It was cool and rainy that Sunday afternoon last January. I had spent the entire weekend stretched out on my living room sofa, laptop on lap, working on a presentation. I was to present the science case for the proposed International Linear Collider to a panel from the National Academy of Sciences - this panel has formed to evaluate the future of particle physics in the US. The talk was 8 days away and I was starting to get nervous. Not like this talk was important or anything. I needed a break. So, during an email exchange with Ben - a graduate student of mine - I asked:
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“Ben, I’m procrastinating on my talk. Any new ideas on how to waste time?”
“Don’t know if you’ve seen Sean Carroll’s blog before, but it’s pretty good. The top post today is hilarious. http://preposterousuniverse.blogspot.com/”
“What’s a BLOG?”
“Blog=Web-log, the biggest new `media’ item in ‘04…”
“Oooh! I see that Sean Carroll’s page has lots of links to other Blogs. Cool!”
“Farther down in SC’s blog there’s a post talking about communications in physics. He mentions a bunch of web sites, including Lubos Motl’s blog, which has a thread talking about landscapes with posts by… Of course you should be working!”
That was it. I was introduced to the Blogosphere. What rock had I been hiding under? I can say that life has not been the same since. Over on Quantum Diaries, I can’t wait to read how Caolionn fares in Cambodia, or to see what country John Ellis is in next and why, or to see how many comments cvj has posted….
Fast forward to July. Out of the blue, Sean writes, “You know what you need more of in your life? Blogging…”
Moi??? A Blogger? What would I write? Who would read it? Why would anyone care? When would I find the time? Is it really a good idea for me to do this?
I thought hard about this. Hell, I even dreamt about blogging one night and woke up in a sweat. Then I started to think of things I could write (science, science funding, women in science, scientists, wine, photography…). I sorta knew I was hooked at that point and then I ran into Clifford in Durham during the pre-SUSY2005 meeting. He tipped the scales.
But the timing was bad for me. I had 3 talks to give in the next week, a report to finish, a summer institute to prepare for….you get the idea. So, I’m a little late to join in. (Actually, there’s nothing so unusual about that.) Yesterday, Sean taught me the mechanics of blogging. So, I’ve run out of excuses to procrastinate and I’m ready to blog!
This is gonna be fun (I think)!
July 27th, 2005 at 4:34 pm
I detect the implication that reading Preposterous Universe was a good way to “waste time.” Presumably this shiny new multi-personality blog will be at least as edifying as entertaining.
Welcome to the blogosphere!
July 27th, 2005 at 4:34 pm
Congrats on your first blog! I know how you sweated over doing it but I think you’ll enjoy it. However, my first suggestion is to get a SPIRES link on your homepage so that the uninitiated can verify the existence of your long publication list, heavy flavors and all.
July 27th, 2005 at 4:38 pm
Hey - glad you’ve arrived! I’m looking forward to your posts. See you soon I hope.
July 27th, 2005 at 4:53 pm
Hey, JoAnne posted! She is a part of this blog!
Looking forward to having a collider pheno blogger to read.
July 27th, 2005 at 5:03 pm
Just for fun, I found the post I thought was “hillarious”. Ironically, rather than being one of Sean’s scintillating posts, he was just pointing something out from another blog.
July 27th, 2005 at 5:44 pm
*Welcome!* -cvj (who’s been giving Caolionn a break.)
July 27th, 2005 at 5:51 pm
Sean Carrol and Lubos… you got exposed to the best and the worst (in that order) of physics blogging all in your first day!
July 27th, 2005 at 7:04 pm
You will probably finds blogs addictive. (I did…) I don’t think you should feel awkward posting late; your blog presentation warned us that you are an expert on rare processes.
July 27th, 2005 at 11:06 pm
Hello and congratulations. Now you have a highly responsible and demanding job *and* a blog. If you previosly had a life - fuggeddaboudit!
July 28th, 2005 at 1:23 am
Sean, no implications implied. Preposterous Universe was a great read! Always entertaining and informative - never a “waste of time.” Just a great way to spend time.