Suspicious signs that your physics class might be rather engineery

I did not expect that I would ever say this but sometimes the lectures nowadays are a little too little physical. On Tuesday we had another lecture about transistors. A short adventure report:

Simulation of a two-dimensional electric field in a transistor.

Instead of the usual one-dimensional electric field this time we assume the channel (important thing in a transistor!) to be influenced by a two-dimensional electric field. This means: 2D Poisson equation. So our professor writes it on the board and the happy little physicist starts trying to remeber how you solve this. Experimental physics method of mathematically ruthless integration? Theoretical physics method of crazy bad-ass algebra with several variable substitutions and sh*t? More important: Logical evaluation first! *spared because of danger of boredom for not-physicists*

First comment on the equation by the professor: "Now we are not really good at solving equations like this." My thought: Well I am certainly not but you should be? So you solve and I will marvel. :) Next he says something about a temperature flow equivalent to electron movement ... Ok very intuitive, now solve. :)

Nope, still not. He tells some more descriptive stories that I do not quite remember as my fellow German zombie-state (his own term; adding coffee to "zombie" results in "robot" btw) physicist awakens from his lecture-following sub-processes and whispers "Ah, theo 2" (meaning theoretical physics 2 course in Germany) and I just answer "Theo 3 for us." Meanwhile, our professor talks about linear superpositions of potentials and I start to doubt that he will solve the equation. He shows some graphics from a numerical simulation programme and I am certain that he will not solve it. He just gives the solution on a slide.

It looks utterly ugly and I remember the times when I was glad if we just got the solution. That was short before with a heavy heart I decided to leave Heidelberg. To do something more engineery. ;)

Achievement unlocked - Master Chef

You might remember that in the last semester I worked at Hallands Nation quite often - mostly at the pub. Apart from the pub the nations also organise brunches and lunches. At the former I worked at one sunny Sunday. Getting started at eight on a Sunday, standing in the vapour of boiling kale for several hours ... It was an exciting experience just as working at the night club with time extrema in the other direction - getting to bed at eight. (Not quite but it felt just like this. ;) )

Sehr, sehr geiles Kuskus. :D

Still missing in the Hallands work collection was the lunch on Mondays. As one of the new förman ("responsible for work" ;) ) is my adorable flatmate and I did not have a lecture last Monday this was the perfect opportunity. So on Monday morning on time at nine o'clock I arrived at Halland's mega-kitchen to burn some (72) meatballs. To fry, I meant! (No I did not burn them.) The recipe for the minced meat ("KÖTTFÄRS" in Swedish and the following text and "HACKFLEISCH" (you alwys have to angrily shout it!) in German) our förman chose was quite interesting as usually I prepared KÖTTFÄRS with several different spices and ingredients - which takes some time and a lot of spices as KÖTTFÄRS needs a lot of them before it adopts the taste. The KÖTTFÄRS we prepared just needed sun-dried tomatoes, feta-cheese, egg, pepper and salt (which you might spare as the feta-cheese is already salty) and it tasted quite intense. I will remember for next time! (Which means that the food was good.)

Besides, the day was even more successful as I laid down my animosity with couscous. The last time I tried it was ten years ago in Tunisia where they managed to thoroughly deter me from couscous for at leat ten years. On Monday I was cured and now I even like it - drastic changes unsettle earth!

In addititon to new recipes and the culinary disclosure the often observed "too-much-food-effect" occured which means that I invariably lived on meatballs and white chocolate mousse this week. Besides being supplied with sugar in rough amounts by the chocolate mousse and thus being able to work nonstop on the recent lab report the KÖTTFÄRS probably saved me from the disease currently being rampant in Sweden ... Something about listeria. Some say it is in the sausages, some say it is in the milk, some say it is everywhere ... Simplest cure seems to be: Don't eat food!

Feeling like a political administrator

Not that I want to offend anybody but what is going on in politics sometimes gives the impression that some of the people working "there" do not really know what they do all day. Today we experienced the same while trying to write a lab report. Still strengthened by a collective eating session yesterday evening (and sweating out everything bad that might have entered our immune system in the last months as we ate Indian food) we met in the physics building (yes, on a Sunday ... :/ ) and tried to figure out what to do for this report. We understood that the lab was about something really unintuitive when you hear it for the first time and especially when you did not treat it in a lecture before so the afternoon mainly consisted of - how one of the attendees put it - "f*ck ups" and "screw ups".

