Category Archives: Physicist

Work

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First of all: what is work? Work is of two kinds: first, altering the position of matter at or near the earth’s surface relatively to other such matter; second, telling other people to do so. The first one is unpleasant and ill paid; the second is pleasant and highly paid.

* Ch. 1: In Praise of Idleness
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2009.04.22 Wednesday ACHK

千面英

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PART ONE: The Adventure of the Hero

Chapter I: Departure

* 1. The Call to Adventure

The adventure begins with the hero receiving a call to action, such as a threat to the peace of the community, or the hero simply falls into or blunders into it. The call is often announced to the hero by another character who acts as a “herald”. The herald, often represented as dark or terrifying and judged evil by the world, may call the character to adventure simply by the crisis of his appearance.

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Chapter III: Return

* 1. Refusal of the Return

Having found bliss and enlightenment in the other world, the hero may not want to return to the ordinary world to bestow the boon onto his fellow man.

* 2. The Magic Flight

When the boon’s acquisition (or the hero’s return to the world) comes against opposition, a chase or pursuit may ensue before the hero returns.

* 3. Rescue from Without

The hero may need to be rescued by forces from the ordinary world. This may be because the hero has refused to return or because he is successfully blocked from returning with the boon. The hero loses his ego.

* 4. The Crossing of the Return Threshold

The hero returns to the world of common day and must accept it as real.

* 5. Master of the Two Worlds

Because of the boon or due to his experience, the hero may now perceive both the divine and human worlds.

* 6. Freedom to Live

The hero bestows the boon to his fellow man.

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— Wikipedia, on The Hero with a Thousand Faces

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2009.04.08 Wednesday ACHK

Nowhere 2

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Now-here

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Jonathan befriends the wisest gull in this new place, named Chiang, who takes him beyond his previous learning, teaching him how to move instantaneously to anywhere else in the Universe. The secret, Chiang says, is to “begin by knowing that you have already arrived….”

— Wikipedia, on Jonathan Livingston Seagull

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你所追求的東西, 可能一直在你身邊, 只是你沒有留意.

— Me

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2009.04.05 Sunday copyright ACHK

競爭

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In science, [in order to survive, you have to] either be the first or be the best.

— P. M. Hui (My Solid State Physics professor)

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2009.03.31 Tuesday ACHK

魔法守則

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The Magician’s Oath:

“As a magician I promise never to reveal the secret of any illusion to a non-magician, unless that one swears to uphold the Magician’s Oath in turn. I promise never to perform any illusion for any non-magician without first practicing the effect until I can perform it well enough to maintain the illusion of magic.”

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2009.03.01 Sunday ACHK

魔法 2

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The Prestige 令我心緒不寧. 一套戲, 竟然可以有百幾條伏線.

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初中時, 我有學過少少魔術, 可惜沒有開花結果.

或者, 科學就是真正的魔術.

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2009.02.27 Friday copyright ACHK

魔法

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Magic

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Nikola Tesla

* You’re familiar with the phrase “Man’s reach exceeds his grasp”? It’s a lie. Man’s grasp exceeds his nerve. The only limits on scientific progress are those imposed by society. The first time I changed the world, I was hailed as a visionary. The second time I was asked politely to retire. The world only tolerates one change at a time. And so here I am. Enjoying my “retirement”. Nothing is impossible, Mr. Angier, what you want is simply expensive.

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— The Prestige (Movie)

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2009.02.26 Thursday ACHK

物理學家

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是的，我知道何處是我的歸宿，就像那不熄的火永不滿足，我拚命燃燒自己，發熱發光直到一切都成為光明，才算找到自己。

我捨棄成為煤炭的一切，是的，我是火焰，我知道！

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— 尼采

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2009.02.23 Monday ACHK