So what are your winter break plans?

quizivex · Post by **quizivex** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 1:11 am

Now that we've finished the last semester that matters as an undergraduate, completed both GREs and have nothing but a few more apps to write (that is, just substitute school names in your SOP), what shall we do over winter break?

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anthonyk · Post by **anthonyk** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 1:18 am

well, i know i will NOT be thinking about electricity and magnetism or complex analysis (just finished those courses).

i will be presenting a poster at the american astronomical society meeting in austin, texas during the second week of january. im excited, my first plane ride, and i get to escape the wisconsin snow!

also i have to finish up my senior research project. im studying axial segregation in granular materials.

finally, i will be writing lots of music. any other physicists/musicians?

enjoy your break!

butsurigakusha · Post by **butsurigakusha** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 5:06 am

I will finish up my applications, of course. Other than that, I will probably watch some movies, play the Wii, watch Bowl games, play the piano, ski, listen to music, play racquetball, and eat healthier food than I have been for the past while. For the most part I will just take it easy.

Maybe I'll read a book. Any suggestions?

will · Post by **will** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 11:19 am

Weinberg "The Quantum Theory of Fields, Vols. I, II, & III"

Really, I'm just going to watch football for a month.

hiccupz · Post by **hiccupz** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 3:38 pm

I'm finishing the grad school apps and then leaving to visit a friend in europe for 2.5 weeks over new years and my birthday. i'll be working on my thesis a little while traveling, of course ... but this is my fifth year, i need a break.

grae313 · Post by **grae313** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 3:42 pm

well, I'm still employed as a research intern and the deal is, I work full time whenever I'm not in school. So there goes my winter "break." I've got an abstract to write for the upcoming IEEE vacuum electronics conference. There's also a ski trip in there somewhere.

My real vacation isn't going to come until the summer. For the first time, I'm going to have absolutely nothing work/school related to do. I'm going to do some touring on my motorcycle, I'm deciding whether I should ride up to Alaska or down to South America. I'm going to Italy for a couple weeks, might hit the swiss alps or spain while I'm there. Maybe Germany too.

cancelled20080417 · Post by **cancelled20080417** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 9:14 pm

hmmm...... so No body is going to Amsterdam huh?

I am first flying to Amsterdam, "have fun" there and come back and study weinberg! will ,that is exaclty what I'm doing!

twistor · Post by **twistor** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 11:39 pm

"The Road to Reality", Roger Penrose

Once I finish this book I will know everything and will control all of your minds!

fermiboy · Post by **fermiboy** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 11:50 pm

I was going to try to read Zee's "Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell."

Twistor, I don't think either of us has a prayer of finishing our books

RG, I guarantee your book gets tossed across the room long before either Twistor's or mine.

will · Post by **will** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 12:04 am

I really liked Zee. It has just the right amount of physical motivation, conversational tone, and context. I've seen complaints that he sacrifices a lot of rigor, but that's the point; sometimes it feels like people in relatively young fields have forgotten what an introductory textbook is supposed to look like.

Trying to begin learning QFT from Weinberg's books through self-study is a torture I would wish on no one.

fermiboy · Post by **fermiboy** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 12:12 am

Have you read other QFT texts will? I was thinking of starting with Zee and then trying out Peskin & Schroeder this summer. I have heard these two are good. I have heard the same horror stories about self studying out of Weinberg.

will · Post by **will** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 12:45 am

Zee is the only one I've actually read. I've heard awesome things about this one as well:

http://www.physics.ucsb.edu/~mark/qft.html

... And I think that's the next one I'll put time into. I've no experience with Peskin & Schroeder, but it seems to be the standard text for QFT classes (so I'll save it until then

) Weinberg is an encyclopedia, that apparently no field theorist should be without, but good luck learning anything if you don't already have a Ph.D.

cancelled20080417 · Post by **cancelled20080417** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 1:41 am

Weinberg is cool guys!! what r u talking about!
Actually, I am already half way through. This is my DIrected study! I will continue the rest next semester! QFT problem sets from MIT freaks me out though! This is the reason why I always dream about Amsterdam, hehehe!

twistor · Post by **twistor** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 12:48 pm

I dream about Amsterdam, but for other reasons.

cancelled20080417 · Post by **cancelled20080417** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 12:59 pm

hahaha, we can dream about Amsterdam only for one reason twistor, and I think you know it very well! hehe

twistor · Post by **twistor** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 11:56 pm

RG:

Better get there quick, I heard they're passing a new law soon...

cancelled20080417 · Post by **cancelled20080417** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 12:31 pm

hohoho!
I am in Amsterdam now! I mean, this is the place where we Physics students shud be! Amazin place!!!!

Twistor, I got lucky, they havenot passed on any laws yet!

marten · Post by **marten** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 1:16 pm

butsurigakusha,

If you haven't read them, (and what physics student hasn't!) of course the Feynman books (surely you're joking, and what do you care what other people think. or just get Classic Feynman, has them both). Hilarious, entertaining reading. Good break from school and you still get your "physics" dosage.

The Harry Potter series...

I hear the Golden Compass series are great, but I haven't read them.

Marten