The Official Decisions Thread! - Page 7

rocketDA · 04-15-2008, 09:20 PM

Yeah. There is going to be some significant over-enrollment this year. Judging by how enthusiastic everyone was at ASP this last weekend I wouldn't be surprised if 240 enrolled...

I have mixed feelings about this. Of course, good for all of you who got in but I'm not one that thinks Mudd's student body should get larger...

Muddslinger · 04-18-2008, 01:49 PM

Count me in on the enthusiastic tab

I was already 99% set on going to Mudd over all of those other poor schools, but ASP weekend sealed the deal. The lanyard for the nametag was so cool, I actually carry my keys on it now and the end hangs out of my pocket. Pimp HMC bling ftw ^^

I was feeling bad about not getting into Stanford because some other guy with WAY lower stats got in until I finished the ASP program... now whenever somebody goes "I'm going to [prestigious school here]", under my breath, I go "hehe... sucker"

Seriously. I knew that HMC physics and engineering were incredible, but now I'm convinced that they're the BEST in the nation nearly hands-down. I could rant for hours... but then again I'd just be preaching to the choir :P Whenever people ask me what Mudd is, I just say it's the better and LAC version of Caltech

Feynmaniac · 04-19-2008, 09:47 PM

Muddslinger- I couldn't go to ASP, what's the lanyard? By the way, I'm psyched that I'll be seeing you at Mudd this fall!

Muddslinger · 04-27-2008, 11:41 PM

At the beginning of the ASP program they gave us all nametags to wear on a yellow and black lanyard - Harvey Mudd College written in yellow on a black background. On the "back" of the lanyard (the side that probably shouldn't be seen), the colors are reversed and the text is backwards. It's also the first lanyard I've ever used on a daily basis now. I didn't see any like it in the book store, but I bet the admissions office has a few left over if you want one.

Do I know you from somewhere? Nice name btw... mostly because it involves particle physics and I love particles *nerd moment :O*

As for RocketDA's comment... I think you better plan on a LOT of people because I got the same feeling. The second day when I was eating lunch with one of the professors, the two other ASP attendees were 90% set on it and just about everyone else I talked to said that they were probably going to Mudd also. I tried using Facebook to get a sense for how many people were attending, but all of the 5C's link to the same "Claremont 2012" category in Facebook Search -.-

As the official forum suggests, it just might be due to the sheer amount of food. I have never been dined like that *ever*. One of my friends who went to Columbia's version of ASP explained that they gave her, not her parents, two meal passes and a few tours and a bunch of propaganda.

Mudd, on the other hand, made us feel part of the community there for two days. I swear to God, the "I found my people" thing is true. The Easties kinda weirded me out with the duct tape dagger game, the people in Linde were cool and even they're rumored to be one of the lamer, quieter dorms

Feynmaniac · 04-30-2008, 01:36 PM

I love particle physics too! (One of the things I love about Mudd is that I can take my car with liscence plate QUARK there, and people will actually get it). I'm bummed I couldn't go to ASP, but given that I was ED and had already visited the campus (and live so far away), it really didn't make sense. I got the same feeling from the campus when I was there though.

The facebook page is Harvey Mudd 2012. If you can't find it by searching for it, PM me and I'll send you my info so you can search me instead. There are some interesting discussions going on.

Seiken · 05-01-2008, 01:40 AM

One of the things I love about Mudd is that I can take my car with liscence plate QUARK there, and people will actually get it

TACHYON would be better

Feynmaniac · 05-02-2008, 01:22 PM

You're not going to believe this, but it was taken. So were ATOM, HIGGS, LEPTON, and BOSON. Apparently there are scientifically literate people around here, though goodness knows where they're hiding themselves. :P

Seiken · 05-02-2008, 02:38 PM

Who the hell has ATOM for a vanity plate? What is the reference?. HIGGS works if you have like a Ford pick up truck, or if you have a thing for theorists I suppose. BOSON and LEPTON are almost as bad as ATOM. QUARK has some functionality,

though I might consider:

NEUTRINO (probably taken)
LOLSTRINGS

Though this raises and appropriate question, just what would you have to pay to get a Feynman diagram for a vanity plate?

rocketDA · 05-03-2008, 05:55 PM

"NEUTRINO (probably taken)
LOLSTRINGS"

Too bad the CA license plate is limited to 7 characters

Muddslinger · 05-12-2008, 09:57 PM

Is it a bad thing if I had to look up what a tachyon was and if I have no idea what a local string is?

That's it. I'm finding the ISBN number for the physics book my teacher told me about that's written by Hawking and explains lots of cool physics things.

Would the Higgs work for a Ford Pickup because that boson is responsible for mass?

Wow I feel dumb already and senior year hasn't even ended

Seiken · 05-12-2008, 11:39 PM

Dont worry, you're fine. And its not local strings but rather lol-strings, which you might agree with if youve gone over string theory. And I think the reason I chose HIGGS for a Ford Pickup is because we have invested a lot of time money and energy into finding it, and there is not guarantee that it will even work.

Though if you want to read some physics stuff, I would recommend:

The Elegant Universe, Brian Greene
Cosmos, Carl Sagan
QED, Richard Feynman - I would especially recommend this since its associated with some class you have to take here (either EM or special relativity and quantum mech, I took both at the same time so I cant remember which it is)

rocketDA · 05-13-2008, 01:38 AM

Careful about reading COSMOS. It will change your life!

That book, in my opinion, has one of the most profound bases in the history of the world!

Muddslinger · 05-14-2008, 12:10 PM

I've heard of The Elegant Universe, but I thought it was just a video series.

So I'm going to pick three books up from the library over the next few days and start reading them. I've actually begun to get bored with nothing to do, which feels like the sky is falling after two years of IB :O

Thanks for the book reccommendations - they look like interesting reads.

Feynmaniac · 05-24-2008, 06:52 PM

Another good intro to the Standard Model is The Theory of Almost Everything by Robert Oerter. It gives a great overview of modern physics, and excellent explanations of things like virtual particles and mexican hat potentials. Also, if you are going to read Brian Greene's books, I would recommend reading The Trouble with Physics by Lee Smolin to get a balanced perspective. Dr. Greene has a tendency to make string theory sound like a flawless model, when in fact there are a number of problems and unproved postulates that string theorists have yet to deal with. I will put in my two cents for QED though. I loved reading that book.

Muddslinger · 06-17-2008, 02:47 AM

I read the first few pages of Lee Smolin's book and I'd say he goes a *bit* farther than show the flaws of String Theory. From the introduction, it looks like he trashes the whole model.

I stopped reading that one once Feynman's book QED came in from interlibrary loan... and all I can say is "wow." It all makes sense now! Feynman is officially the best guy ever now