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lovehurts
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Posts by lovehurts
Collisions imminent
Mar 30th
Howdy lovers,
Well, today’s the day! The LHC people have decided, along with all the experimenters, that it’s time to collide some protons at 7 TeV. Actually, the hoopla was originally scheduled to start this morning at 09h00 (CERN time). That plan was amended several times, so that physicists I talked to all had different ideas of the actual start time for colliding the beams (I heard 03h00 at some point). The initial attempts this morning to ramp the beam have both failed due to unforeseen errors in the quench protection system (QPS) and some other electronics, but they’re now saying they expect beam (and collisions!) to be ready around noon or 13h00. So, that means that our early risers in the US might be privy to all the good shit.
For your viewing pleasure, we’ve compiled a list of links to various webcasts broadcasting the day’s activities:
- LHC First Physics Webcast (be sure to click around to the various webcams, at the bottom of the page)
- Our beloved OP Vistars (Page1 is often the most informative)
- CMS cameras: One Two Three
- ATLAS public page, home to a nice feed and some pretty pictures
- ATLAS event displays
- A pretty informative CERN Twitter feed
- The LHC Announcer (this dude talks to you about the LHC activities)
So, click away. We’ll try to keep you updated, maybe copying some of the pretty photos of the day here for you to see. Let us know if you find other interesting webcasts to link here, either by commenting or by e-mailing dipole@cernlove.org.
Happy collisions!
UPDATE: We have collisions! At 13h22, the LHC people declared “STABLE BEAMS,” and we’ve been seeing 7 TeV collisions ever since. The press release is here, and the champagne is everywhere.
Large hardon
Mar 24th
About a week ago, the LHC was preparing itself for its inaugural 2010 current ramp to values consistent with 3.5 TeV energy proton beams. While this was simply an opening act for the feature presentation (actual 3.5 TeV + 3.5 TeV collisions) next week, it certainly was an exciting and optimistic event celebrated widely at CERN and around the world. Record energies were reached in the field of particle acceleration, and the timing was perfect considering the growing awareness of the 2010-2011 LHC physics programme.
One media outlet that decided to express its enthusiasm for the huge success of the LHC’s initial foray into the high energy realm was the British online newspaper The Telegraph. Here is the article they published the day after the successful 3.5 TeV commissioning; really, things are pretty tame in this write-up — catchy headline, video of cute physicists, and lots of fervent anticipation for next week’s collision extravaganza. However, when this article first appeared on the website of The Telegraph, their elation with the world record breaking energy ramp-up was much more apparent:
If that didn’t strike you as odd, have a look at that headline one more time.
Actually, this is quite a natural joke to be made, if you think about it. I was surprised to find that, while ‘large hadron collider’ yields around 900k Google hits, ‘large hardon collider’ only finds 63.4k! I can only hope that our fellow internet comrades will up the efforts to capitalize on this goldmine. Sexual innuendos mix quite well with physics jargon. How do you think the term hadron was derived in the first place? I feel like we’re not far from hearing the phrases ‘beam dump’ and ‘that’s what she said’ used together quite regularly.
On the other hand, the top hit of that Google search surely sets the bar pretty high: http://largehardoncollider.com/
LHC Update – March 2010
Mar 18th
Some of our readers not plugged-in to the everyday scene of physics at the high energy frontier might be confused remembering that we promised you some bad-ass proton collision action somewhere around 14 February, which was over a month ago, and realizing that, indeed, the beloved 7 TeV data is still nowhere to be found. In fact, the media has been so focused on the 1-year shutdown expected for the LHC in 2012 (and seriously, it’s not because of the Mayan calendar…) that no one has really posed the obvious question: “Umm, hey… wasn’t there supposed to be stuff happening already this year?”
Have no fear, friends. Your friendly LHC scientists are simply making sure they are working with a well-oiled machine, and these kinds of delays are completely normal. January and February were used for commissioning the machine at low current, and further developing the Quench Protection System (QPS); here’s a nice article by SymmetryBreaking giving some more information about the LHC’s QPS. Having a robust protection against accidents such as the one in September 2008 is clearly a high priority. Beam was re-introduced to the LHC a few weeks ago, and the progress is steadily imrpvoing, however carefully the technicians are working.
Tonight is a special night, however. For the first time in 2010, we are witnessing the LHC dry-ramping* to the current which corresponds to a 3.5 TeV proton energy; this is the target energy for collisions in the 2010-2011 run. Of course, live coverage is brought to you by OP Vistars. In case you missed it, here’s a snapshot in the early stage of the ramp.
