The Fisher Files

After dropping my family off at Logan Airport, I noticed the 9/11 Memorial while crossing the pedestrian bridge from Terminal A to Central Parking. Here is the brochure.

These are pictures I took as I walked around.

Ever think about doors and energy?

I was thinking about how intractable some of the problems we face are and how nice it would be if there a government office to help us with them. Then I realized there would be a form you would fill out. To be truly governmental, the form would:

1. Have vague, misordered questions.
2. Not give enough space to write an answer.
3. In the insufficient space, have lines that were too close together for normal people to use.
4. Have weird codes in a different font at the header and footer.
5. have vague, misleading and insufficient instructions about what would be done with the information on the form and would would do it.
6. Have part labelled FOR OFFICE USE ONLY filled with boxes of unknown, but vaguely threatening fields.
7. Give absolutely no assurance that the information would be kept confidential.
ProblemReport_24Jan2009

A story by Judy Blume for Jane Ann and Olympia. Part 1

Interval 29 Sep 2008

Okay, it looks like it works.  Man, what a stressful week.  I always make a mistake and worry about the first week of the term and it is really the second week that is murder.

However, with 55 minutes before my first 8.033 recitation, it looks like I’m ready to go.  This blog  will be devoted to subjects relating to relativity.  While it will be centered around the course I am recitation instructor for (8.033, “Relativity” at MIT), I plan to make this more generally about ideas and thoughts related to relativity.  You can find the official place for course announcements here.

In preparing for today’s first recitation, I’ve been reviewing Newton’s Laws and Einstein’s Postulates.  I am always struck by how profound these simple statements are, but today I am even more struck by how easy it is to miss seeing how important they are.  In the 321 years since Newton, his ideas have become so embedded in our thinking that it is hard to imagine there was a time before the three laws.  Of course, when we first teach mechanics, we only mention the parts where Newton had it right and tend not to go into absolute space and time so much.