The h Bar

Bernard Meurer

23:01

How'd it go @FenderLesPaul?!

FenderLesPaul

It was pretty awesome not going to lie

He told me his current research interests and I was really interested in the stuff he's working on

basically bulk reconstruction of metrics using dual CFTs and probing singularities in black hole interiors

just gravitational aspects of gauge/gravity duality in general

which is a huge chunk of my research interests

he also said we'd be a good match and that I could start working for him as soon I get there, if I go to UCSB that is

skill patrol

when does your final decision have to be made by?

FenderLesPaul

April 15th

skill patrol

Tax Day

NeuroFuzzy

Hey, any recommendations for understanding the statement of the Thurston Geometrization Conjecture?

Bernard Meurer

23:12

@FenderLesPaul Now choosing UCSB or UCB got difficult :p

FenderLesPaul

@BernardMeurer haha yeah

but for UCSB it can only go up from here

because Gary himself has me sold and I haven't even talked to the other people there I want to work for

Like Joe Polchinski and Don Marolf

Bernard Meurer

So you're going to UCSB after all?

FenderLesPaul

my ideal situation would be to publish with both Gary and Don

no I haven't made a firm decision yet

just academically I'm leaning towards UCSB but for personal reasons towards Berkeley

Bernard Meurer

Well and I want to mate with a super model while firing a bazooka at a giant stuffed bear while riding a [real] bear

FenderLesPaul

"mate with a super model"

Bernard Meurer

23:17

Yeah ACM doesn't like it when I use dirty words

FenderLesPaul

honestly "mate with a super model" sounds way dirtier

Bernard Meurer

Don't want to poke the ~~russian~~ geman

skill patrol

There's nobody famous at Berkeley in your field?

Bernard Meurer

Well, it's his fault anyway :p

dmckee

Grading problems from some of my upper-division students. You can tell the ones that use CASs because they can't do any calculus to save their souls.

FenderLesPaul

23:17

There's one

NeuroFuzzy

@0celo7 How could mathematical general relativity possibly increase GDP?

dmckee

They are crippled by their reliance on those damn programs.

FenderLesPaul

@skillpatrol Raphael Bousso

but that's it

UCSB has 4 people

skill patrol

hmmm...

FenderLesPaul

don't get me wrong though the situation at Berkeley is the situation I had at a lot of schools

Bernard Meurer

23:18

@dmckee Not having a calculator kind of made me a ninja during my last year of high school

FenderLesPaul

UChicago, Stanford, MIT, and Harvard all only have one professor in my field

UCSB and Princeton were the only schools with multiple people

Bernard Meurer

I'd solve stuff using all kinds of black magic

skill patrol

How many at Princeton?

dmckee

@BernardMeurer I'm grumbling, ut of course CASs have their place.

Bernard Meurer

sadly some magic was too strong and I lost points for "not being clear enough"

dmckee

23:19

It's just that that place is in the hands of people who can already do math without them.

FenderLesPaul

@skillpatrol five

Joshua Lin

Wait but is Berkeley good for undergrads though?

Bernard Meurer

@JoshuaLin He's a grad student

FenderLesPaul

This is for a PhD

dmckee

Giving those crutches to students too early prevents them from learning.

Joshua Lin

23:20

Yea, I was just wondering about undergrad though

Bernard Meurer

@FenderLesPaul I thought you were going for Masters

Joshua Lin

because I'm just an undergrad lol

FenderLesPaul

@BernardMeurer what no

ew

dmckee

@JoshuaLin Like other strong schools it's good for strong students.

NeuroFuzzy

@dmckee :D At least you're grading! Some of my TAs just compared one-to-one with the Griffiths solution manual. (So everyone who used the solution manual... got an A+...)

FenderLesPaul

23:20

@JoshuaLin I mean it's Berkeley

I'm assuming it's good for undergrads

Bernard Meurer

@FenderLesPaul Can you just jump to PhD?

dmckee

People who aren't quite prepared enough tend to get either work up to level or get hit with the steamroller.

FenderLesPaul

I met a Berkeley undergrad at the UChicago open house

He was definitely impressive

@BernardMeurer in the US you typically don't do a terminal masters program for physics

you go straight to PhD

and get your masters along the way

Bernard Meurer

Fancy

FenderLesPaul

I like it better

because that way I don't have to waste time taking classes

I can go straight to research

Bernard Meurer

23:22

"waste time taking classes"

dmckee

@NeuroFuzzy Not only is (s)he doing you a disservie that way (s)he is doing [her|him]self a disservice too. You learn a lot re-working problems in multiple way to grade all the crazy attempts that students make.

