One of the first serious computer programs I ever wrote was a game for the BBC Micro (Model B, built by Acorn, 32K of RAM, 2MHz 6502 CPU, round about 1984). The user was in control of a farm. Every round he/she was shown some statistics about the size of the crop, profits earned, cost of [...]
Because our department is situated far from the main campus, I seldom have a chance to visit the university’s main library. The separate library for engineering is much closer and contains most of the Computer Science collection, but sometimes one needs material from a broader field. Today I had to deliver a form to admin, and [...]
My reading has fallen behind significantly. My reading list is lost somewhere or – to be more accurate – it is… unlost. I have many different copies lying around that I must sort out. There should be a word for this kind of opposite of lost. A famine of plenty? Nah. In any case, I [...]
I like instant coffee. Or at least, I like the brand of instant coffee I drink. Given the volumes I consume, it is not economically viable for me to brew coffee. When I make the coffee, I put the dry mix in the cup, add the water, add the sugar, and finally add the milk. [...]
I was really excited over the weekend, because I thought that I had found a beautifully elegant solution to the current stumbling block in my research with Antti and Henri. Last night I excitedly write up the idea and sent it off. Today was a busy one: some administration (as always), nice chat with my [...]
Until now the atmosphere around here has been pretty relaxed. At the university the classes start on Feb 2 and, even though there is some activity, the real rush is not yet upon us. I have some duties, but I’m officially teaching any courses until the second half of the year. It will be interesting [...]
A musician of more ambition than talent composed an elegy at the death of composer Edward MacDowell. She played the elegy for the pianist Jozef Hofmann, then asked his opinion. “Well, it’s quite nice,” he replied, “but don’t you think it would be better if…” “If what?” asked the composer. “If… if you had died [...]
Tomorrow I have to do my taxes. The deadline is Friday and apparently it is a doddle, except that my IRP5 seems to have disappeared. It’s somewhere in this office, so I should be able to find it… I listened to Obama’s inaugural speech today. Any comparison with the last 8 years’ speeches can only [...]
I think I have a rough understanding of physics, at least up (or down!) to the quantum level. The details of string theory is beyond me, but this is probably true of most physicists too. I understand the concept of black holes but once again I don’t know how to calculate the Schwartzschild radius or [...]
Thursday last I received an email and then a phone call from an old friend. On Friday we catched up over a three-hour coffee. At school we were best friends. We shared interests, and spend a lot of our time together. It was without doubt the most emotionally intense friendship I’ve ever had, perhaps partly [...]