On my final day at the KITP, the final day of the "Bits,
Branes" program, and the halfway mark of the "Multiscale"
program, I thought I'd give a lighthearted talk about some
of the things I've noticed in my time here: aspects of the
sociology of physics that amuse, impress, or perplex.
Names will be redacted to protect the innocent. Along the
way, I'd like to put forward several serious questions for
discussion. How are The Grand Questions of Science
translated into Things I Can Get Done During my
Sabbatical? (To me, this is the single most mysterious and
opaque part of science.) When you return to your home
institution, how do you hope to have profited by your stay
here? What balance do you think a magazine such
as Scientific American or a TV program such as NOVA should
strike between describing the process vs. the content of
science?
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