Bad data format is a reason for physicists to
become "hackers" - or to engage
nerd rage mode. ;)

Actually we did quite a lot! Like writing the most pointless python scripts ever to convert the data we received from our supervisor into a format that allowed us to actually use the data, then plotting it and wondering if it makes any sense what we see. Especially as all our results looked different from each other ... At least we enjoyed ourselves when everytime we succeeded in removing one more space or tab another one appeared where we did not expect it. For some "mind cinema" you can imagine the scenery as three physicists sitting in a circle around their laptops in a probably rather unhealthy position, hacking on their keyboards and occasionally making a resigned "mmmh" sound, sometimes disrupted by an outburst of nerd rage violence like "AAAAARGH NOT AN INTEGER?!? OF COURSE NOT, I GAVE YOU A COMPLEX NUMBER YOU LITTLE PIECE OF ****!!"

Ok that was maybe a little too much of clichees but do not worry about our mental health, we sat in a room with big windows flooded with sunlight and most of the time we engaged in very friendly and high-class conversation. ;) Only still we do not know what to do with our data ...

Rechtschreibreform - auf Du und Du mit Sprachfälschern

This post deals with German grammar so it is in German.

Seit längerer Zeit gab es jetzt mal wieder nichts zu hören. Es gibt keine Entschuldigung dafür, außer, dass nicht viel Aufregendes passiert ist. Heute jedoch habe ich mich ein wenig aufgeregt. Über Facebook. Aber nicht, weil wieder einmal die Datenverkaufs- - Verzeihung - Datenschutzrichtlinien geändert wurden oder die Seitengestaltung, sondern eines kleinen Satzes auf der ersten Seite wegen, noch bevor man sich anmeldet: "Dank dir werden wir 10 Jahre alt". Mal davon abgesehen, dass ich so lange noch nicht bei Facebook angemeldet bin, mal abgesehen davon, dass ich auch auf die bedeutend geringere Zeit nicht sonderlich stolz bin und mal davon abgesehen, dass der Satz keinen Punkt am Ende hat, stört mich an diesem Satz ein einzelnes Wort. Es ist "dir".

Bild entliehen von der großartigen Seite knowyourmeme.

An diesem Satz wiederum und am letzten "dass-Satz" des vorherigen Satzes können diejenigen, die mich kennen, wahrscheinlich schon erkennen, worum es in diesem Artikel gehen wird. Jaja, ich mache meinem Ruf als "grammar nazi" mal wieder alle Ehre. Und nein, das hat nichts mit Rechtsradikalen zu tun, sondern hat andere Ursprünge. Ich komme nämlich aus dem Internet und da ist dies ein (zugegebenermaßen) eher abfälliger Begriff für Menschen, die noch ein wenig Wert auf Rechtschreibung und Ausdruck legen. Zu diesen zähle ich mich, obwohl ich aus dem Internet komme, noch immer. Vielleicht wäre es angebracht, an dieser Stelle kurz auszuholen, warum ich zumindest Sprache wertschätze, doch das würde sicher schon alleine mindestens einen Artikel füllen. (An andere Stelle werde ich dem sicher einmal Raum gewähren ...) Belassen wir es also dabei, dass ich ein Freund der Sprache bin und jedes Mal heimlich weine, wenn ein weiteres deutsches Wort durch einen Anglizismus ersetzt wird, wenn ein englisches Wort Opfer einer weiteren Abkürzung wird oder wenn mal wieder jemand egal in welchem Land eine als Rechtschreibreform getarnte Sprachfälschung durchführt. Aber genug der unnützen Worte und zurück zu "dir". (Und auch zurück zu Dir/Ihnen, lieber Leser.)

Es geht nicht darum, dass ich mich gerne über Internetschreibweise aufrege - was nebenbei eine ganze Menge vergeudeter Energie mit sich bringen würde (oder diese eher abführen würde) - sondern es geht darum, dass "dir" in diesem oben erwähnten Satz völlig falsch ist und der Satz keinen Sinn macht. Linguistisch gesehen zumindest. Tatsächlich geht es also natürlich auch nicht um Facebook, sondern um Rechtschreibung. Viele werden sich (hoffentlich) noch erinnern, dass vor diversen Rechtschreibreformen in Briefen (das sind quasi E-Mails auf Papier, für die, die wie ich aus dem Internet kommen) einmal die Regel galt, die direkte Anrede GROß zu schreiben. Also "Du", "Dir", "Ihr", "Sie" und so weiter. Das sieht man heutzutage leider nur noch sehr selten. Naja, Briefe sieht man heutzutage nur noch selten. Es geht aber nicht um die Art des Schriftstückes, auch nicht um Höflihckeit oder Ehrerbietung, sondern um die Wortart. Es geht nicht um persönlichen Geschmack, wie man sein Gegenüber ansprechen möchte, sondern um eindeutig richtig und eindeutig falsch. Vor diesen ominösen Rechtschreibreformen also wurde unterschieden zwischen "Du" und "du". "Du" war/ist eine persönliche, definite Anrede. "du" hingegen war/ist eine unpersönliche, indefinite Anrede. So wie "man".

