Gee Five

For the record, I started up the new G5 in my office today. Copying all the files and applications from my G4 was a snap - when you start up the G5, it has you connect a firewire cable to the other computer as a way of moving the files. It's seamless and very well done.

The G5 - a dual 2.0 GHz processor model - feels snappier all around. Applications start up faster, and everything is completed in less time. No scientific analysis here, just a happy customer.

The G4 - a dual 1.25 GHz processor, dual optical drives - is now in the lab. It's still a great machine.

I'm looking forward to Tiger. I guess it's not enough to have a new box!

Snapple Caps

Two weeks ago I ran my son's Cub Scout Den meeting, helping them to earn their scientist badge. I brought a box of stuff with me to do demonstrations, and as I was setting up, I noticed a Snapple cap among the material. It had a question on it: Where was the first sailing ship made? So I asked the scouts the question. One boy raised his hand right away, and gave the correct answer: Egypt. I was impressed. Then he told me it was Snapple cap #177.

The moral is, we should have kids read Snapple caps at school, then they would remember things. Having them read books just is not as effective!

Lehman College

I gave a seminar at Lehman College yesterday. This is a small college in Bronx, NY that is part of City University system. The audience comprised mainly undergraduates taking a biology course and a few faculty. They were attentive and asked good questions. The best part was lunch afterwards at Arthur Avenue.

I drove there and back; no weather problems. Next up: University of Michigan in late April.

Boston blues

I spent yesterday in Boston to present a seminar at Harvard Medical School. I know many virologists there and it was enjoyable to speak with them and the graduate students. However, I have vowed never to travel in the winter again.

I left home at 5:30 AM to catch a 7 AM flight to Boston. The weather was mild and I was warm in scarf, coat, and gloves. It was raining. The flight was one and one-half hours late. Fortunately I had not had coffee! When I arrived at HMS, instead of going to my first appointment, I stopped to pick up a tank of coffee at the local Starbuck's. During the day, the temperature dropped slowly, and the rain turned to freezing rain. In the late afternoon I was told I should probably take the train back to New York. By 4 PM my flight had been delayed two hours, to 9:30 PM. I ended up taking the Acela to New York, 3 1/2 hours. Then NJ Transit from Penn Station to the Liberty Airport station (20 minutes), then the airtrain to the parking lot to get my car. I was home just after 11 - and who knows if my flight ever made it.

A miserable traveling day. So what is worse - miserable traveling, or miserable commute? Not a great choice. But that's it for traveling in the winter on the east coast.