Comments for Life as a Physicist http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com Particle Physicist. In the wild. Thu, 02 May 2013 16:00:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ Comment on 16,000 Physics Plots by Orlando http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/16000-physics-plots/#comment-32520 Thu, 02 May 2013 16:00:58 +0000 https://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/16000-physics-plots/#comment-32520 excellent put up, very informative. I ponder why the opposite
specialists of this sector do not understand this.
You must continue your writing. I am sure, you’ve a great readers’ base already!

]]> Comment on Source Code In ATLAS by Checking the Higgs Boson | Gödel's Lost Letter and P=NP http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2011/06/11/source-code-in-atlas/#comment-32459 Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:32:14 +0000 https://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2011/06/11/source-code-in-atlas/#comment-32459 [...] have had critical and interconnecting roles vital to the integrity of the results, including the seven million lines of code needed to run ATLAS, for [...]

]]> Comment on Origin of the Word Attorney by leah http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2007/02/06/origin-of-the-word-attorney/#comment-32448 Sat, 02 Mar 2013 00:37:58 +0000 http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2007/02/06/origin-of-the-word-attorney/#comment-32448 I believe the word attorney actually means “a twist of words”……not sure what language it’s derived from.

]]> Comment on In Praise of 7” by Cheryl http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/in-praise-of-7/#comment-32431 Thu, 14 Feb 2013 03:50:52 +0000 https://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/?p=1349#comment-32431 Got any specific game apps you’d recommend that a 9 year old could play that would teach, without realizing, basic engineer and physics lessons? Maybe in the course of building fun things? He’d be using a mini iPad. // I have a Nexus 7 I really enjoy. Still trying to figure out offline use for writing docs, etc. I’m new to Androids but I like them so far.

]]> Comment on Where is your logbook? by Roslan http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2010/01/24/where-is-your-logbook/#comment-32426 Sat, 09 Feb 2013 02:31:12 +0000 http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2010/01/24/where-is-your-logbook/#comment-32426 It is time for someone to come up with a proper electronic “log-book apps” for scientific research (and make some money)

]]> Comment on 16,000 Physics Plots by Franklyn http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/16000-physics-plots/#comment-32420 Fri, 01 Feb 2013 15:31:08 +0000 https://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/16000-physics-plots/#comment-32420 Howdy fantastic blog! Does running a blog similar to this
take a great deal of work? I’ve virtually no knowledge of coding but I was hoping to start my own blog in the near future. Anyway, if you have any suggestions or tips for new blog owners please share. I understand this is off subject nevertheless I just wanted to ask. Thank you!

]]> Comment on In Praise of 7” by Jonathan Thornburg http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/in-praise-of-7/#comment-32411 Mon, 21 Jan 2013 23:01:09 +0000 https://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/?p=1349#comment-32411 Re ads: The Adblock Plus plugin for Firefox does a *very* good job of removing (more accurately, persuading Firefox not to display) ads. Using it (with the “don’t even show non-intrusive ads” checkbox checked), I probably see under one web ad/month.

]]> Comment on In Praise of 7” by gordonwatts http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/in-praise-of-7/#comment-32252 Wed, 24 Oct 2012 21:31:17 +0000 https://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/?p=1349#comment-32252 Ugh. I just noticed! There are ads on this now!! And what is worse, when I log in as myself, they remove the ad’s. :( :(

]]> Comment on In Praise of 7” by gordonwatts http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/in-praise-of-7/#comment-32251 Wed, 24 Oct 2012 21:30:55 +0000 https://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/?p=1349#comment-32251 Yes, the split keyboard, thanks, Ron. I’d forgotten about that. I still find it harder to use than the unsplit keyboard on the 7″ – I think the reason is partly the weight. But thanks for reminding me of that.

]]> Comment on In Praise of 7” by Ron http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2012/10/23/in-praise-of-7/#comment-32232 Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:42:13 +0000 https://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/?p=1349#comment-32232 “the 10” form factor makes it very difficult to hold the tablet in your hand and thumb type: you need very big hands.”

Gordon, that’s not true. You can split the keyboard into two small halves, one along each edge, and then easily type with thumbs. Plus, splitting is easy. You just pull the keyboard apart, in effect. I do it all the time.

]]> Comment on FORTRAN Not Dead Yet by Billy http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2006/10/14/fortran-not-dead-yet/#comment-32227 Wed, 17 Oct 2012 15:29:54 +0000 http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2006/10/14/fortran-not-dead-yet/#comment-32227 There is a huge gap between Fortran and C++.
Just the fact that there is much more libraries such as STL and boost for C++ and that there is much a larger community developing new open source projects in C++ justifies the change. Fortran is bad because it is too easy to produce spaghetti type code. Of course you can also produce bad code C++ but you have many books on how to avoid that. I know that Fortran is fast, there are still many numerical codes, it is easy, etc. If you develop in Fortran there will be a time where you regret of doing so specially in large projects.