(*Dry-ramping implies the current in the magnets of the LHC are being ramped up, but that there is no proton beam circulating at the time.)
Kick the tires and light the fires.
We here at CERN Love are as giddy as schoolgirls about this.
We’re getting testy
Mar 10th
One disgruntled physicist who sits in Building 40 is fed up. Remind me to never leave my coffee dishes anywhere near this dude(ette).
Public spaces NOT to be used for dish storage.
If we're not testing the parameters of the standard model, we sure as hell are testing each other's patience...
Things physicists say
Mar 3rd
For years, an experimental physicist sits through countless hours of physics lectures which mostly focus on the theoretical. Hypothetical is the name of the game. Being engulfed in a sea of abstract jargon, a few phrases really adhere to a physicist’s subconscious, making him prone to conversational non sequiturs. A few qurirks that come to mind are excessive use of the words trivial and coupling. For example, “These cables seem to be trivially wired, yet I can’t tell how these two are coupled.” A little bit of an awkward oratorical toolkit develops over one’s education.
But, I feel that one introductory phrase really exemplifies the problem associated with developing this flavor of vocabulary. Let’s consider the expression, “In principle.” From the Free Dictionary, “in principle” actually seems well defined:
in principle – with regard to fundamentals although not concerning details
Pretty clear, right? “In principle” should probably be used to discuss more lofty or general ideas and situations, as opposed to everyday, common issues. Let’s take a look at a few examples:
Don’t say this:
- In principle, the weather is nice today.
- In principle, I am hungry.
- In principle, I’d like you to plot the diphoton pT as well as the jet pT.
- In principle, we should go out sometime.
Say this:
- In principle, we expect two solutions to this equation.
- I agree with you, in principle.
- In principle, the distributions should be identical.
- In principle, I should find you attractive, but I actually don’t.
Okay, so, maybe don’t say that last one. But, social graces are a whole other lesson that we should probably cover someday soon.
Peaceful sounds at work
Feb 10th
Today, this was the definition of the “ambience” in CERN’s Building 40. If I didn’t know better, I’d say I was being sabotaged.
Hear the atmosphere which is so conducive to productive work at CERN.
Open-air Batiment 40
Spares
Feb 3rd
The LHC will employ the use of 1,232 dipole magnets, which are cooled to superconducting temperatures by liquid helium at 2 Kelvin and will provide magnetic fields as strong as 8.33 Tesla. As one might imagine, these puppies are valuable. To string two of them together, without interrupting the circuits through which currents as high as 11,850 Amps will flow, requires a highly sophisticated splice mechanism which must have a resistance of less than 0.000080 Ω for the machine to work properly.
Otherwise, this happens.
Of course, since CERN decided to display these magnificent beasts prominently (including one proudly and boldly showcased on the otherwise beautiful green lawn outside CERN’s Restaurant 1), they had to find a way to protect their valuable end-connections. These are the blag end-plugs you see in this photo of the lawn dipole.
Well, I suppose CERN had a spare endcap. I would never have been creative enough to devise this plan for its fate.
Another magnet cover-gone-planter.
It really ties the room together.
Shifts: revisited
Jan 21st
In my previous rant about taking shifts, I made a veiled criticism to the quality of coffee served in the nearby vending area. After all, with this being the heart of the Franco-Swiss megaplex, one would expect there to be good coffee just about anywhere you go. As it stands, CERN is actually quite well known for its high-grade coffee outlets in Restaurant 1, Restaurant 2, and various other cafes around the lab (some popular ones are in Building 40 and Building 30). However, as is the case at Point 1 (where ATLAS physicists take shifts), people are reduced to paying for coffee to come out of something like this:
Real coffee bean selection on the left, instant coffee selection on the right. I'm serious.
I hesitate to actually call that coffee. I mean, considering the depths of the abysmal sorrow, lonliness, and despair felt by a shifter on a cold Saturday morning around 04am, couldn’t the powers that be grace us with something a little more…legitimate?
Well, ATLAS be praised. They have. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the invention which make shifts tolerable — meet our new Nespresso machine:
Things are looking up.
