reader participation time

What were your favourite toys when growing up? (Now?) (How did they influence you?)

Which were your favourite books?

Legos? What did you make?

grad school: first day of some more classes

I attempted to attend two classes today. The first, Optics 465 - Laser Systems, must have been cancelled—nobody else showed up. I asked their graduate coordinator if she knew anything about when/where the class would be meeting, but the best I answer I got was that the professor was probably away at a conference. That was disappointing.

I then attended Mechanical Engineering 444 - Continuum Mechanics which did actually meet. I figure if I've taken Quantum Mechanics, Statistical Mechanics, and Classical Mechanics, this is a logical addition. (-: While you might think that the 'Continuum' is in opposition to 'Quantum', the 'Quantum' in 'Quantum Mechanics' refers to energy levels (for instance) while the 'Continuum' in 'Continuum mechanics' refers to the spatial character of the material in question. It's the study, as best I can tell, of fluids and of bulk materials that bend, deform elastically, etc.

I'm interested because it serves as an introduction both to fluid mechanics type stuff, and to differential geometry, which is also useful in general relativity, classical mechanics, electrodynamics, and thermodynamics. The professor is super—energetic, good lecturer, etc. Downright frenetic actually, which I enjoy. I'm a little concerned the class will be too elementary, but I'll stick with it for a while longer and see how it goes.

I investigated a course in Beowulf, but it turned out to presuppose fluency in Anglo Saxon.

The beginning of the semester is always fun, as a time when you actually have time to pursue your own interests instead of being so heavily laden with required coursework. Recent wikipedia readings: Manifold, VHF Omnidirectional Range, Direct conversion receiver (isn't this just "mixing and filtering?"), Phase locked loop, WWV (I was interested to learn that WWV transmits a 600 Hz tone that is used to synchronize the nation's electrical grid).

I also made strides towards accomplishing my life dream of owning a copy of Horowitz and Hill's Art of Electronics by purchasing a copy (from India, for $20). I intend to buy myself a prototyping breadboard and some fun components in the next few days. It would be really nice to have a power supply and oscilloscope.