The Cavendish

Today I was working "away from the office" on the bridging the gap project.

Sarah and I had a meeting with the team at the cavendish lab- I've been here quite a few times for physics things and Sahar and I have had a previous meeting here and never noticed this quote above the door.

Apparently it's a reference to phenomena. I think it's a strange quote and would like to know who's it is. (I'm going to guess it's a JJ Thompson or Rutherford type deal but who knows... Perhaps when I am curious enough I will consult the internet. For now I'm just waiting to see if it turns up anywhere else).

Sarah also invited me to a British Science Association dinner at the Science Museum as a guest of both ARM and as her guest too! She has a meeting before hand with Imran Khan. I will be starstruck if I do get to go! Just being invited is a massive deal- even if I am someone else's +1(I can live with that!).  I'm pleased and excited even if the actual invitation never materialises! The event is next month so I guess I'll know soon enough either way.

I imagine everyone feels a bit like this sometimes: When I actually realise what I am doing and who I am working with and what my job is I sometimes have a bit of a freak out in my head and I worry that someone will turn up and be like "Oh, no, you didn't pass any of your university qualifications, we just gave you the certificates by mistake- there's no way you're clever enough to be doing this stuff!" and then they will laugh so hard that they won't be able to stand up anymore and make a massive scene. 

I suppose a more grown up way to describe this would be that I sometimes look at my colleagues and the amazing people I get to work with and I think "They are so much more qualified than I am" or "They have so much more experience than I do.." and I wonder how I could ever have ended up in the same position as them because I see my self as their intellectual inferior. 

However, (Incase anyone was worried that I'm having a bit of a moment) I do also think that all people who are intellectually  capable feel a bit inferior(or feel like they don't know enough, or find fault) I think that is just a part of learning. If you thought you knew everything or that you did your job perfectly you would stop striving to learn new things. There are an infinite number of things to learn, so we should always be looking for something new. 

It would be A) An example of my own lack of intellect to assume that I knew everything and B) Extremely arrogant. I am done trying to explain the inner workings of my own mind. I'm pretty sure you understand what I am ineloquently trying to articulate.