[kwlug disc.] Hello kwlug

[Fernando Duran]

Hi there! 

some random comments below:

--- Kyle Spaans <3lucid at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hello Fernando!
> I'm a University of Waterloo student currently on my
> first coop work
> term in Toronto.
> 
> This is quite the coincience, I see that you studied
> Physics as an
> undergrad! I'm actually interested in Physics
> myself, applied to the
> Physics program at UW, but ended up in a Math
> program called
> Computational Mathematics instead.

Physics beyond the basics is fundamentally math; in my
university's curricula after the first year and part
of the second pretty much everything was an
application of some math branch, like
probability/statistics (quantum physics, solid state),
group theory (solid state, particles), funny
geometries (relativity), diff equations (everything,
esp electromagnetism) etc.

 While my Math and
> Computer Science
> classes have captured my interest more than Physics
> so far, I do
> intend to continue taking Physics classes, hopefully
> Quantum Physics.

lots of fun and makes for good social ice breakers!

> For now, I'm concentrating on learning about beowulf
> clusters, and
> computer & network security.

I'm into infosec myself. If you're into math I guess
cryptology is a good intersection of interests for
you.

> 
> Have you used your knowledge of Physics at all in
> any of the places
> you've worked?

Interesting question, I've asked myself that.

I don't think I've applied like a specific bit of
physics knowledge to a problem, other that looking
into watts/amps/volts and so of hardware, but I do
think that my scientific background has helped me a
lot in my career so far.

It's no coincidence that computer departments /
computer science started out of math and physics
departments in universities. 

If we take programming for instance and the
established idea that the difference in performance
between the worst and best developers is like 10 or 20
(whatever units those are), and if you have years of
studying advanced math or physics with all the mental
exercising in focusing, abstraction and
problem-solving then you're basically already in the
top quartile (or whatever) of the profession by
capacity. - OK, if you're from UW then that would be
top 5% ;-)

So I'm sure the mental training has helped me solve IT
problems. 

And now that I think of it, in one of my jobs they
hired me because of my scientific background; they
were looking for somebody that could both write code
and understand the statistical classifiers they wanted
to implement.


> 
> Anyway, welcome to KWLUG, and maybe I'll get to meet
> you at one of the
> meetings when I return to school in Waterloo during
> the summer term!
> 

Thanks!

Fernando


> -Kyle Spaans
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>
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> 



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