Around town: Milk to go
Jan 13th
Here it is — it’s 8.48pm. You’ve just scarfed half a package of biscotti, with a little help from your friend Nutella. The next thought is, “Jesus, I need some milk.” As you sashay your way to the refrigerator, you start to remember — maybe you finished the milk last night? Did you have it with your cereal this morning? Opening the door to the cold box, your worst fears are realized. OMFG YOU’RE OUT OF MILK. What will you do? You know, and I know, that all the stores in the immediate 100km closed long ago, as you live on the Franco-Swiss border. As it would appear, you are shit out of luck.
…unless you reside in the wonderful community of St-Genis! The city organizers recently rallied in an effort to eliminate late-night milk famine, and have provided the citizens of their locality with a novel addition to the main round-about’s plaza. That’s right, folks. St-Genis now has a milk vending machine:
The mirage.
Whether you drink milk by the cupful or by the liter, this machine will serve your needs. With a flashy and shiny exterior, I’m convinced that any passers-by will be drawn to its majesty as I was. Hell, with that adorable bovine face peering out at you, how could you resist? Fuck the grocers — this thing is open 24/24, 7/7.
I’m licking my lips just thinking about it.
FOR THOSE WHO LIVE SPICY ONLY
Dec 18th
This week, we bring you another selection from the CERN Market. It seems that we often see some true goodness in and around the posts made on the CERN Market, and this week has no shortage of entertainment value. But, before rolling out the red carpet, perhaps some back-drop should be provided for the non-CERNois readership…
The CERN Market, provided as an open forum to CERN Users to serve as a marketplace for furniture, housing, and vechicles, is truly a lifesaver. Indeed, many gain some valuable experience by searching for apartments on the CERN Market, and I’m sure they combined income of the furniture salesmen/women could rival IKEA’s profits in a given year. Anyone who posts on the CERN Market must have the appropriate computer access to do so. Therefore, no spam is expected.
This week, while browsing an especially interesting category — Other — I came across a post that might have blended in well on craigslist.org, but was very clearly out of place here…
I present to you: “FOR THOSE WHO LIVE SPICY ONLY” (you’re going to want to zoom in on this, but read ahead to get some hints)
Spicy
Important Notes:
- These are natural fancy color diamonds we’re talking about here.
- These guys will provide door-to-door service with guaranty.
- The missing images (I tried at least a couple of browsers) are, as you would expect, named ‘Kama Sutra.’
I think CERN needs to consider tightening those access rights. On the other hand, CERN definitely needs its fair share of spice.
Losing control
Dec 9th
Clearly, with all the excitement that comes along with proton beams and collisions, it’s easy for us to get a little ahead of ourselves. In all honesty, we simply get a bit cocky when we’re setting world records on a weekly basis — in the context of high energy particle physics, of course. As such, we feel it’s appropriate to push the limits, in many areas of our lives.
One such area in which the boundaries have recently become blurred is in electronic communication. Now, CERN is no stranger to ridiculous e-mail incidents, but I feel like the past week has exposed a new and dangerous beast.
In the past two weeks, my inbox has exploded. I’ve received over 2000 e-mails related to the naturally exciting developments we’ve been a part of recently. As such, it’s reasonable that the authors of these many messages might have stopped paying attention to details. The occasional mis-capitalization, excessive use of commas, and over-use of the phrase “in principle” are not new features to e-mails passed around CERN. However, I saw something for the first time this week which truly stunned me.
In a salutation of an e-mail sent to one of the many e-mail lists of which I am a member, I saw something truly special. Consider this e-mail:
Hi *,
I’m addressing everyone on the list, and I clearly have to say whatever it is I’m saying quickly. I’ve demonstrated that in my salutation.
Regards,
Me
At first, I was baffled. After an instant, though, I realized what he was doing. I’m not sure I’ll ever recover from seeing this.
To my collaborators: please, don’t. Don’t do that. Stop.
Nobel Frenzy
Dec 4th
CERN has a fan-base. I think this is clear. There are consistently many tour groups found on the grounds of the lab, oggling and snapping photos of smelly scientists, lovely buildings, and mysterious dipoles.
But it’s important to realize something: CERN tends to shower its fair share of praise on others, as well. When Tom Hanks came to CERN, the whole lab was watching. When the LHC re-turn-on was successful a few weeks ago, all eyes were on Steve Myers and his team of experts (I actually considered asking Stevie for his autograph…). And now, we have a celebration ongoing which makes Oscar night look like a 6-year-old’s birthday party at the skating rink.
