Friday, October 31, 2003
Addendum to the All Star Physics dream team
This is a codicil to the previous post. In hindsight, I have missed some obvious names from consideration.
John von Neumann, George Stokes, Hamilton, Euler (?), Biot, Lagrange, Christiaan Huygens, Subramanyan Chandrasekhar, Ernest Rutherford (saw it on the list from the book), Werner Heisenberg, Erwin Schroedinger, Marie Curie (two Nobel prizes - what a family btw - 5 Nobel prizes - 2 for Marie Curie, one for her husband Pierre Curie, one each for their daughter Irene-Joliot and her husband Frederic Joliot) and John Bardeen (two Nobel prizes) merit serious consideration.
This is a codicil to the previous post. In hindsight, I have missed some obvious names from consideration.
John von Neumann, George Stokes, Hamilton, Euler (?), Biot, Lagrange, Christiaan Huygens, Subramanyan Chandrasekhar, Ernest Rutherford (saw it on the list from the book), Werner Heisenberg, Erwin Schroedinger, Marie Curie (two Nobel prizes - what a family btw - 5 Nobel prizes - 2 for Marie Curie, one for her husband Pierre Curie, one each for their daughter Irene-Joliot and her husband Frederic Joliot) and John Bardeen (two Nobel prizes) merit serious consideration.
All Star Physics dream team
There is a new book out called Human Accomplishment: The Pursuit of Excellence in the Arts and Sciences, 800 B.C. to 1950 by Charles Murray. He has an all time all-star physics dream team with a list of 20 physicists.
I tried to make my own list (I saw a couple of names before deciding to make my own list first and then comparing it with the one from the book. So my list isn't completely independent from Charles Murray's). This is just a list based on my perception of physicists rather on any extensive reading and knowledge of their works. So here goes (not in any order except for the top two) -
1) Issac Newton
2) Albert Einstein
3) Galileo Galilei
4) Johann Kepler
5) James Clerk Maxwell
6) Lord Kelvin
7) Niels Bohr
8) Max Planck
9) Paul Adrian Maurice Dirac (best name)
10) Richard Feynman
11) Michael Faraday
12) (Auguste?) Poincare
13) James Prescott Joule
(I have started to run out of perceived superstars and am reaching for it)
14) Stephen Hawking (?)
15) Gauss(?)
16) Bernoulli (which one? maybe the entire family)
That is it. Anyway I had eleven names in common with the list from the book. Not sure what to think of that.
And, btw, the order for the top two was deliberate. Issac Newton was, is and will always be the greatest physicist of all time. He made way too much contribution to physics that even Einstein can't surpass. In cricketing terms, Newton is the Bradman (Sobers for all round ability) to Einstein's Richards or Tendulkar or Hutton or Hobbs or whoever else. In baseball terms, Newton is the Babe to Einstein's Bonds or Mays.
There is a new book out called Human Accomplishment: The Pursuit of Excellence in the Arts and Sciences, 800 B.C. to 1950 by Charles Murray. He has an all time all-star physics dream team with a list of 20 physicists.
I tried to make my own list (I saw a couple of names before deciding to make my own list first and then comparing it with the one from the book. So my list isn't completely independent from Charles Murray's). This is just a list based on my perception of physicists rather on any extensive reading and knowledge of their works. So here goes (not in any order except for the top two) -
1) Issac Newton
2) Albert Einstein
3) Galileo Galilei
4) Johann Kepler
5) James Clerk Maxwell
6) Lord Kelvin
7) Niels Bohr
8) Max Planck
9) Paul Adrian Maurice Dirac (best name)
10) Richard Feynman
11) Michael Faraday
12) (Auguste?) Poincare
13) James Prescott Joule
(I have started to run out of perceived superstars and am reaching for it)
14) Stephen Hawking (?)
15) Gauss(?)
16) Bernoulli (which one? maybe the entire family)
That is it. Anyway I had eleven names in common with the list from the book. Not sure what to think of that.
And, btw, the order for the top two was deliberate. Issac Newton was, is and will always be the greatest physicist of all time. He made way too much contribution to physics that even Einstein can't surpass. In cricketing terms, Newton is the Bradman (Sobers for all round ability) to Einstein's Richards or Tendulkar or Hutton or Hobbs or whoever else. In baseball terms, Newton is the Babe to Einstein's Bonds or Mays.
Wednesday, October 29, 2003
Hoops is back, baby!
