Théo and the chickens des Sauches

[lightm]

It's a bit less hot today, still have that horrible wind. We are beginning to settle into warm summer routine. 5.15, humans get up and prepare breakfast for chickens. 5.40, chickens get up, do a bit of rooster and hen chasing around, eat breakfast while human clean the coop. 6, humans eat breakfast. 6.30, chickens and humans start garden chores : dig, pick, collect, cut, eat, tie, water. 9.30 everyone switch to low impact in the shade activities, hens begin to lay. 11.30 humans and chickens have lunch. 12.30 to 6.00 : heat and wind survival mode : nap, dustbathe, cold shower, drink, shelter from the wind and the sun, repeat. Post on BYC. 6 : garden chores again and chicken dinner. 7 : chicken roosting drama. 8 : human dinner ; chicks play and roost. 9.30 : bedtime for humans.

This is lovely written. I love it.

(and I have to put up with his humor everyday)

 

[ManueB]

I apologize for commenting on a post from almost a month ago. I am slowly catching up, although I did quickly see a recent post to find out Cannelle is still with us.

Spoiler: something about me

This got me all excited! France has too many brilliant mathematicians! So I also do mathematics for a living. A big reason I like mathematics is that I only need paper and pencil! I know non-euclidean geometry but I have no clue what is non-euclidean geometric algebra. I think useless mathematics should exist, but only in top-notch universities. I can be called an applied harmonic analyst and nowadays my community likes to be connected with all the evil machine learning and artificial intelligence stuff, for the sake of funding.

Incredible! I’m totally flabbergasted and amazed (and also by the fact that you are catching-up on the two months gap!)

Spoiler

I was convinced you were in IT because of your INRIA internship. But I forgot they do maths too ! And I did notice you don't seem to love evil machines. So you are one of "them" !

Of course, there is no such thing as non Euclidean geometric algebra. I got it mixed up, or the phone did, and I didn't proof read. (I've noticed reading my posts they are full of mistakes!) He began non euclidean geometry and switched to geometrical algebra. Unfortunately I didn't inherit my dad's talent, i’m well under average in maths and science, so I can't even understand if what you do has any relation to his field. That's his list of publications, it switches to english in the 90s.
I hope you enjoy the mathematical part of your work as much as he did ! And that the fact that you only need a pen and pencil means you are personally spared having to find financial support for your work. I also hope I didn't sound as if I was criticizing fundamental maths or academics. I was making fun of my dad mostly !

Fun fact : he gets invited often in China, he goes almost once a year, and not only for conferences but also to teach seminars. I'm not sure if the schools are really interested in what he does or maybe they just think it looks good to be inviting old european academics .

Thinking that can't yet be applied belongs in the universities, regardless of the field. Industry isn't interested because it can't return investment yet. But blue sky research lays the footsteps that become footpaths, that become bumpy tracks, that become paved roads, that eventually become smooth highways that support humanity. If universities don't lay the footsteps, no one else can follow.

I feel like my high horse comment needs something to keep it on the ground.

View attachment 3601451

Lovely picture ! I think I agree with you. From what I've seen, research with immediate applications finds private funding easily. Here internships, for example, in pharmacology or chemistry are often paid for by a private employer that impose a ten year embargo on the result's publication; on the other hand history or philosophy PhD are extremely hard to get a grant for and those are always from public funds.

I also don't think that it's quite right and quite efficient to expect all people who are very good in their research field to be also very good at fund raising. We are already asking of them to spend a good team of their time teaching, and that makes sense in a way, though it requires different skills. But fundraising ? It's a different job. Some researchers happen to be very good at it, but even then, it takes time. Just like I don't feel it's effective to ask all doctors to spend a third of their time on administrative tasks.

As for excellency, I wonder if it's not helpful to develop excellent research in a country, to also have middle ground one, and to invest in global upper education for the greatest number ? I don't have an answer.

 

[Perris]

I also don't think that it's quite right and quite efficient to expect all people who are very good in their research field to be also very good at fund raising. We are already asking of them to spend a good team of their time teaching, and that makes sense in a way, though it requires different skills. But fundraising ? It's a different job. Some researchers happen to be very good at it, but even then, it takes time. Just like I don't feel it's effective to ask all doctors to spend a third of their time on administrative tasks.

having lived it, I concur. And the flip side of it is that the people who are best at fund raising get the funding, even if they're not the best researchers. And it stimulates the growth of research teams (the actual researchers plus support of various types to fill in all the damn paperwork and applications) so the whole thing gets a lot more expensive.

 

[Perris]

Tax: spot the chicken (there is one in there, really!)

 

[MaryJanet]

Tax: spot the chicken (there is one in there, really!)
View attachment 3601862

I think I found one.

 

[ManueB]

Tax: spot the chicken (there is one in there, really!)
View attachment 3601862

I think I need glasses .

 

[lightm]

I agree that universities should be the place for very theoretical work, whether in arts, humanities, or science.

----------- all math talk below -------------

And I did notice you don't seem to love evil machines. So you are one of "them" !

I surely give that vibe. The truth is I actually like what I do and am happy at its prospect of application in machine learning and data analysis. It can do very good things. I actually have an ongoing project with a biologist on regenerative agriculture. However, much I do is theory and we just like to talk pretty.
Bad corporation/government is gonna do bad one way or another.

He began non euclidean geometry and switched to geometrical algebra.

I also hope I didn't sound as if I was criticizing fundamental maths or academics.

Upon looking at his publication, I think what he does is actually algebraic geometry (not the other way around, sorry Manue). It is pure but popular mathematics (in academia), the crown jewel of mathematics, meaning a big portion of publications in the most top math journals publish in this field, and only the most talented ones dare to be in this field. Be proud that your father is one of them. It is main stream mathematics (again research-wise) in a sense. For people who or bored (or not), read about one of the gods of mathematics: Grothendieck.
I am simply not good enough for algebraic geometry.

No, you did not sound like that at all. These beautiful theories should exist and thrive, but I still hold the view that maybe only in the top 100 universities in the world. This is because I have seen too many heart-breaking stories of my mathematical friends not able to find a job after many many years of temporary positions. One of them even killed himself (but he also had other problems).
It sounds weird but I do not encourage students to go into mathematics (I also don't discourage). If there are ones asking my opinion, I will tell them that it can be a hard and lonely road ahead of you, so be prepared, unless you are a genius (and I know they are not by the time of conversation...)

I'm not sure if the schools are really interested in what he does or maybe they just think it looks good to be inviting old european academics .

I think both. His work is first class.

And yes I am fortunate that I don't need to apply for funding, but in the US there is a bad trend that you need to apply and secure funding (usually from the public such as national science foundation) even as a mathematician only to show that your research is important, whether pure or applied. The fund will be small and mostly support your summer salary and conference travel.

 

[RoyalChick]

Tax: spot the chicken (there is one in there, really!)
View attachment 3601862

I think I found one.

I thought I found one - then what I thought was a wattle was in fact a berry. Or is that berry actually in, or close to, a beak?

I think I need glasses .

I have glasses - that is not helping!

 

[Perris]

There are some St John Wort berries there too, so you may have got them rather than a comb. Here's a cheat to help locate her

 

[RoyalChick]

There are some St John Wort berries there too, so you may have got them rather than a comb. Here's a cheat to help locate her
View attachment 3602018

Like that helps?!