Not only is CERN breaking world records in the field of accelerator science, but also in the “number of Nobel Prize laureates sitting in the same room” category:
A plethora of badasses.
These demi-gods are here as a part of the celebration of 50 years of a quite remarkable high-energy physics program at CERN: From the PS to the LHC: 50 Years of Nobel Memories in High-Energy Physics (ProTip: PS stands for “proton synchrotron,” which was the first accelerator here at CERN)
Disclaimer:
These men are truly amazing. Their work has contributed (greatly) to the advancement of one of the most fascinating fields of physics the world has ever seen. Their pioneering accomplishments should not be undersold.
Rant:
When these people show up, CERN-ites effectively turn into crazy teen-age girls from a 1960s Beatles concert. The festivities span two days, with a series of lectures, given by those pictured above, covering the history and development of high-energy physics in the context of CERN. In addition, there was a gala held in their honor last night in the ever-famous Restaurant 1. Actually, the event completely shut down R1 operations around 14:00 (it was scheduled to start at 19:00), at which time appeared a new collection of decorated tables, old equipment from previous accelerators and detectors, and various interactive stations that visitors could visit to hear about what’s currently going on with the LHC. The best part: crowds of visitors (I’ve never seen most of the people at this party), huddled around the laureates, drooling over every word they spoke. I didn’t quite understand the fandom.
Okay, so it wasn’t all that bad. There was a SHITLOAD of free food — which was French and delicious — and an ASSTON of free wine — which was pretty good, too.
If you’d like to keep up with the festivities, take a gander at these links:
- Schedule of presentations (If you don’t see slides attached, it’s because the speaker chose to use an overhead projector. Yes, I’m serious.)
- Live webcast
- Advertisement poster
I’m down with OP V
Dec 2nd
Well, the holiday season in Geneva is certainly getting off to a festive and boisterous start. From the pretty lighted trees by the lake to the yet-to-be-seen-illuminated Christmas lights in St-Genis-Pouilly, it’s clear that it’s time to get our “fête” on. Even more notable, the LHC has given us physicists an early present or two.
Needless to say, the past 10 days or so have been quite titillating at the lab. Thousands of e-mails have been exchanged, hundreds of plots have been generated, and many million cups of coffee have been consumed. As we “ramp up” for the next few weeks of beam and commissioning before CERN becomes a ghost town, I feel like it’s important to share with you, our devoted audience, a little taste of the magic.
Of course, it’s impossible to stay in the control room for one’s experiment 24/24 (or, for you ‘merkins, 24/7). So, the friendly guys down at the CERN Control Centre (CCC), the control room for the LHC, have created a web-based resource which one can use to receive up-to-the-minute updates on the status of the LHC proton beams. My friends, I present to you OP Vistars — Page 1:
Christmas lights for your browser.
If you’d like to check in every once in a while yourself, click here.
This page is a nice way to be kept in the loop about current activities along the LHC as well as its four experiments. Pay special attention to the ‘Comments’ box in the bottom left. This usually gives a good description of the plan for the immediate future. On the top, one can get some crucial beam information, including the number of protons per bunch in an LHC beam (denoted with an ‘I,’ shown for both beam 1 and beam 2), whether or not there is beam circulating (the two big green BEAM indicators), and the beam energy. The beam which was circulating for the example image was characterized by a proton energy of 450 GeV, which is equivalent to their energy at injection. Injection is quite a tricky process, and it occurs at points 2 and 8 along the LHC (hence the TI2 and TI8 acronyms).
When you really start to think about it, though, this is a masterfully designed, albeit mysterious, piece of internet. Actually, many of the individuals who gaze at this site for many hours a day are perplexed by some of its most prominent features. But the colors sure are nice! As an example of our confusion, in a survey of some 20 ATLAS physicists (my colleagues), I found that exactly 0 of them knew what the shit was going on in the four plots found in the middle of the screen. Noting the x- and y-axis labels, one might suspect that these should be showing the beam position in the x-y plane (and the left-most plot supports this), but nothing about plots (b)-(d) suggests this at all.
The ATLAS run coordinator is reputed to have said that, when one of these plots is shaped like the second plot above, the LHC is operating as a fixed-target collider interacting with someone’s head. I highly doubt it, Christophe.
Perhaps the most elusive question, however, is the following one: Does anyone know what the fuck “OP Vistars” means?
