Going to the Prom

I am about to leave for the airport to attend the Particle Accelerator Conference in Knoxville, TN. It is sort of like the prom of accelerator physics. Everyone comes and shows off their best data, people schmooze (as much as physicists are capable of such things) and it is the place to see and be seen.

Conferences invariable bring about a sort of four-stage illness with me, which breaks down as follows:

First Stage – Excitement:
I got the poster, I got the paper. I am eager and enthusiastic and am ready to sponge up all information on accelerators. Bring it on!

Second Stage – Arrival:
There are hundreds of people at these conferences and I, usually, only know about 30 of them. I am a physicist, they are physicists – an unfortunate combination – as it usually results in many a socially awkward interactions. I have a comfort threshold of 5. Less than 5 people and I can rally and pretend to be charming, more than 5 people I am party plant who needs liquid courage as social lubrication. A little bit of alcohol makes both the company and myself more interesting – really, who doesn't win from that sort of arrangment? Well, my liver is never really too pleased.

Third Stage – Despair:
Apparently, I am sponge with a low saturation point. Usually after the first day, I am already overwhelmed. So much information, such bad speakers, scary equations that mean absolutely nothing to me. I feel like there is so much to learn and it is depressing how little of it I seem to know.

Fourth Stage – Salvation:
Finally a good talk. It is always there, I never know which it will be, but eventually I will stumble upon a good speaker. (S)He will actually explain their experiment. The physics will make sense and I will be impressed. The sponge is happy and ready for another talk and/or beer.

Comments

[Aaron]

What a coincidence! My school prom was on Friday, and "excitement, arrival, despair, salvation" is a pretty good description of how it went. :) Have fun at the conference! I hope you won't need too much social lubricant. ;)

[mandeep]

hey CoC- That was really a good description of how my time at conferences (and i think most peoples') goes! cool (and i think this is actually my first post to your comments...) -M