Conference Blog (morning of Day 2)

Dear Diary,

This morning's plenary speaker from UC Davis gave an incredible talk about how frustration is minimized in protein folding.  If you didn't have such a principle, then you'd have to solve something like 10^600 scenarios.  Unfortunately, there are some diseases (like prion's disease) where you get thermodynamically unlucky and build harmful beta tissue in your brain.  I overheard after that someone actually knew of one of these cases but the doctors had a hard time explaining why this was occurring; it was nice to see that physics put their mind at ease.

I bothered the speaker afterward by saying hi for Justin  (he was a student of his).  A friend of mine interested in biophysics also cornered the speaker to ask about the program. I took notes on the speaker's presentations so I can share it with the group when I get back.

The next talk was an overview of novel effects in type II superconductors and topological states by a professor from Stanford.  Apparently, a graduate student in the lab tried to propose to his girlfriend by writing an "S" by dragging the superconducting vortices around with an atomic force microscope's tip covered in a magnetic material.  Before he did so, he went to a conference and got some harsh comments because it looked too much like the number "5", and to make things worse, his proposal was not successful! But he salvaged the situation by changing it to "SU" in dedication to the university.  Apparently research can affect your personal life!

The speaker was looking to see if you can find fractional vortices and concluded that you can't (i.e. whether the flux quantization's charge is 2e or not e--that is the question).  I asked her if she'd looked at these effects near the critical temperature where pairing was weaker--she did on the under-doped side of the dome.  Then I went to lunch with her and another physicist and we talked all about superconductors and how a high Hirsch-index can be found with them!  Yay!

Conference Blog (Day 1)

Dear Diary,

I'm at a conference!  I have a really cool roomate from UC Merced.  He is presenting Saturday and we actually both know a guy in his lab!

I also got to talk with some other Master's students from CSULA and told them all about Irvine's condensed matter program!  This was done at a Halloween party with a laser show and music.  The author of the Bad Astronomy blog is going to give a talk tomorrow night.  He wore a hazard suit and DJ'd!

Wow, I didn't plan on getting Halloween candy, but this sure is a treat!  Ok, I have to get to sleep so that tomorrow I can be alert for the talks.  Goodnight!

Far West Regional APS Meeting (Part III)

Dear Diary,

Yikes.  I felt like I did not do my best presentation during the group meeting.  I succeeded in getting nervous throughout the first third of the presentation.  Hopefully, that's the end of being nervous.

The group had really good suggestions.  I need to express in plain language the intent of my talk right at the beginning instead of implying it.  People had trouble knowing what to expect.  If given a scaffold at the beginning, diary, the audience will be able to build the presentation with you during the talk.

And I spent all week on preparing for the conference (as well as other minor duties)!  It's tough work preparing and I want to make sure everything is in order...well, without spending months on it.  I better get moving on everything once I get back, and I need to remember to take some conference notes, report on what I see, and talk to three professors.

Oh no, Lucas!  I told Lucas I couldn't get the derivatives fit this week like he wanted but that didn't happen!  He moved off to a post-doc taking his expertise with him.  Worst of all, now when I have a meeting with Kieron, I don't have my Lucas crutch! Yikes!

Far West APS Meeting (Part II)

Dear Diary,

I found some fellow second year students who sat through a practice run of my talk.  It only cost me some treats (three pitchers and two baskets of curly fries) when we get together this next Wednesday!

Unfortunately, I did not give my best performance (read: "straight garbalage").  I always find it's difficult giving a presentation the first time because you become responsible for what is coming out of your mouth. But that first time is so necessary; it makes you want to never so poorly again!  Also, the faces of my confused comrades is permanently etched in my memory. Once I started talking, their terrified expressions of confusion gave me the best advice that can be given:  just don't do any of that next time!  I should have played it off as a trick... Happy Halloween!

A lot of my introduction was rushed and I believe that undermined the rest of the content.  Further, my video loaded slowly forcing me over my time (never good!).  That technical difficulty is brutal and must be mastered.

I got some very legitimate, serious questions (ex: "What the hell?!") and a few kudos (ex: "I'm sure the drinks will be great!").  In all, I feel it will very positively affect my performance come this Tuesday (when I present for the group) and Friday (when I present to strangers who super don't know me!) if I iron out the kinks.  It's on my shoulders to make sure it gets better, so I'll double my practice and make sure it makes sense as I sound the words out loud!

I should get back to working on it, diary!  I'll tell you how it goes!

Far West APS Meeting

Dear Diary,

We're going to conference!  The American Physical Society (APS) has several sections and we happen to be in the Far West division including Nevada, California, and Hawaii!

Each year, the section holds a regional meeting which is quite student friendly.  Lots of talks are given (no posters!) and lots of informative plenary sessions are given.  This year, there's even a Halloween reception bash the day before!

Myself and Kevin, the undergraduate, are heading up to the conference to give presentations.  I've already written mine and am practicing each night after my office mates go home to avoid disturbing them. I've tried to keep it to one slide per minute (the talks are only 10 minutes long) and I keep reshuffling items based on what makes sense in how I think through the presentation.

I contracted some other first year graduate students (with accumulated pub time afterward!) to critique my talk before giving it to the group on Tuesday.  Hopefully, this all whips my presentation into polished shape before the conference next Friday!

The hardest part will be to plan out what to wear.  Will it be the purple dress shirt or the blue one?  I suppose I could with a red shirt and dinner jacket or keep it business cazh--or ultra cazh.

I should also get a haircut...now to plan my costume...

Curriculum Vitae

Coup Blog, Day 2:

Dear Diary,

Professor Burke wanted to check our CVs.  He had us all put them up the projector so we could see how to improve them.

The other group members had colors, great formatting, and well chosen items.  They all said mine was crazy vintage--like it was from 50 years ago!

A few tips that we gleaned from looking at everyone's CV:

1)  Avoid information from high school
2)  Put wordy statements of research into another document
3)  Include group duties.  Like you, diary!
4)  Only include publications that are fully published or submitted
5)  Include links as a pdf and colors and pretty fonts
6)  List the people you supervised if they are below you in level
7)  List dollar amounts on prizes (at least for American opportunities)
8)  Make it so people want to hire you
9)  Little knobs can be useful (ex: undergraduate research)...so mentioning an activity might pique the reader's interest

Professor Burke said he needs these in case he's ambushed and needs to turn in someone for the reward!  I'll have to keep mine up to date and make it nice looking so I can get the benefit!

It's a Coup (d'etat)!

Coup Diary, Day 1:

Comrades,

Today the militant wing of the group deposed Raphael and installed me as the new group manager.  I'm now in charge of the internet services, meeting notes, internal media, and everything else in this little democracy.  Only Justin (computer manager) and Aurora (spymaster) have any duties at the moment--though just about everything will change in a few weeks.


All I can promise my fellow group members is that everyone will be treated fairly.  Together we can expunge the devices of unproductivity and ensure that everyone is working to enhance the group's function.  To give anything less would be to submit to our common enemy, and if we obey those decrees given to us, then we will be victorious. To have more, we must produce more.  To produce more, we must know more.

...The strange thing is that when Raphael handed over the cookie purchasing duties and presentation markers/cables, he had a big grin on his face.  It was almost like he wanted to get rid of his job.  I need to go lie down before this power trip goes to my head...