Best of CERN: the CERN Market
Nov 18th
Well, since business here at CERN seems to be heating up (and, somehow, cooling down), I must admit that my time this week is limited. But, thankfully, a poster on the CERN web-based want ads was kind enough to come to my aid in providing our mid-week entertainment. It’s not hard to find particularly interesting posts here, but, sadly, one must have a CERN computing account to view the posts first-hand. For this reason, I’ve included a captured image of this featured CERN Market post for your viewing pleasure. In short, someone at CERN has a car that (s)he is trying to pawn off onto another poor soul who finds himself wary of CERN bikes or the utterly horrendous Y bus. However, there is a catch — rather, a few catches:
A CERN Market classic.
To be honest, I actually considered contacting the seller to have a look. I have no daughter to worry about, so I really have no excuses. I’m mostly incredibly interested in discovering what it means for a car to tilt in the middle.
CERN Conversations: On units
Nov 11th
From time to time, we here at CERN Love are priveleged enough to overhear some truly amazing discussions. Whether we are wandering through one of CERN’s overcrowded restaurants at the peek of lunch hour, spending 8 grueling hours on a shift, or just casually drinking a coffee in the newly-furnished atrium of lovely Building 40, we are privy to some interesting shit coming out of people’s mouths.
Today, I want to bestow upon you a gem of a dialogue I overheard last week between two not-so-intelligent physicists (with a special appearance by an intelligent physicist!):
Dumbass A : So, if you look here, you can see the output rates…
Dumbass B : …yes, I can follow that. My only question is abou–
Dumbass A : –and don’t forget the units are in [read as 'megahertz'] mHz.
Intelligent Physicist : Actually, the units printed there are millihertz.
[...the two dumbasses stare at the laptop screen, and then confusingly at one another...]
Dumbass B : Well, the ‘k’ in ‘kilohertz’ is lowercase, so…
Dumbass A : …yeah, I think it’s ‘mega.’
[Intelligent Physicist walks away, dumbfounded.]
Now, I’ll be the first to admit that CERN is a wonderfully stimulating place, with many of the world’s greatest minds, but this left me awe-struck. If there’s any confusion:
Answer key.
Even Wikipedia says so! The only other question is: what the hell were they discussing that could be measured in millihertz?
“I can’t. I have shifts…”
Nov 4th
You thought that it was extravagant, the life of a particle physicist at CERN. You thought that daily life in Geneva was chock full of fancy watches, lavish cars, endless mounds of fondue, and the best croissants money can buy. You thought that the work being carried out here at the lab was nothing if not the most pertinent and revolutionary. You thought, “Man, I’d give anything to work at CERN.”
Think again.
Picture this: 50 sq. meters, 60 computer screens, and the guarantee that you’ll be spending the next eight hours of your life holed up here. Tonight, you are on shift. Tonight, from 11pm until 7am, you will be devoting your time to making sure that the detector is functioning properly. Don’t get too excited about this — you won’t actually have any control. Actually, if some component of your system enters a FAIL state, there are only a few options you have before you have to call a detector expert. None of those options will work, I guarantee you. So, you’ll call the Expert. And, no, she won’t be happy to help you, now that it’s 2.17am. But, you’ll survive.
The shifter's local coffee shop.
Then, around 5.27am, you’ll grow tired of nodding off at your bank of PC screens. You’ve been keeping an eye on the detector (it’s fine), keeping an eye on the data coming from the detector (it’s fine), and keeping an eye on that cute girl working a few desks away (she’s fine). But, it’s all you can do to stay awake, so you have to pull a lifeline. Coffee sounds nice, so you head to the nearest coffee shop, two floors above you. Shortly after struggling your cup free from this machine’s deathgrip, you’re well on your way to an ecstasy-laden morning. Best. Coffee. Ever.
At the end of your grueling eight hour shift, you can hardly remember why you had such adverse opinions about the job. One night of pretty boring nothingness (plus a few calls to your favorite detector experts) is hardly worth quitting over. But, then, you remember: this happens again the next night. And the next. Night shifts always come in 3′s…just like the best things in life.
In actuality, being on shift at CERN is a rather important task, and it’s a great way to contribute to the various experiments conducted on the LHC. But, I mean, come on…
Okay, it’s not the worst job; it’s second only to the job of an Expert.
If you’re still interested, and want to live alongside some other shifters, have a look at these webcams:
Also, it’s important to keep in mind that even Tom Hanks has been on shift.
