Our 2011 Christmas Tree, with LED lights

More Blessed to Give

"It is more blessed to give than to receive." - Jesus (Acts 20:35)

This aphorism was reinforced to us with great joy when we were visiting my family for Christmas.  My mother had given some indications that she was ready to take a technological step forward into the computer age.  She wanted something on which she could type letters rather than handwriting them.  This may not seem like a big technological step, but bear in mind that she got her first cell phone for Christmas ... in 2010!

Kelly and I decided to refurbish my old laptop and give it to her as a surprise.  It has grown rather slow with age; it is old enough that it is actually and IBM (not Lenovo) laptop!  Kelly did a lot of work installing a new operating system, Xubuntu, and several useful freeware programs (word processing, photo manipulation, DVD player, etc.) to make it as fast and novice-friendly as possible.  I made sure to capture the moment of her opening this gift on video:

Her joy seems to have made her a fast learner.  She just sent us friend requests on Facebook!  The internet will never be the same.

Just Decided Who I Wish I Could Vote For...

Beginning the Year with a Short Prayer from the Longest Psalm

Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.
Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!
Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.

 - Psalm 119:34-37

Faster than Light Neutrinos

From the BBC to the AP, and from The Huffington Post to Fox News, the press has been abuzz with stories of particles traveling faster than light.

The original press release and paper preprint are probably the best sources for information about this analysis.  The experiment on which I work, MINOS, is gearing up to reproduce this measurement as soon as possible.

If this result is real, it would be one of the greatest shocks to hit the physics community for about a century.  Given this extraordinary implication, the measurement will need to be reproduced (preferably multiple times) before it becomes accepted.

Photo Backlog 4: The British Museum

This album is from the 30 min. we managed to spend at the British Museum during our trip to England in January.

If you are curious or confused about my work ...

For those of you who are interested in learning more about what I do for a living, Symmetry Magazine just published an article and photograph gallery about NOvA, the experiment on which I work that is under construction now.  Quotes from yours truly bookend the article! Another article provides a good summary of the current questions particle physicists have about neutrinos and the experiments we are using to answer them.  Symmetry is "a magazine about particle physics and its connections to other aspects of life and science, from interdisciplinary collaborations to policy to culture."

"It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out."- Proverbs 25:2