Symmetry factor

Ok, I just had to post this. Here is a funny YouTube video of Jim Carrey (you know, “Ace Ventura” or “The Mask” or excellent “The Truman Show”) “talking the talk” on quantum physics on Connan O’Brien show (see Update at the bottom):

I wonder who wrote it for them? Maybe it was similar to this…

Update: I think NBC removed this video from YouTube. However, you can still find it here. Happy viewing!

Well, once again I’m a bit misleading in the title. There are several small developments:

1. I made an offer for that postdoc position in my group. Well, actually, I did it a while ago. But recently I got a message from the person I offered it to saying that he accepted a faculty position abroad and so he must decline my offer. Well, good for him, tough luck for me — Iwish him all the best. It happens. But I’m back to square one — I haven’t decided what to do next: go down my short list or take a closer look at the pool of applicants again (~150, so I’m not sure I want to do that)…
2. We finally finished interviewing faculty candidates for our condensed matter/bio/nano position. As a member of our Executive Committee, I talked to every one of them — not as easy as it seems, especially since my research speciality (particle theory) is on the opposite end of the energy spectrum… we will decide on whom to make an offer soon…
3. As reported here (see section “HEPAP”) and here, International Linear Collider (ILC) might not be built until the mid 2020’s. This means that US experimental High Energy Physics (HEP) will have no big experiment until then, which kinda puts the field… well, not in the best position. Kinda like telling a programmer in a company that he/she will get a workstation (ok, maybe) in a couple of years, but meanwhile, he/she can write his/her code on a piece of paper and even sometimes use a computer, which, however, is located in another city. How long do you think that programmer would work for that company? Well, that’s exactly what’s happening with HEP. Scores of my colleagues in experimental HEP moved (or moving) to astrophysics, nuclear physics or other fields! Anyway, it appears that HEPAP wants to reconsider its decision to sacrifice all medium-sized projects (BTeV, RSVP, CKM, …) in favor of fast-track ILC to keep HEP running. Unfortunately, it’s too late for those projects…

At least spring is coming…