Quantum Chaotic Thoughts

My name is Mason Porter. I am a Professor in Nordita (Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics) and am Professor in Complex Systems in the Department of Mathematics at Stockholm University. Previously, I was a Professor in the Department of Mathematics at UCLA. Before that, I was Professor of Nonlinear and Complex Systems in the Mathematical Institute at University of Oxford. I was also a Tutorial Fellow of Somerville College. I am still a Senior Research Fellow of Somerville College.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Quote of the Day

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I just finished reading an article by Gerald Folland about communication between mathematicians and others, and he mentioned (and hence remi...

My Power Animal = Angora Rabbit

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Apparently, my power animal is the angora rabbit . Naturally, all this talk about power animals makes me want to quote Keanu Reeves (lines...
Friday, October 29, 2010

The Physics of Shaking Oneself Dry

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The videos discussed in this blog entry are awesome. I am guessing (1) that this is one of the videos for the 2010 Gallery of Fluid Motion...
Thursday, October 28, 2010

Best. Slogan. Ever.

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A "sport" called Major League Dreidel has the best slogan ever: "No Gelt, No Glory!" I approve!

Congratulations to Dr. Dan Fenn!

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Dan Fenn, my first Ph.D. student, passed his thesis defense today with flying colors. (He has on the order of 2 hours worth of corrections ...
Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Unpopular Science

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This particular cartoon guide to physics is fantastic! It appeared a couple of days ago in the New York Times . (Tip of the cap to Ravi ...
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

RIP Paul the Octopus (2008-2010)

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Paul the Octopus, the cephalopod who took the world by storm with his oracle-like soccer predictions, has died . RIP Paul. (Tip of the ca...
Saturday, October 23, 2010

Citation Errors as Genetic Mutations

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As this opinion piece discusses, citation errors are rather analogous to genetic mutations . Unfortunately, the optimism expressed at the ...
Friday, October 22, 2010

Words of Wisdom from Bill James

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"To use academic jargon is rude, lazy, elitist, and counter-productive. It diminishes the influence of the academic world; it diminishe...

Moustache of the Day

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Now that is a serious 'stache.

Congratulations to Dr. Felicia Gottmann!

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On a few occasions, I like to highlight accomplishments from my friends in this spot. (And we all know that I spend too much time talking a...
Thursday, October 21, 2010

"Dance Your PhD" Contest 2010

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There is apparently something called a "Dance Your PhD" contest, and here are the entries for 2010 . I didn't know until jus...

A Techer's New Adventure

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Tomorrow, fellow Lloydie Rachel Gray '00 goes to Italy to start her new life as a nun. Pretty soon it looks like none of us will hear f...
Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Best. Law Firm. Name+Slogan. Ever.

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I have only two words to say: I approve! . (Tip of the cap to Lemming.)
Tuesday, October 19, 2010

New to the Blogroll: "Principal's Blog", "Somerville Historian", and "Complex Matters"

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I have added links to new blogs maintained by three of my Somerville colleagues: our new Principal , one of our history Fellows , and one of...
Monday, October 18, 2010

Does Judaism Get Wile E. Coyote?

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Here is the straight line (you provide the joke): The Vatican has apparently declared that Homer Simpson is Catholic . Meanwhile, back on ...

Tales from the ArXiv: Tibetan Singing Bowl

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A new paper on the arXiv discusses the Tibetan singing bowl . We have one of these in OCIAM, though note that this one isn't like thos...
Sunday, October 17, 2010

What happens in Limerick stays in Limerick

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I am taking my second trip to Ireland. I will once again be flying into Shannon and heading down to Limerick to give a seminar and collabor...
Saturday, October 16, 2010

Busted

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This demotivational poster is a big win. Actually, it's not truly the poster that's a win but rather the TA for the class in quest...

RIP BenoƮt Mandelbrot (1924-2010)

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I can't yet find an article to confirm this (though it's mentioned on a couple of blogs and private websites), but it appears that t...
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About Me

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Mason
I am a Professor in the Department of Mathematics at UCLA. Previously, I was Professor of Nonlinear and Complex Systems in the Mathematical Institute at University of Oxford. I was also a Tutorial Fellow in Somerville College. I am also a die-hard fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers. See my website for more information about me. You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter (@masonporter), though I'm much easier to stalk by other means. If you want power law or Zachary Karate Club swag, take a look at my Power Law Shop. I am also involved with the Legends of Caltech movie and co-edited Legends of Caltech III.
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