Scaling Research Training

There is a lot of need in the Industry for engineers who know the art (edited to craft)of research (pursue and find the right literature and algorithms, understand prior art, adopt and modify for a specific context with domain awareness, interpret results,  dive deeper into the unique insights), or researchers who can apply this art with engineering finesse. I wondered yesterday in a meeting if our technological lessons from COVID times have helped us identify a way to train many more in the ways of research, more than what we produce as PhDs in universities (the MS programs seem to train advanced engineers more than padawan researchers).

Postdoctoral openings at Amazon

Amazon Advertising opens applications for early career scientists. The new program, which offers full-time two-year positions, is aimed at recent PhD graduates who want to innovate, publish, and have their work impact millions of customers. The application deadline is May 14.

Rembrandt and Shah Jahan

The Paul Getty Museum did an exhibition juxtaposing Mughal art of Shah Jahan from 1600's with the sketches of Rembrandt 1000's of miles away inspired by the tales. 

A book goes with it. NY times could not resist making the connection in a recent, beautiful examination of one miniature work on Shah Jahan.

Burning Wood, Paper and Books

My childrens' book "Redwood Tree and its Friends" was written from China Grade Road in the Big Basin State Park. 

• This road was on fire last week.
• The park headquarters got gutted (the gift shop carried this book for sale).  From here: " Six of seven employee-housing structures burned to the ground. Many wooden bridges over creeks are damaged. Wooden stairs and steps have been torched to coals. Ablutions blocks look like they’ve been bombed. Big trees are still thundering to the ground regularly on their own, and countless others are partially burned and will pose a deadly threat until they’re taken down. Small fires still burn in stumps and fallen trees. Steep hillsides are bare of vegetation and will be vulnerable to landslides. A utility building was cloven virtually in two by a felled fir. Power poles burned and lines are down into the park.  And an oft-photographed attraction, a sawn section of an ancient redwood, with tags pointing to growth rings from the tree’s birth in 544 AD log through the birth of Mohammed in 570 and the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, has vanished into blowing ash."
• Neighbor Bradley's vineyard (Big Basin Winery) has been impacted.

I hope friends  and colleagues remain protected from the fire and its aftermath. My thoughts are with the Redwood tree friends who have stood for many hundreds of years, and I hope will stand for many hundreds more.

Covid Times

Darth Vader "I find your lack of faith in masks disturbing" with his choking fingerhold. Covid times, thanks to Disney+, we are all rediscovering Star Wars.

To my Facebook friends, please do not buy more drones for kids. Facebook is showing me drone ads incessantly. 

At troubled times, I look to Jazz. NY Jazz is alive on streams. Jazz is still wafting but hasn't nailed the Covid moment and human response to it. 

COVID times

Yesterday I had NY-quality bagels made by neighbors in Mercer Island.

Artichokes and flowers in the garden.


Older: Daddy working on a piece of art: 5 year old says, "You are mysterious!"

Daddy in COVID times: the little one says "Chewie!" No longer, now more like Picard. 

John Conway

I managed to join a zoom meeting yesterday to honor John Conway. Peter Winkler paid tribute with a story about the brick-stacking puzzle (was interesting to hear "skintle" in context of puzzles). Roger Penrose paid tribute with tilings but also an old classic,  Morley's Trisector Theorem. Others like Don Knuth appeared in the pre-meeting chat room, but I could not stay for the entire 3 hrs+ homage. Thanks to everyone!  JHC, RIP.  I was reminded that we are the math, friends and puzzles we leave behind.

Friends Ada and Phillip have created a short hardware tribute to JHC, video embedded below. Ada and Phillip, thanks for repurposing your NYC manufacturing line to produce face shields and PPEs.  Loved the blog on the scientist who discovered the first coronavirus and the handsanitizer made in Detroit.