I choose to do science because I believe that of all endeavors Man can undertake, there is none as noble and worthy as seeking the truth. I believe this spirit was manifested in me when I learned to appreciate and understand geometry in middle school. Geometry allowed one to merge mathematics with visual shapes and objects, in the sense that one could prove, given a regular hexagon, the interior angle must be 120 degrees! We could certainly measure the angle and find an agreement, but the proof is exactly what the word says, additional proof that what we perceive from our senses must be true. One could argue that it is what we sense and experience that provides legitimacy to our thought, and not the other way, but I think that's the beauty of the whole catch-22 situation---neither really provides legitimacy for the other. Rather, it's the result, the truth, when I measure 120 degrees or conclude from proof its 120 degrees, that gives our measurement and logic credibility. The uncertainty in our senses and uncertainty in our thought are dispelled when the result of both processes agree. When we have struck upon such a truth, we are certain of it! Thus, I am lead to believe more and more in seeking for truth, because it is the only thing that is certain.
It's hard saying goodbye. A good friend of mine is leaving Duke to return to Paris. He was fed up with the physics program here, and after securing a position in France, decided to return home. It's unfortunate that the department here could not do more to help, as he was genuinely bright; unfortunately he was suffering from depression, probably induced by the stresses of the PhD program as well as the dull boring city of Durham. In general how does one say goodbye? You don't really, especially if you're good friends. You just end up saying hello less often. At least that's my take. Unfortunately, more on goodbyes, it's goodbye to Duke's NCAA hopes for this year. We were outplayed by LSU. Sure the refs were really not entirely fair (from our point of view of course), but they closed our top scorer down. It was a fun run, and I enjoyed watching them play, especially since I thought they played such great team basketball, but it's over. Such a somber posti...
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