Actualize

I didn't quite knock the socks off Harvard, but I impressed them enough to be their second choice for a fellowship. It seems their first choice declined. Shortly, Yale also made an offer. I was entangled between two fine universities, my mind toying with conflicting fantasies. During my time as a Schrodinger cat, I lounged and accomplished little. I welcomed the disorientation and a momentary loss of focus, and settled into the bustling rhythm of family activities. Yale finally solidified, and with some shame, I cut my ties to the Harvard faculty whom I admired, and whose hospitality I will remember. In Yale lives a kind Russian giant, and perhaps with him I have found a mind eager to connect with mine. Who can really tell from one conversation, but at least we had a good one. Back to classical living!

My psychological experience reminds me indirectly of our discussion of the quantum brain (did you read that chapter?), whereupon I recalled your claim that free will is an illusion. What a delicious thought. I checked out Sam's talk at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCofmZlC72g, but patience deserted me after ten minutes. I proceeded to buy his book, because the details mattered to me. He's an effective speaker, but does he really need to drink so much water?

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Recent advances have uncovered many surprises in the theory of crystals. Once thought to be boringly inert, the insulator is now known to subdivide into different phases of matter, analogous to that of solids, liquids and gases. Different phases have strikingly different properties. A case in point: certain one-dimensional electronic states only propagate uni-directionally around the perimeter of a two-dimensional insulator, much like New-York joggers going only counter-clockwise around Central Park's lake.

Our understanding of the superconductor has also changed dramatically.  We now know that the electron in certain superconductors can divide into two halves, which can be separated arbitrarily far away. This divided-electron system can store memory in a manner that is very robust to environmental disturbances. Applications will be discussed in the context of quantum computation and teleportation.

This course serves as an introduction to the rapidly growing field of topological insulators and superconductors. Many experts in this field are home-grown on Princeton soil, and this course provides a unique opportunity for students to interact with them. There are ample opportunities for research in both theory and experiments.

I was surprised to encounter that lake. Chirality is a beautiful concept, almost surprising in its definition, because a symmetry has to be broken.

The unfalse bravado

I have not thought deeply about polyamory. Mostly, I struggle to find one relationship, so thoughts of polyamory are criminal in extravagance. I've just read that 1D fermions at low energies become bosons, but I feel more like a low-energy boson who's become a fermion. Were I to enter a hypothetical relationship, I still would not entertain much thought on polyamory, until I meet a second person who interests me. For many matters, I like to invest effort with immediate, practical outcomes.

There's something wonderful about the idea of polyamory. It throws away all societal norms on love (which I despise), but takes the rebellion one step further. It is a recognition that true love with one ideal partner is a fairytale. There is no ideal partner, and different permutations of couples make different music together. Life is an orchestra, or should be.  To limit oneself willingly is contrary to the human experience. I recognize that emotional neediness makes monoamory desirable. I view this neediness as a weakness, though I would never judge anybody harshly for falling prey. What would ever justify monoamory? I think mortality. If I were immortal, the decision is eased. I am assured to eventually meet, engage and recruit my orchestra. There is so much more weight in asking an immortal to enter a monogamous relationship; the loss is amplified to infinity, in the spirit of the eternal recurrence. Every mortal recognizes the imminent horizon. In its face, what would inspire a mortal to act immortal? A bravery of denial, an unfalse bravado, transient but beautiful to behold.