The NBA season started yesterday and the Lakers pasted the Mavs without Kobe. It is way, way too early to question the Mavs yet, but I expected a better effort from them and a closer game. I did not watch the game but apparently Kobe was sitting next to Shaq and was all buddy-buddy with him. Guess Mitch Kupchak and Phil Jackson got to him and asked him to stop going nuclear on Shaq. They have a great chance of winning another championship if Kobe and Shaq can get along on the court and suspend their armageddon for offseason when it looks more and more like Kobe will opt out of his Lakers contract and test free-agency. 28 franchises have been waiting for this day for a long time.
AI has a typical AI performance, shooting 9-25 but he also dished out 11 assists. Nice win for the 76ers to start the season. But they still seem a notch below the Nets and the Pistons. They will need all the scoring they can get from Glen Robinson - AI can only do so much.
The NBA season started yesterday and the Lakers pasted the Mavs without Kobe. It is way, way too early to question the Mavs yet, but I expected a better effort from them and a closer game. I did not watch the game but apparently Kobe was sitting next to Shaq and was all buddy-buddy with him. Guess Mitch Kupchak and Phil Jackson got to him and asked him to stop going nuclear on Shaq. They have a great chance of winning another championship if Kobe and Shaq can get along on the court and suspend their armageddon for offseason when it looks more and more like Kobe will opt out of his Lakers contract and test free-agency. 28 franchises have been waiting for this day for a long time.
AI has a typical AI performance, shooting 9-25 but he also dished out 11 assists. Nice win for the 76ers to start the season. But they still seem a notch below the Nets and the Pistons. They will need all the scoring they can get from Glen Robinson - AI can only do so much.
Tuesday, October 28, 2003
Growing pains or a program in decline?
Two more bad losses - 48-12 to Nebraska and 38-10 to Oklahoma State - put the season record for the Aggies at 3-5 with 3 more tough games to follow. Aggies should win comfortably against Kansas this weekend and will in all likelihood lose the last three games @Oklahoma (get ready for a major kick in the rear, Aggie faithful), @Missouri and against Texas at Kyle Field. So Fran will end his first season in aggieland with a 4-8 record. More importantly and puzzling and worrying is the seeming lack of progress shown by Reggie McNeal. After the RUTSing (RSFC) of Baylor, Reggie has regressed. He was completely confused against Nebraska and didn't make too many plays against Oklahoma State.
The most positive news for the Aggies so far this season has been the emergence of Courtney Lewis , a redshirt freshman, as the premier running back on the team. He has been great taking the option from Reggie or running around the edge. He has yet to run powerfully inside the tackles much but that should come as he puts on more muscle in the off-season.
The lack of production of the WR corps outisde of Jamaar Taylor and Terence Murphy is worrying. Riley and Schroder and Wright are sophomores and should be producing more. Also wither Jason Carter?. Carter seemed to have turned the corner against Nebraska but was absent mostly against Okie State. One wonders if fumbles on punt returns have eroded his confidence.
The defense is in total shambles, especially the secondary. Jaxson Appel has to play the run and the pass and is not getting much help from the other DB's. The run defense isn't great either and the loss of Jared Morris to inhury has had a huge negative impact on the overall defense. Hopefully he can make a complete recovery and get a medical redshirt for this year. A lot of youngsters have got PT this year and his added presence in the middle next year should contribute to a much improved defense next year.
The offensive line has played well for the last 5-6 games because of the continuity but the graduation of Reuber and Kirk will leave the O-line weaker. It is something to keep an eye on for early next season.
The offenseive game plan against Okie State was a little puzzling. Fran seems to have made the decision to operate Reggie from the pocket and not let him make plays with his legs and that is not my problem. But having done that, there wasn't enough effort made to throw the ball downfield. The leading receiver Jamaar Taylor is out for the season but Murphy is the best depe threat and the other young WR's are supposed to be speedy. So Reggie should have been asked to make deep throws to get the offense running. The first deep ball I can rememeber was at the start of the 4th quarter to Murphy. It was a succesful 56 yard pass play but it was too little too late with the score already 31-0.
A very tough season so far but it wasn't unexpected atleast in terms of the win-loss record. But the worrying thing for now is the progress, or lack of it, of the team in many areas. Fran will turn this around, based on his track record, but sooner will be better. This will most likely be the first losing season in more than 20 years, IIRC, and the once famed wrecking crew has been decimated and is on pace to give up the most points in school history.
Two more bad losses - 48-12 to Nebraska and 38-10 to Oklahoma State - put the season record for the Aggies at 3-5 with 3 more tough games to follow. Aggies should win comfortably against Kansas this weekend and will in all likelihood lose the last three games @Oklahoma (get ready for a major kick in the rear, Aggie faithful), @Missouri and against Texas at Kyle Field. So Fran will end his first season in aggieland with a 4-8 record. More importantly and puzzling and worrying is the seeming lack of progress shown by Reggie McNeal. After the RUTSing (RSFC) of Baylor, Reggie has regressed. He was completely confused against Nebraska and didn't make too many plays against Oklahoma State.
