberations once again on a range of physics topics pertaining to reviewing and recommending (sometimes) grant proposals for one of Ireland’s funding agencies. As I mentioned before (here and here), it is a truly fascinating process, and one that I think works very well overall. I come back from these things having learned a lot of interesting physics issues, and on balance am energized about physics on the whole due to the excellent discussions and arguments we have. Some of the panel members return to the task a number of times, and its rather nice to meet them again in exactly the same circumstances. It’s like we’ve been through some major experience together (a hostage-taking, prisoners of war, lost in space, trapped on desert island….) and this point of commonality makes us pleased to see each other. Everything is set up the same way every time, we know what our job is and we come in, lock ourselves away early in the morning, and brainstorm solidly until almost dinner time, pausing only to have a short lunch together in a nearby room, and for two brief coffee breaks. [...] [...] I was in Dublin and London again. Dublin mainly on a work mission, London on the way back for non-work. I was having panel deliberations once again on a range of physics topics pertaining to reviewing and recommending (sometimes) grant proposals for one of Ireland’s funding agencies. As I mentioned before (here and here), it is a truly fascinating process, and one that I think works very well overall. I come back from these things having learned a lot of interesting physics issues, and on balance am energized about physics on the whole due to the excellent discussions and arguments we have. Some of the panel members return to the task a number of times, and its rather nice to meet them again in exactly the same circumstances. It’s like we’ve been through some major experience together (a hostage-taking, prisoners of war, lost in space, trapped on desert island….) and this point of commonality makes us pleased to see each other. Everything is set up the same way every time, we know what our job is and we come in, lock ourselves away early in the morning, and brainstorm solidly until almost dinner time, pausing only to have a short lunch together in a nearby room, and for two brief coffee breaks. [...]

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