Trajectories through physics and life
Our lives as scientists pass through many branch points, large and small: we choose our mentors, we choose our research directions, we choose the journals to which we submit our results, we choose among jobs, and more. Of course our choices are constrained by our opportunities, but within these constraints we often still have difficult decisions to make. Part of “growing up” as a scientist is building confidence in your ability to make these choices. Just when we thin we might have some confidence, the world can change (visa policies, the AI revolution, …), and we have to deal with this too.
I’ll start with a few words about my own trajectory and its branch points, which I hope will be an introduction to a discussion rather than a lecture. Participants are asked to prepare one or two questions in advance to help shape this discussion.
