Difficult to say what a typical day is at the Aspen Center for Physics. It probably varies a lot from person to person, since many people are here for different reasons, and with different goals. There’s a lot of sitting and thinking, and walking and thinking. There’s a lot of chatting in corridors, and at blackboards. There’s quite a buzz of productivity during the middle of the day. On some days, there might be a couple of seminars, where someone presents finished work or work in progress. Here’s Robbert Dijkgraaf (University of Amsterdam) leading a discussion of some of his recent work today:
In addition to some seminars, my day was filled up a bit more with some administration. I’m on a couple of committees that helps keep things ticking along here at the Center, and today we had a big meeting of one of them. It’s a pleasure to serve, since so much great physics gets done here, by all types of physicists from around the world. It takes up a bit of extra time that I could be doing physics, but it is a great way to serve the entire physics community, doing these (relatively small) administrative tasks from time to time. When combined with similar efforts from several other colleagues in the field, it all adds up, and who knows what hidden ways one is helping advance physics by this work. You can read more about the Center and its work here.
-cvj
Thanks!
-cvj
Thanks Clifford,
I love your plants. It is amazing at what beuty has emerged from evolution. My favorite is the red tomato. Thanks again. If any of the readers of your blog would like to make an additional comment that would be most welcome.
I don’t know if it is possible. Right now it is not, as far as anyone has demonstrated. Thanks for asking though. If someone finds a way, no doubt they will eventually show us how, by publishing the result in the usual manner.
-cvj
There is a “crackpot” on The Reference Frame that claims to be able to derive the elementary quantum of charge from first principles and the speed of light, the mass of the electron, the Bohr radius and the fine structure constant. Would you think that is possible and if so would it be important to EM?
No. It is a measured quantity, in all current theories.
-cvj
Hey Clifford,
Since you taught EM down there at USC you can probably answer this: Is it possible to calculate the elementary quantum of charge from first principles and fundamental constsnts? Or is it just the Milleken experimental result? Any readers of your fine blog that can respond to this I would love to know the truth.
Just a tad.
-cvj
I think I know them all except for black shirt third from left. Of course, it’s a little unfair given that we were there.
Well, I’ve kicked off with naming the speaker, so I’ll give others a chance to have a go! 🙂 Hint:- The closest one has been blogging about physics for a lot longer than most of us.
-cvj
Let’s play:
Name people from the back of their heads!