RE: Three years of busy life in coffee, science and teaching

Thank you for your thoughtful comment. It is exactly what makes resurfacing here worthwhile, even if it is just a temporary thing. I could simply reply to your blog by saying that you are absolutely right and that I completely agree with everything you wrote. However, that would be too easy... I will then answer each item, keeping the best for last: the top quark pair artist view (though saying it is the best is very subjective).

Blogging takes much time, especially when you like to get the content right. Even more work and time when the usual suspects and a bunch of random people start to react

Blogging takes time, and it can get even more hectic when people start reacting. I was initially unsure if anyone would react, but I was pleased to see some good old chaps popping in and writing me. Then, obviously, the time investment grows non-linearly, but that is also what makes it enjoyable. Otherwise, it would just be a monologue (and I am either too old or too young for that ;) ).

As I hear from quite a few people, and also from my own experience with some of the co-workers at the office, the youngsters are quite different to the 'oldies'. Very much similar to what you mentioned. They seem to me expecting to own the whole world, but already 'tired' after a few hours of work iin a day. Expecting such is by far sufficient to play ball in the big leagues. Not saying that putting gazillion hours in work increases productivity and results, even in relative terms. Interesting to see how this works out in a few decades from now.

This being said, we need to be careful not to over-generalise. I have very good exceptions in mind, including one who I hope will become my next doctoral student. But yes, what I find at the university is quite spread deep within society, as you confirmed based on your own experience and others did too. Even at home, I sometimes have some 'hot' discussions with my own sons for these reasons. I do not know what triggered the change. COVID seems to be part of it, but it would be too easy to blame it alone. How this will play out in the long run is indeed an interesting question, possibly the only one.

AI is something we shall embrace. Happy to read you incorporate this in guiding students. Stopping homework because of AI seems ridiculous to me. Wondering about the intentions of your co-teachers when doing so. Aren't they motivated to get the best out of their students? Anyways, you embrace it, and hopefully we get some quality peeps entering the 'market'.

I think every single formation should integrate AI in some form so that students can face it early and add it to their skill set. I understand my colleagues who decided that they did not want to mark homework AI-made. But somehow, they preferred to suppress them completely and replace them by quizzes or other in-class activities. I instead like to explore and try new things. Some work nicely, some fail, and I am constantly evolving in my practice. That is the only way to reach my goal that is to equip the next generation with all the tools it will need for their career. Current practices could also a good topic for a blog, as suggested in @katerinaramm's reply too.

The image, the one about the top quark pairs, is - almost - art!

And now, the funniest part! I am so glad you liked the toponium image. It is definitely the most exciting discovery at the Large Hadron Collider this year, in my opinion. Did you know that the very first blog about toponium was this one that I wrote on Hive exactly three years ago (so 2.5 years before any of the LHC announcements)? I also put together my own press release on the topic here, but it is in French. If I ever get around to writing a proper science blog, this is definitely the topic I would pick. Toponium physics now makes up about 60% of all my research. On a fun note, this also lets me start exploring completely new directions, including quantum information observables at particle colliders.

Anyway, it is about 4:00 PM, so time for a good coffee. I am drinking way too much (around five espressos a day), but I love it. It is a part of my daily routine (or ritual at this level). There is a great coffee merchant nearby roasting the beans and making some really nice selections. There are over thirty of them. I have not tried them all, but I have my five or six favourites (which I am grinding at home according to my daily needs) :-)

Thanks again for passing by!