Ein Beispiel: Angenommen, der Freund rät dem Freunde in einem Brief (oder in einer E-Mail ...), seiner Angebeteten (so hieß das früher) einen Liebesbrief zu schreiben (Ihr merkt, ein fiktives Beispiel) und malt ihm aus, was passieren würde, wenn sich die beiden schließlich träfen. Nehmen wir folgenden Satz aus diesem Briefe: "Und dann wird sie Dir tief in die Augen blicken ..." - Ihm allein. Das ist nämlich, was dieser Satz aussagt. Ist das romantisch ... Ok, Spaß bei Seite. "Und dann wird sie dir tief in die Augen blicken." hingegen würde bedeuten, dass sie jedem tief in die Augen blicken würde, der da gerade vorbeigelaufen käme. Ziemlich trübe Aussicht, oder? "Du" meint nur den Adressaten allein, "du" kann man wie oben erwähnt auch durch "man" ersetzen. Macht schon einen nicht zu unterschätzenden Unterschied, oder?

Zusammengefasst ist "Du" statt "du" in persönlicher Anrede also auch nach jeglicher Sprachverfälschung  daher sicher die bessere Wahl. Und auch, wenn der Urpsrung dieses Unterschiedes eigentlich nichts mit Höflichkeit zu tun hat, empfinde ich zumindest eine E-Mail oder einen seltenen Brief trotzdem als ungleich höflicher, wenn "Du" statt "du" darin zu lesen steht.

Ich wünsche Euch allen einen schönen Abend.

Thoughts while returning to Sweden

Thoughts "while returning to Sweden" is meant literally in this case. Thoughts during the four hour journey from home to home. Leaving home, coming home - strange thing, two homes barely connected to each other at all. Two different worlds.

The journey stars at the airport in Luxembourg. Tannoy announcements in English, German and Luxembourgian. Luxembourgian will always sound strange. Even stranger than Dutch. Even stranger than Danish. (No offense in both cases ...) Actually, Danish sounds not as strange as many people (especially in Sweden ...) say. Actually, it does not really sound strange at all. Unfamiliar, yes, but not strange. This I realise on the bus from the terminal to the plane. Two elderly gentlemen with only hand luggage who seemed to return home from a business trip are talking Danish. And they are quietly laughing all the time. Friendly people, the Danish ... (No, of course you cannot deduce this from two friendly gentlemen. But I like to believe that the Danish as well as the Swedes are friendly people.)

On the way to our plane I see the already described turboprops which I do not want to fly with. (See a few articles before.) We arrive at our plane - no turboprops, "normal" machine - greeting in Luxembourgian. ("Moien.") Security briefing in English and French. No Luxembourgian this time. Maybe not too unreasonable on a flight from Luxembourg to Copenhagen. The stewardess speaks French now. I scrape all my French together to successfully accept a sandwich and a coke. Maybe not too successful though as later on the stewardess will address me in English ...

We arrive in Copenhagen. The same people (stewardess and captain) who spoke French and English before speak Danish and English now. It even could have been Swedish but it strikes me every time that in a few hundred thousand Euro airplane the speakers still sound as if they are from the 19th century ... (Same in railway sattions by the way ...)

Four countries in four hours. Almost as good as Europe in ten days.

We get out of the plane. Kastrup is slightly larger than Luxembourg and so we have to run through the ehole building to get our luggage. The advantage is that our luggage is already running circles when we arrive. The railway station is very close now as well. I rumble down the staircase and enter the quite dark station. The next train arrives in six minutes. Then the mad part of the journey begins. Where is the ticket machine? Nowhere to be seen. I rumble further down the rail. Finally. A dark room, two strange guys inside, two ticket machines. I hack my desired destination into the machine. Time is running, it gets hectic. The machine asks me onehundredthousand extraneous question, does not accept my traffic card which usually makes buying tickets very easy and quick. Not this time, not in Denmark as it seems. Next card, 20 crowns more than on the way from Lund to Copenhagen. Does not matter, must go fast. Another onehundredthousand extraneous questions, the train is already waiting, the porter blows his whistle. I rip my ticket from the machine and badger towards the closest train door. "Out of order." Wtf?! Next door, I fight my way through 20 Indians (exchange students I suppose somewhere at the edge of my train stricken mind) and finally reach a seat.