NeuroFuzzy

@BernardMeurer it's a thing!!!

Bernard Meurer

::A wild teacher knocks him down::

FenderLesPaul

Haha

honestly though after a certain point classes are useless (like after the fundamental classes i.e. EM, QM, QFT, Stat mech)

you learn a lot more from research

Bernard Meurer

I learn from pestering people

dmckee

23:23

@FenderLesPaul You generally have to take a "core" curriculum. Or at least pass a comprehensive exam that assume you've taken the core curriculum.

FenderLesPaul

@dmckee but I guess that depends on the school

for UCSB I was told I can skip everything apart from EM

because I haven't taken grad EM already

Bernard Meurer

You know who looks like a really cool guy?

Ernest Moniz

FenderLesPaul

which sucks

Bernard Meurer

He looks like such a fun person to hang with

dmckee

@FenderLesPaul So what you're saying is that you took coursework equivalent to most of the core before you got there. Which is fine.

FenderLesPaul

23:24

last thing I want to do is work through Jackson problems

Jacksooooon

Bernard Meurer

Doesn't he?

FenderLesPaul

that guy looks scary

0celo7

@NeuroFuzzy it doesn't

skill patrol

pscho

0celo7

your point?

dmckee

23:25

Comparing equations 1.192, 2.73, and 5.64 it is obvious that [...]

FenderLesPaul

@dmckee yeah

@BernardMeurer do you like The Black Keys?

Bernard Meurer

@FenderLesPaul I think he looks fun

dmckee

And [...] has no symbols in common with what came before or the named equations.

Classic.

Bernard Meurer

@FenderLesPaul Of course I do!

NeuroFuzzy

@dmckee Maybe I should TA next year... (Happy ending: things seemed fine towards the end of the quarter. Alternative happy ending: I didn't approach my professor or TA about it and my opinion wasn't shared among classmates [who, I think, still used the soln manual...], so maybe I'm just wrong :)

0celo7

23:26

@BernardMeurer is that the DoE guy

FenderLesPaul

Have you heard "Weight of Love"?

Bernard Meurer

@0celo7 Yep

0celo7

I met him

Bernard Meurer

@FenderLesPaul I have, quite like it :)

Have their whole discography in lossless digital audio

@0celo7 Really? :O

0celo7

@BernardMeurer Have I ever lied?

Bernard Meurer

23:28

@0celo7 Yes

FenderLesPaul

such a dope song

Bernard Meurer

Did you take a selfie?

0celo7

Name ONE instance

@BernardMeurer What?

FenderLesPaul

You lie all the time

like when you say you're doing GR

0celo7

@FenderLesPaul And you're a slut

FenderLesPaul

23:28

but you're just doing math

Woaaah

Bernard Meurer

Senate Passes McConnell Paul Resolution Honoring Kentucky Bourbon Industry

►

FenderLesPaul

too far man, too far

Bernard Meurer

the start of this

is so good

0celo7

@FenderLesPaul maybe that's what you should have said to your lovers!

Bernard Meurer

"I wanna pay a tribute to the spirit of Kentucky;literally... Bourbon Whiskey"

FenderLesPaul

23:30

@0celo7 what

0celo7

@FenderLesPaul "too far"

FenderLesPaul

I finally finished the abstract of my draft

woo

@ChrisWhite would you ever recommend asking professors at university X what would be best for you: university X, Y, or Z?

0celo7

What did Gary say

dmckee

@BernardMeurer Glad to hear all the important stuff is already done.

FenderLesPaul

@0celo7 chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/28636597#28636597

Bernard Meurer

23:36

@dmckee The important stuff is happening in 21 hours and 23 minutes

Cornell & UPenn :p

I am this close to dying already

FenderLesPaul

hang in there bud

dmckee

@BernardMeurer In what? Roundball? That's not important. Might as well be lacrosse.

Bernard Meurer

@dmckee What? hahahaha

Bernard Meurer

23:52

@dmckee Whats roundball? whats lacrosse?

dmckee

Lacrosse is a stick and ball game that has its origin in North American native culture. It is physically demanding and was originally pretty violent. Even the college version generates its fair share of injuries.

But no one cares about it.

"Roundball" is this other pointless game that some people think matters. There is some kind of little tournament thingy going on 'round this time of year.

0celo7

pointless to you maybe!

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