]]> Comment on This Show Looks Awful, do I have to watch it? by Gordon http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2007/10/25/this-show-looks-awful-do-i-have-to-watch-it/#comment-32200 Wed, 19 Sep 2012 16:05:44 +0000 http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2007/10/25/this-show-looks-awful-do-i-have-to-watch-it/#comment-32200 They do have a real physicist who does the show – he is a friend of mine from grad school. He currently works on CMS – and he gets credit on the show.

]]> Comment on This Show Looks Awful, do I have to watch it? by Colin http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2007/10/25/this-show-looks-awful-do-i-have-to-watch-it/#comment-32199 Wed, 19 Sep 2012 09:22:03 +0000 http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2007/10/25/this-show-looks-awful-do-i-have-to-watch-it/#comment-32199 If you watch the extras the producers even say they had a REAL PHYSICIST to help them and it is a genuine joke in a physicist’s world so stop disecting a great show and get a grip of yourself!

]]> Comment on The Higgs. Whaaaa? by MELA http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2012/07/06/the-higgs-whaaaa/#comment-32198 Sat, 15 Sep 2012 05:35:56 +0000 https://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/?p=1346#comment-32198 Hi! im very interested to talk to you. Would you have a personnal email? id like to send you something today ! (a cartoon actually about physicist) can you contact me please

]]> Comment on About by Bad Scientist http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/about/#comment-32195 Fri, 14 Sep 2012 16:39:50 +0000 /about/#comment-32195 Hey!

Nice blog, I liked the Higgs boson explanation, even being a physicist myself, having worked briefly on the messy hadronic decay of the W. I can see it is a good one for people not in the field.

Also, I wanted to ask to exchange links for blogroll (I have a small blog about science).

Otherwise, keep on blogging!

Giulio

]]> Comment on This Show Looks Awful, do I have to watch it? by Enrich Swift http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2007/10/25/this-show-looks-awful-do-i-have-to-watch-it/#comment-32177 Thu, 23 Aug 2012 03:31:57 +0000 http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2007/10/25/this-show-looks-awful-do-i-have-to-watch-it/#comment-32177 Hah, I have a degree in engineering, Computer Science, and info. sys. Engineering. I have an honorary doctorate in Engineering … though I’ll be the first to admit I didn’t deserve it. I did UC Berkeley a huge favour and that’s how they paid me… anyway, yeah the show has it’s small flaws in it’s Science for instance at one point, Sheldon claims he “switched disciplines from bosonic string theory to heterotic string theory”. Which would be great if the Scientific Community hadn’t already done that in the ’70′s. I mean, I read up on theoretically Physics as much as I can, I find the field exciting and very fascinating.
As far as stereotypes, well lets agree that it’s more of a Sociological study group. After all I can find actual connection with 3 of the five main stars… sadly, mostly Howard Wolowitz, then Sheldon Cooper wears the same type of clothes as myself. I’ve even dated a girl like Penny, and which of us doesn’t like D&D? Which of us doesn’t like both Star Trek, and Star Wars (the original three, and maybe the Timothy Zahn novels).
This is a show tailored for us my brethren! Let’s embrace it!
- Enrich Swift

]]> Comment on We only let students do posters by gordonwatts http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/we-only-let-students-do-posters/#comment-32166 Fri, 10 Aug 2012 06:05:37 +0000 http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/we-only-let-students-do-posters/#comment-32166 I suppose the key is balance. You do both. :-) I am fortunate enough to live in a big city (Seattle) and as a result I get to travel cheaply to a number of conferences near by, so I can get my post-fix. Of course, conference fees are now getting crazy!

]]> Comment on We only let students do posters by Susy http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/we-only-let-students-do-posters/#comment-32160 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 09:53:45 +0000 http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/we-only-let-students-do-posters/#comment-32160 Last year I got asked the same thing – why are you giving a poster, your not a student?! I find it bizarre – you get much more discussion with a poster than a talk. Still I would prefer to give a talk for the reasons you mention (which is a shame, because I don’t think giving a talk is actually as useful due to the lack of opportunity to discusss the work, and anyway usually talks I have given are not on work I have done because of the way allocation committees work, whereas posters have been). But one needs to play the game I suppose to get on in life.

]]> Comment on Funding Equation for University Computing by gordonwatts http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2008/06/03/funding-equation-for-university-computing/#comment-32159 Mon, 06 Aug 2012 07:21:34 +0000 http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2008/06/02/funding-equation-for-university-computing/#comment-32159 Hmmm… looks like I wasn’t clear – definitely, it is cheaper now than it used to be back in the bygone days. But compared to just a few years ago, I have to spend quite a bit more per box when I get them installed in the university. And David, I hope that the changing architectures of computers continue to lend themselves to more and more different physics problems with greater efficiency. particle physics has already gone through that (perhaps it will again??) and just lots of cores with about 2-3 GB/core is all we need. :-)

]]> Comment on We only let students do posters by gordonwatts http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/we-only-let-students-do-posters/#comment-32158 Mon, 06 Aug 2012 02:59:31 +0000 http://gordonwatts.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/we-only-let-students-do-posters/#comment-32158 Kathy – I totally agree!

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