4 ms·
While in grad school at UCB, I once found myself in physics building elevator with Dr. Townes and 2 young undergrads. The students were taking an intro level ph
by palimpsests 12y ago
While in grad school at UCB, I once found myself in physics building elevator with Dr. Townes and 2 young undergrads. The students were taking an intro level physics course, non-physics majors, and didn't know who he was. They started talking about the class, and lasers in particular, and how cool they were. Dr. Townes didn't say anything, but I still enjoyed being present for that.
- ffn 12y agoI remember being such an undergrad at UC Berkeley. I'd walk into Physics 7A at the beginning of the semester with wide-eyed admiration for the teaching staff, undisguised interest to learn all about Townes's lasers, Smoot's universe, etc., and a wild wondering of "when can I do that stuff?" Then I'd get put in my place by the first few homeworks. Then would came the midterms, which all happen at 7-10pm so I got to walk out of the Dwinelle Hall into appropriately hopeless darkness and a gnawing fear I might not make it out alive. And, as the Fall semester continues, the days get shorter while the material gets harder until even the basic equations of the class seem to be hinting that My Ass = F'd. But, after a lot of flailing and struggling, most of us survive the class with a renewed respect for how hard physics is, how inexplicable gyroscopic motion can be, how brilliant the profs are, and also how willing they are to spend their time teaching dumb undergrads like me the ways of the universe.
- jloughry 12y agoThat was beautifully written.
- gameshot911 12y agoAgreed.