Regarding PS1

Hey guys- Just a quick reminder that some of the problems in the first problem set (handed out Friday) will touch upon material we will cover in lectures in the coming week. So if things seem confusing, don't rack your brains trying to figure out what to do... yet. We will be covering important related material soon. So I would recommend, rather than working on the problem set this weekend and the coming few days, instead take some time to flip through the introductory chapters of Molecular Driving Forces.

" The real 'theory of everything' "

That would be thermodynamics. Yes, thermodynamics, not string theory or relativity or the standard model. At least, that's the claim of this recent book review in Science. Let me just pull some tantalizing quotes:

Thermodynamics ought to be the cornerstone of any scientist's understanding of nature. ...

The development of thermodynamics in the nineteenth century was the most wide-reaching and fundamental advance since Newton's mechanics.

Sunshine, beaches, and classes, oh my

Here's a cheerful welcome to all the new students at UCSB. This is no doubt a busy time for you, sorting through schedules, learning the nooks and crannies of campus and Santa Barbara, and perhaps still trying to piece together a decent housing situation on the beautiful but you-pay-for-what-you-get central California coast. I hope that the excitement of this burgeoning part of your life--and the many opportunities ahead--outweigh the scramble and stress of new beginnings.

In particular, I'd like to welcome the graduate students in chemical engineering, whom I will be teaching this fall in ChE 210A: Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics. We've got a great journey ahead of us venturing into the fundamental molecular foundations of these fields. That's cheesy to say, I know, but I do believe there's a lot of excitement to be had here. We'll be dissecting many of the equations and techniques you've used as an undergraduate, but had never really known their precise origin. So it is my hope that this will be a clarifying, dare I say enjoyable, experience for you.

A word about this blog: it's a new experiment I'm trying out for class. The idea is that I can respond here to questions that don't get answered in lecture, that arise in problem sets, or that get sent my way via email. Idealistically, I'm hoping this way we can avoid repeating information, and everyone can be on exactly the same page. Students in the class are encouraged to post comments, too, if they have them.

And occasionally I might post a random science thought. Yes, I do have random science thoughts. No, I'm not embarrassed by that.

Here's one that might be of interest to new students, who have recently poured through university stats and rankings. It's an article called "Who Ranks the University Rankers?" that appeared in a recent edition of Science. It'll make you think twice next time you see those top-10 lists.

Welcome to UCSB!