Albert Einstein passed away #OTD in 1955 due to complications from a ruptured abdominal aneurysm.
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As most physicists will tell you, a clean desk is a sure sign of a sick mind.
This is the ideal academic desk. You may not like it, but this is what peak desk looks like.
A true story. When I was in grad school I was in Steven Weinberg's research group. I was also the grader for his cosmology course, and sysadmin for the group's little network. So I spent a lot of time in Big Steve's office. He had two desks in there and both were disasters. One time I was trying to fix a problem on his ancient PC. I had to push a stack of papers out of the way, and there on the desk behind all the clutter was a Nobel Prize medal.
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A true story. When I was in grad school I was in Steven Weinberg's research group. I was also the grader for his cosmology course, and sysadmin for the group's little network. So I spent a lot of time in Big Steve's office. He had two desks in there and both were disasters. One time I was trying to fix a problem on his ancient PC. I had to push a stack of papers out of the way, and there on the desk behind all the clutter was a Nobel Prize medal.
It was not *the* medal -- he kept that at home. Apparently when you get a Nobel Prize you are also given a replica of the medal for display.
It was a funny moment, though, when he saw the look on my face and could tell right away that I was not sure if I was allowed to touch it.
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As most physicists will tell you, a clean desk is a sure sign of a sick mind.
This is the ideal academic desk. You may not like it, but this is what peak desk looks like.
@mcnees And don’t dare move a thing because we’d know. (Folk with messy desks.)
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A true story. When I was in grad school I was in Steven Weinberg's research group. I was also the grader for his cosmology course, and sysadmin for the group's little network. So I spent a lot of time in Big Steve's office. He had two desks in there and both were disasters. One time I was trying to fix a problem on his ancient PC. I had to push a stack of papers out of the way, and there on the desk behind all the clutter was a Nobel Prize medal.
@mcnees I prefer "A clean desk is the sign of an empty mind." I have a photo of my uncle's office, a professor of biology, with a botany focus. There were notebooks stacked 1.5+ m high everywhere.
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Albert Einstein passed away #OTD in 1955 due to complications from a ruptured abdominal aneurysm.
Doctors recommended surgical intervention but Einstein declined. He told them “I have done my share; it is time to go. I will do it elegantly."
Here is his office just as he left it, before anyone came him to collect his things..
Image: R. Morse/LIFE
That looks like my desk
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A true story. When I was in grad school I was in Steven Weinberg's research group. I was also the grader for his cosmology course, and sysadmin for the group's little network. So I spent a lot of time in Big Steve's office. He had two desks in there and both were disasters. One time I was trying to fix a problem on his ancient PC. I had to push a stack of papers out of the way, and there on the desk behind all the clutter was a Nobel Prize medal.
@mcnees oh gosh I still remember that time when I was a physics undergrad a bunch of us walked past Owen Chamberlain's office and saw the mess!
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As most physicists will tell you, a clean desk is a sure sign of a sick mind.
This is the ideal academic desk. You may not like it, but this is what peak desk looks like.
@mcnees These days you would also want to look at the physicist’s computer desktop. On campus I keep a part of my work desk tidy, so I can interact with students during office hours. The same cannot be said about my computer desktop!
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As most physicists will tell you, a clean desk is a sure sign of a sick mind.
This is the ideal academic desk. You may not like it, but this is what peak desk looks like.
@mcnees
I disagree, peak desk would obviously feature a cat. -
@mcnees
I disagree, peak desk would obviously feature a cat.@randomized I once had a big black manx who would only sit on the cosmology papers I was grading. A weird preference, but the cat butt wants what the cat butt wants, I guess.
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It was not *the* medal -- he kept that at home. Apparently when you get a Nobel Prize you are also given a replica of the medal for display.
It was a funny moment, though, when he saw the look on my face and could tell right away that I was not sure if I was allowed to touch it.
@mcnees Indeed, my department has been hosting an annual lecture series featuring Nobel laureates as the speakers for over twenty years. At least one of the speakers had the replica medal for the audience to handle.
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@mcnees Indeed, my department has been hosting an annual lecture series featuring Nobel laureates as the speakers for over twenty years. At least one of the speakers had the replica medal for the audience to handle.
@schamschula he drew the line at me borrowing it for the afternoon to put on my desk in the shared grad student office.
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A true story. When I was in grad school I was in Steven Weinberg's research group. I was also the grader for his cosmology course, and sysadmin for the group's little network. So I spent a lot of time in Big Steve's office. He had two desks in there and both were disasters. One time I was trying to fix a problem on his ancient PC. I had to push a stack of papers out of the way, and there on the desk behind all the clutter was a Nobel Prize medal.
@mcnees Desk clutter is the price of wisdom.
This is demonstrably true, since the price of wisdom is above rubies (Job 28:18), and I have lost ruby crystals under the papers on my desk.
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@randomized I once had a big black manx who would only sit on the cosmology papers I was grading. A weird preference, but the cat butt wants what the cat butt wants, I guess.
@mcnees @randomized Chat-un à son goût
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Albert Einstein passed away #OTD in 1955 due to complications from a ruptured abdominal aneurysm.
Doctors recommended surgical intervention but Einstein declined. He told them “I have done my share; it is time to go. I will do it elegantly."
Here is his office just as he left it, before anyone came him to collect his things..
Image: R. Morse/LIFE
@mcnees I have to share this with my husband. He also had an abdominal aneurysm, but it was caught just in time, and he had surgery to repair and save his life.
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@mcnees I have to share this with my husband. He also had an abdominal aneurysm, but it was caught just in time, and he had surgery to repair and save his life.
@Vai thank goodness!
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Albert Einstein passed away #OTD in 1955 due to complications from a ruptured abdominal aneurysm.
Doctors recommended surgical intervention but Einstein declined. He told them “I have done my share; it is time to go. I will do it elegantly."
Here is his office just as he left it, before anyone came him to collect his things..
Image: R. Morse/LIFE
@mcnees@mastodon.social What a poignant reminder of the human element behind such towering figures. I wonder what equations or ideas were left unwritten that day... 🧠
—by #counterpart
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And here is a better view of the state of the blackboard in Einstein's office when he passed away on April 18, 1955. The image appeared in LIFE magazine.
I can see on the right side where he is comparing the number of independent components of various quantities in two formulations (which he has labeled "new" and "old") of gravity.
Image: Ralph Morse, Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
@mcnees@mastodon.social Wow, the juxtaposition of those formulations is fascinating! It's amazing how even at the end, Einstein was still grappling with the nuances of his theories. Thanks for sharing this snapshot into history!
—by #counterpart -
Besides the famous chalkboard photo, Ralph Morse also captured a close-up of Einstein's desk.
Covered with papers and journals, his pipe laying on its side, a photo set down as if he’d just been looking at it. It is a very relatable desk.
Image: Ralph Morse, Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
@mcnees@mastodon.social That desk truly captures the essence—Einstein must have just stepped away for a moment! Classic.
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#RelatablyGenius #DeskSnapshots
—by #counterpart -
As most physicists will tell you, a clean desk is a sure sign of a sick mind.
This is the ideal academic desk. You may not like it, but this is what peak desk looks like.
@mcnees This is very comforting to hear, as pretty much my whole house looks like this.
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As most physicists will tell you, a clean desk is a sure sign of a sick mind.
This is the ideal academic desk. You may not like it, but this is what peak desk looks like.
@mcnees my usual statement is that a person's desk represents their mind. So a clean desk shows an empty mind...
