I think I've put off blogging on my time at SUNY-Binghamton long enough, but fortunately, an activity at the department today has given me the kick I need to get going. There's probably not much missing anyway, as I've mostly spent the last week getting familiar with the university and the department, settling into the system here — payroll (very important), social security number, ID card, etc. — and researching as much as I can on chemistry databases and related matters.

Of course there's the matter of the unfamiliar chilly weather. When I got on the plane in Auckland, the summer sun was shining in all its glory. I arrived here in Binghamton to a chilly but tolerable 48°F — that's 9°C to Kiwis. And, according to my hosts, that was warm for this time of the year. Boy! Was I worried! Temperatures have headed south since then, but we haven't had any snow yet, although there have been a few squalls. I find it interesting though, that the mind adjusts so easily to new situations. Coming from Auckland where the coldest overnight temperatures rarely if ever dropped to freezing, I'm amazed that I'm now able to handle being told that temperatures will fall to 22°F — -3°C!! — without going into panic mode. It's still only early December though, so I wait with bated breath for worse that's bound to come.

Anyway, back to today, and the activity that's got me going.

Two professors — Drs. Elvira Williams & Helen Asemota — from Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina (http://www.shawuniversity.edu) are visiting the Chemistry Department and the Center for Advanced Sensors and Environmental Systems today and tomorrow. Of course, to misquote the good book, "...where two or three academics are gathered...", there are bound to be lectures given and papers presented. Being the only non-Chemist in the audience, I must confess that most of the presentations were way above my head. However, I found the presentations by the visiting professors quite interesting.

Prof. Williams outlined her WHAM — Williams Holistic Approach Model. According to her, WHAM has five pillars which must work together for one to achieve success in any endeavour or aspect of life. What really grabbed me about WHAM was the way in which Prof. Williams applied Newton's laws of motion and universal gravitation to explain achieving success. Just in case you're wondering, Dr. Williams is a professor of physics.

Take Newton's first law for example. Just as a body continues in its state of uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force, so it is that once one embarks on a path in life, work, etc., one is likely to remain on that path unless some external force acts to change that path. The implication of that being that if one chooses the wrong path to a desired target at the outset, then one will not reach that target unless a force is applied to correct it.

Which leads to the second law, which explains why the longer one strays from the correct path to a goal, the harder it is (more force is required) to get back on track. The corollary of these two laws is that one should choose ones target early on, follow a direct path to it, and eschew distractions. I'm sure you're going "but everybody knows that", but have you ever had it explained in such scientific terms?

And have you ever wondered why the harder you work to get to your goals the tougher the resistance to your getting there seems to be? Remember Newton's third law? Action and reaction are equal and opposite. I can almost hear you thinking, "well, if working hard towards my goals will invite strong resistance, maybe I shouldn't work so hard". Well, that's not likely to be of much use, because according to Newton's second law, the acceleration (and therefore how quickly you reach your goals) is proportional to the applied force. So, if you want to reach your goals quickly, work hard. But be prepared for strong resistance. Who said life was easy?

Finally, Prof. Williams talked about collaboration. Now, Newton's law of universal gravitation, states (in simple terms) that two bodies attract each other with a force which is proportional to the product of their masses, and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centres. Therefore, the closer two institutions, people, etc., are in terms of their values, goals, etc., the greater their ability to produce great results.

Again, you probably knew this already, but having Prof. Williams explain them using the laws of mechanics really WHAM'd me! I recommend WHAM to all young people, people starting a new venture, first year undergraduates, and indeed anybody at the start of any major undertaking, especially those with a background in science.

Prof. Asemota on her part spoke about nanobiotechnology — yes, you read that right: nano-bio-technology. Listening to her, it appeared to me that 21st century science is finally catching up with centuries-old voodoo. How? What went through my mind as I listened to her will be the subject of tomorrow's entry.