![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Santa Fe; ToDo list
Jun. 8th, 2009 07:42 pmThis city of Santa Fe really has a weird architecture, like everything is made of clay. Reminded me of DisneyWorld. We're in the suburbs though, but only a ~20-minute walk from downtown.
I've met tons of people so far (I'm also recording who and when), and try to study their names.
---
ToDo:
* detergent, toothpaste DONE
* nasal gel (Ayr), sunscreen (I felt my nose dry upon arrival... and my skin burning after the reception yesterday)
* buy GSM card, calling card
* get a bicycle
* improvise a fridge (or a styrofoam substitute), since cafeteria dinner closes at 6:30pm
* buy beard clipper insert, which broke inside the luggage
---
UFO: there was a weird light on the sky a couple hours ago. Like Venus, but much much brighter. I wondered if it was the moon, but it was way too small, and not quite round. I took pictures. Hmm... Roswell isn't too far from here.
---
Geoffrey West on SFI funding:
* SFI does not accept too much money from any one source (including government), as a way to prevent grant-slavery. One NSF proposal submitted by SFI had 32 reviewers (maybe because they didn't know what to do with it?)
* If you're a private donor, SFI is a cheap way to buy impact (100 times more efficient than Harvard). The institute's total impact factor seems to be comparable to Penn, despite having much less money.
---
My housemates are talking about satisficing, the math-fetish of some economists, simulations of emotions, and how political activism seems to be genetically inheritable.
---
Unlike the IPAM Summer School, few people here speak the same language as me. My impression is that there are lots of ecologists and political scientists, most of whom seem to know their math.
During introductions today, most people mentioned extra-curricular activities. Soccer, frisbee, dancing, hiking, biking. I pitched the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, which I'm planning to attend with my guitar-playing housemate.
I've met tons of people so far (I'm also recording who and when), and try to study their names.
---
ToDo:
* detergent, toothpaste DONE
* nasal gel (Ayr), sunscreen (I felt my nose dry upon arrival... and my skin burning after the reception yesterday)
* buy GSM card, calling card
* get a bicycle
* improvise a fridge (or a styrofoam substitute), since cafeteria dinner closes at 6:30pm
* buy beard clipper insert, which broke inside the luggage
---
UFO: there was a weird light on the sky a couple hours ago. Like Venus, but much much brighter. I wondered if it was the moon, but it was way too small, and not quite round. I took pictures. Hmm... Roswell isn't too far from here.
---
Geoffrey West on SFI funding:
* SFI does not accept too much money from any one source (including government), as a way to prevent grant-slavery. One NSF proposal submitted by SFI had 32 reviewers (maybe because they didn't know what to do with it?)
* If you're a private donor, SFI is a cheap way to buy impact (100 times more efficient than Harvard). The institute's total impact factor seems to be comparable to Penn, despite having much less money.
---
My housemates are talking about satisficing, the math-fetish of some economists, simulations of emotions, and how political activism seems to be genetically inheritable.
---
Unlike the IPAM Summer School, few people here speak the same language as me. My impression is that there are lots of ecologists and political scientists, most of whom seem to know their math.
During introductions today, most people mentioned extra-curricular activities. Soccer, frisbee, dancing, hiking, biking. I pitched the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, which I'm planning to attend with my guitar-playing housemate.