Hand-washing at CERN — it’s all in the details
Oct 28th
It’s true; scientists need a few gentle reminders every once in a while in order to maintain order and cleanliness. Just take a walk through CERN’s Restaurant 1 in the middle of the lunch hour, and you’ll be swarmed with a multitude of all-too-unpleasant smells resulting from lack of hygiene. In many cases, a not-so-subtle scolding from a significant other will have an effect. But, when it comes to more mundane habits like keeping one’s hands clean, we physicists really need more active guidance. Therefore, CERN has implemented a 12 Step Program designed to educate its community in the ways of hand hygiene. Nowadays, posted in several of the public lavatories around the lab, you’ll be lucky enough to find detailed instructions:
A tutorial.
From now on, you’ll never have to remember this intricate process yourself! An especially useful tool for physicsists, this should also ensure prevention of a massive H1N1 pandemic here at CERN. By following these steps (Wet, Soap, Wrists, Palms, Back of hands, Between fingers, Fingertips, Swirl fingertips, Thumbs, Rinse, Dry, and Turn off taps), you should have no problem keeping your hands squeaky clean. Finally, if you have questions or feedback, feel free to jot your thoughts down on the poster in green ink.
Useless Orifice
Oct 21st
Oh my god. I am a CERN user. Hence, I am priveleged enough to have the opportunity to interact with a very special group of people here at the lab: the Users’ Office. Today, I will introduce you to this incredibly useful resource by holding a tutorial on the use of their website; trust me — you’ll need help. Feel free to follow along with the screenshots presented below, or have a look at the site yourself: Start Here!
A great start to a great site.
Say you have one (1) task to accomplish on the U.O. website:
- You need to figure out what is required for a move to CERN (e.g., from your home institution)
That’s it. To begin, you have a few options based on the offerings on the lovely home page. Intuitively, you would choose to click on the ‘Before Coming to CERN’ link. After clicking, up pops a lovely PDF file with a flowchart; after three minutes of perusing this, you realize it’s the flowchart from hell. In fact, you’re not even sure where to go from the first balloon. Back to the drawing board. Glancing again at the home page, you think, “Perhaps it’s useful to read the Newcomers Guide — after all, it’s on my to-do list.” After clicking the link (NB: you can choose the link from the menu sidebar or from the body of the page), you’re shocked and astounded by the transformation which has taken place. More >
E-mail Etiquette
Oct 14th
CERN Lovers,
Please, allow us to suggest a template for your use when composing e-mails to a working group, or even for your use in everyday communication with colleagues:
The _____ (1) is enabled only for people on _____ (2), coipled[sic] to _____ (3). People not holdig[sic] any expert role are thus not able any longeer[sic] to open a terminal in _____ (4), nor to do any operation on _____ (5). This will stay like this from now on.
Legend:
(1) Insert role here
(2) Insert roster for horrible job here
(3) Insert barely-working scheduling software here
(4) Insert dismal office area here
(5) Insert barely-working physics software here
NB: incorrect spelling is encouraged, and correct grammar should be used sparingly.
Best,
lovehurts
Any given Tuesday
Oct 7th
On a day which I dubbed suitable for a couple “quick errands,” it all started with a quotidian morning at the bureaucratic and meeting-laden wonderland that is the world’s premiere high energy laboratory:
08:00 – Snooze. Hard.
09:30 – Wake, prepare, bike to CERN. Coffee. To the Users’ Office!
09:55 – Users’ Office lines are my 2nd favorite.
10:55 – Users’ Office experience complete, for now…
11:05 – Arrive at Financial Office after minor confusion navigating Buidlings 3,4, and 58.
11:07 – Walk ashamedly away from Financial Office. Pick-up for reimbursement: the Post Office (?).
11:10 – Post Office lines are my favorite.
…
11:16 – Awkwardly ask Mr. Post Office for my money, struggle to verify my identity.
11:20 – Leave Post Office, rejected. Reimbursements need 24 hrs to be processed.
11:30 – European lunch (of course).
…
13:30 – Return to Users’ Office with the morning’s missing documents.
13:52 – Users’ Office Round 2 complete.
14:29 – Read e-mail from Users’ Office; understand vacuum of U.O. internal communication.
14:31 – Head to Users’ Office for Round 3…
15:00 – Group meeting.
16:42 – Much-needed coffee.
17:00 – Finally, time for work.
Somehow, they pay me to do physics. I have to respect a place that can throw time into a hole so deftly.
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