Comments on: Sleepless in Louisville

By: In Memory of Andrew Chamblin | Cosmic Variance

In Memory of Andrew Chamblin | Cosmic Variance — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 04:59:06 +0000

[...] You will recall that last month I went to a memorial service and all-day symposium for Andrew Chamblin, who died in February. (You can read much more in this link, particularly in the comment thread.) The memorial was in Louisville, Kentucky, where Andrew was on the Physics Faculty. Several of Andrews friends, colleagues and collaborators came to the event. The dominant component of the attendance was from people who were in either of the physics departments at Louisville, Lexington and Cincinatti, the three closest cities, which have physics links with each other (some of those links involved collaborations with Andrew). Andrew’s family and several close friends were there, and some physicists from further away, such as myself. There were also readings of the numerous letters that were sent and from other communications (e.g. from the thread of the post I did on this blog). These were from friends and colleagues from much further afield who were unable to make it to the memorial symposium and service. [...]

By: Cycle Quark » Blog Archive » Travel Horror Stories: The Series

Cycle Quark » Blog Archive » Travel Horror Stories: The Series — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 04:58:42 +0000

[...] I believe that that all bloggers eventually write about their travel experiences, such as here, here, here, and here. Some people write about the wonderful places they have gone, the interesting people they have met, and the fantastic meals they have had. Others write about the horrors that have been inflicted on them by airlines, surly customs officials, poorly managed hotels, unpredictable weather, and germs that new to their gastric systems. My stories are of the second variety. I rarely travel for pleasure, but work has kept me accumulating at least enough frequent flyer miles to make the lowest tier of premium traveler status year after year. [...]

By: Clifford

Clifford — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 20:25:28 +0000

Pyracantha,

There’s absolutely nothing glamourous about my version of the “Physicist’s Life”. Most of what goes on is fairly typical. I do my share (and more) of the “cutting mats and washing sign holders”. Going to the desert and hunting for street food in Taiwan is nothing to do with my physicist life, really. These are just personal choices I make about how to spend my out-of-office time. I cannot speak for what other physicists choose to do with their time. Some of them take actual real regular holidays, for example. I’m still trying to figure out how to do that. Physics and other “work-like” tasks always come with me somehow.

Cheers,

-cvj

By: Science

Science — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 10:02:50 +0000

For hitting targets, I won a prize of flights and entry for a day to Disneyland Paris (via London Heathrow). But the girl who organised it (who I’d pestered for a date) told the taxi driver to take us to the wrong terminal!

This was at 6am. The traffic was so bad we missed the plane. We finally got there in time for a late lunch and joined long queues… Moral: don’t travel unless you are organising it yourself. It’s OK if it’s your own error, but too frustrating otherwise.

By: Pyracantha

Pyracantha — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 09:03:21 +0000

Clifford, you seem to live a wild and exciting life. One moment flying to Chicago (or was it Louisville?) for a whirlwind talk and appearance. The week before, venturing into an otherworldly desert. Then working out arcane calculations about the ultimate realities of the universe. Or going off to Taiwan for a month. It seems like an elite level. Is this typical of the Physicist’s Life? Or are there many more of Physicist Tribe who may love physics as much as you do, and work just as hard, but never get to go anywhere or give talks, and spend their time doing the equivalent of cutting mats or washing sign holders?

By: Moshe

Moshe — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 16:02:06 +0000

Clifford, I experienced an identical missed flight story not only once but twice in those E/F terminals in O’Hare. Now I anxiously hang around the gate trying to lip-read what they are saying. Irritatingly, it seems impossible to avoid O’Hare for almost any cross-country flight, it’s all part of some grand scheme, I just can’t figure out which…

Useful tip: I find that chances for prompt and useful service are increased if you exit the terminal and go to the check-in counter, instead of the customer service inside the terminal, those seem always overloaded (this is one job I don’t want to have…).

Clearly I am spending too much time in airports.

By: Torbjorn Larsson

Torbjorn Larsson — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 14:22:39 +0000

Proper sleep is sleep as measured by the circadian clock for an observer who is traveling through (space)time zones.

By: adam

adam — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 13:39:32 +0000

Ah, the joys of airtravel.

I’ve only been to O’Hare once, but I hated it. The long tunnels with travelators and mysterious neon lights was like being in the film ‘Logan’s Run’, however, which was good. Other than that, it seemed like an even less charming version of Heathrow (another airport that I hate).