The most positive news for the Aggies so far this season has been the emergence of Courtney Lewis , a redshirt freshman, as the premier running back on the team. He has been great taking the option from Reggie or running around the edge. He has yet to run powerfully inside the tackles much but that should come as he puts on more muscle in the off-season.
The lack of production of the WR corps outisde of Jamaar Taylor and Terence Murphy is worrying. Riley and Schroder and Wright are sophomores and should be producing more. Also wither Jason Carter?. Carter seemed to have turned the corner against Nebraska but was absent mostly against Okie State. One wonders if fumbles on punt returns have eroded his confidence.
The defense is in total shambles, especially the secondary. Jaxson Appel has to play the run and the pass and is not getting much help from the other DB's. The run defense isn't great either and the loss of Jared Morris to inhury has had a huge negative impact on the overall defense. Hopefully he can make a complete recovery and get a medical redshirt for this year. A lot of youngsters have got PT this year and his added presence in the middle next year should contribute to a much improved defense next year.
The offensive line has played well for the last 5-6 games because of the continuity but the graduation of Reuber and Kirk will leave the O-line weaker. It is something to keep an eye on for early next season.
The offenseive game plan against Okie State was a little puzzling. Fran seems to have made the decision to operate Reggie from the pocket and not let him make plays with his legs and that is not my problem. But having done that, there wasn't enough effort made to throw the ball downfield. The leading receiver Jamaar Taylor is out for the season but Murphy is the best depe threat and the other young WR's are supposed to be speedy. So Reggie should have been asked to make deep throws to get the offense running. The first deep ball I can rememeber was at the start of the 4th quarter to Murphy. It was a succesful 56 yard pass play but it was too little too late with the score already 31-0.
A very tough season so far but it wasn't unexpected atleast in terms of the win-loss record. But the worrying thing for now is the progress, or lack of it, of the team in many areas. Fran will turn this around, based on his track record, but sooner will be better. This will most likely be the first losing season in more than 20 years, IIRC, and the once famed wrecking crew has been decimated and is on pace to give up the most points in school history.
Sunday, October 05, 2003
A Texas sized massacre
I wanted my first blog to be a positive one but I still haven't recovered from the shock of Texas Tech destroying the Aggies 59-28 at Lubbock last night and can't think of anything positive to write about. Texas Tech put on a passing clinic and the Aggies showed how not to play defense against a passing offence. Why Coach Fran kept rushing only 3 all night long is beyond me. Obviously we (Aggies) do not have a great secondary and this weakness is going to be present all year and I shudder to think what Okie State and Rashaun Woods are going to do.
Texas has great receivers too but can Chance Mock or Vincent Young get them the ball against the aggies. If the 'Horns manage to beat the Sooners next week at Dallas, then they'll have all the confidence in the world to run through the rest of their Big XII schedule and aggies will be dead meat.
Oh, boy!. This has already been a long 2 weeks since the V.Tech game (Sep 18) what with 3 straight losses but it promises to get worse and Fran needs to pull a minor miracle for the Aggies to reach 6-6. A 4-8 or 5-7 beckons Fran in his first season at aggieland and the Board of Trustees of A&M is not going to be too pleased with that, having spent quite a bit of money settling with RC (anyone wishing RC was still here?) and to buyout Fran from his contract with Alabama.
I wanted my first blog to be a positive one but I still haven't recovered from the shock of Texas Tech destroying the Aggies 59-28 at Lubbock last night and can't think of anything positive to write about. Texas Tech put on a passing clinic and the Aggies showed how not to play defense against a passing offence. Why Coach Fran kept rushing only 3 all night long is beyond me. Obviously we (Aggies) do not have a great secondary and this weakness is going to be present all year and I shudder to think what Okie State and Rashaun Woods are going to do.
Texas has great receivers too but can Chance Mock or Vincent Young get them the ball against the aggies. If the 'Horns manage to beat the Sooners next week at Dallas, then they'll have all the confidence in the world to run through the rest of their Big XII schedule and aggies will be dead meat.
Oh, boy!. This has already been a long 2 weeks since the V.Tech game (Sep 18) what with 3 straight losses but it promises to get worse and Fran needs to pull a minor miracle for the Aggies to reach 6-6. A 4-8 or 5-7 beckons Fran in his first season at aggieland and the Board of Trustees of A&M is not going to be too pleased with that, having spent quite a bit of money settling with RC (anyone wishing RC was still here?) and to buyout Fran from his contract with Alabama.