"Seems to be the same with all train companies, no difference in other countries.", I think before I realise that a friendly gentleman in one of the suites is trying to talk to me. That is unexpected. Everybody in Sweden told me that you do not talk to people on the bus or the train. Never. As he shows me where to put my suitcase I do not bother and sit opposed to him. Still confused by Luxembourgians talking Danish and Danish talking French I thank him in always working English before I realise that I can do better. The Indians are discussing with the porter where to put there 45 suitcases and start to rearrange the whole train. I do not mind, they do not need help, so I concentrate on nothing in particular.

We cross the Öresund Bridge. Next station, Hyllie. Half of the women outside are already blonde (not kidding). The tannoy announcement is in Swedish. I even understand what the train conductor is trying to tell us. "Utgång till vänster." I am back in Sweden. Four hours after leaving home I am home again.

APH and Mahler

After the two accounts of the journey to Heidelberg this blog stays there for one more day. During my studies in Heidelberg I had the pleasure to play in the Akademische Philharmonie Heidelberg, a notedly excellent "laymen" orchestra. As on January 24 they play their semester concert I wrote this short article about the one piece they will play so those of you living in Heidelberg will consider attending the concert. :)

Yes, there really will be only one piece in the whole concert: Mahler's sixth symphony. If you look at the embedded video further down you will see why there is only this one piece: It lasts almost one and a half hours. So why should you listen to a single piece of music that lasts one and a half hours? In this case very simple: There is a hammer in the symphony! :D Yes, a hammer, a big, wooden hammer. The blows of fate. Or simply the horror of whoever sits in front of the percussionists ... Already without playing the symphony it grieves me that I cannot be there to see my colleague play the hammer. (I would not want to take it away from him - he was born to play the hammer. :D )

Ok, enough kidding. (Thoug the hammer IS real!) This symphony very impressively demonstrates what music can "do to you". Often Mahler's sixth symphony is called the "tragic" symphony although he himself did not use this title. Nevertheless, the title fits the music so if you let yourself get into the music you might well be taken away with it. Should you listen to the video further down or listen at least to the beginning and the end you will notice how long it takes the audience until they applaude. This might happen in the concert next week as well. The beginning already will show you what to expect from the symphony and give you an impression why it is called "the tragic". The end proves it again. Although it is sometimes problematic to take pieces out of a whole but only listening to the end (if you have only little time to spare, even for great music ;) ) from 1:19:33 on you will again get a good proof of the title, especially at 1:20:16 (needs a few seconds in advance) and from 1:21:04 to the end ...

Mahler - Symphony No. 6 a-moll conducted by Paavo Järvi, recorded in Kloster Eberbach. (What a coincidence, we played there with the Akademische Philharmonie not too long ago. ;) )

The account of a journey part II

Heidelberg Castle from the Kornmarkt.

The second day of my short trip to Heidelberg mostly consisted of sightseeing. Finally I got to know the tourist side of Heidelberg. The most obvious location to visit is probably the "fate stricken castle, hanging deep down into the dale, torn apart by the weathers" ... (free translation after "Heidelberg" by Hölderlin ;) ) Not without good reason it is the town's landmark. So I made my way up the over 300 steps (I lost count somewhere in between when considering if it would really be so nice to live in one of the villas populating the hill side. ;) )

After a few minutes I reached the top of the world (or at least of the town) and there I was. Back again on the first day of my studies. Actually, a few days before but back then climbing up to the castle was one of the first things I did as well. The view always pays off and if you would go up there every day.

Heidelberg Castle from the back.

As I had plenty of time I made my way to the back of the castle, further than ever before. If you ever come to Heidelberg or live there - go there! The less familiar back face is at least as impressive as the front face. After dreaming away in grey fog and slight rain I took the not-stair-way down and wandered aimlessly around in the city.
Before heading to the evening highlight(s) of the day I tried to find my bachelor thesis supervisor and the rest of the research group but at that particular time they seemed to have vanished somewhere in the secret passages of the KIP - the temple of physics.

The two temples of wisdom: Left - "My" department, Kirchhoff Institut für Physik. Right - University Library.