Archive for November, 2006
I just have to throw in my vote for Dr. David Tong (apparently ‘professor’ is higher honorific analogous to ‘full professor’ in the states) for physics stud of the year. I think the APS administers the award. From a student’s point of view, however, I have to give Dr. Tong my complete endorsement for the […]
Filed under: Just for Fun, Student Life | 5 Comments
How do they play sports?
Just a quick thought… some Americans have noticed the difference in the caliber of collegiate sport(s) in Cambridge (and the UK in general) versus US universities. I’ve heard a few theories for this, including cultural differences, more focus on academics or other extracurriculars (debating), and so forth. One cannot argue, however, that Oxbridge crew is […]
Filed under: Just for Fun | 3 Comments
Today my friend Mars invited me and Katie to Selwyn’s Christmas formal hall. Mars is a mathematical physicist from Seoul National University and Katie is a theoretical cosmologist from Princeton, but remarkably we didn’t exclusively talk about physics. (It’s something of a courtesy/shamelessness rule that physicists should be mindful of those around them and perhaps […]
Filed under: Student Life | 2 Comments
Thanksgiving, Pt. 2: Food
A few photos from the past day, in commemoration of Thanksgiving at Cambridge.The usual ‘dark, but pretty’ alley photo… (apologies, all of the following photos were taken on my mobile phone since I didn’t have a proper camera handy). Holiday decorations in Cambridge include Christmas lights that have been set up across the city center. […]
Filed under: Expatriate Life | 1 Comment
Thanksgiving is one of those holidays made for expatriate bonding. It is the remaining relatively non-commercialized sentimental holidays in the US that brings together family and friends. As the speaker at the Cambridge Thanksgiving Lunch (more on that later) said, it’s a holiday about togetherness more than anything. Such a holiday takes on another layer […]
Filed under: Student Life, Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Today I indulged the microcosmic possibility of returning to Cambridge to do a PhD and attended a departmental talk on the application process. Past ‘Part III’ talks that started out with something along the lines of: Part III is hard. The difference between those of you who did your undergraduate here and those who hail […]
Filed under: Just for Fun, Student Life | Closed
Humour with an ‘LHC’
British humour is slightly more subtle than the ‘u’ they slip into that word. Today I was listening to my favorite BBC 7 comedy program, I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, and the host, Humphrey Lyttelton, made a very slick LHC-themed introduction reproduced below. Deconstructed, the joke is essentially: Nuclear physics is esoteric. So it […]
Filed under: Just for Fun | Closed
One of the great things about the Centre for Mathematical Science ‘core’ (what I would otherwise call the ‘caffeteria’ or ‘main lounge-y place’) is the mix of international mathematicians and physicists talking about their fields. Perhaps what’s even better than that, however, is overhearing bits of conversations when these international mathematicians and physicists are talking […]
Filed under: Just for Fun, Student Life | 2 Comments
A String Theory Joke
Going to a university with a large proportion of international students, I was recently reminded of a joke with which one of my history teachers ended his Modern European History course: Q. What are the three shortest books ever written? A. Italian War Heros, French Military Victories, and German Humor The teacher wasn’t very well […]
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Facebook… destroys culture
I’ve picked up a very fun book, Watching the English by Kate Fox, which discusses English etiquette from a humorous (and nationally introspective) point of view. Thus far I’ve found it an enjoyable diversion as well as a useful guidebook. One particular section has to do with the English sense of privacy, where personal information […]
Filed under: Uncategorized | 2 Comments
An American Physics Student in England 