Random Nerd Rants

de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum

gocomics.com/nonsequitur

Who am I?

Some people define their self identity through their profession, while others do it through their interests.

The problem is that one usually looks for a short answer, that is at the same time precise, for that question. Such an answer is not viable, because those characteristics are mutually exclusive. Nevertheless, most people would rather have a simple answer, even if it’s wrong. I’d rather be closer to the truth, even if that translates into a higher level of complexity (actually, because of it).

But, before this becomes overly philosophical, lets get to the basics.

  • I am a physicist by formation, and my alma mater is the University of São Paulo. I got my Masters and PhD there as well. When I was a kid (for some loose definition of “kid”…) I wanted to be a theoretical physicist. But, teenagers are impressionable and naïve, and I was excited about General Relativity. I ended up finding my place in experimental physics, and for a while I even resided in the reciprocal space.
  • I am also a nerd – although that definition is a bit volatile… which is weird since when we talk about a “nerd” everyone already has some mental image about what they believe a nerd is. That notion is usually based on some stereotype they’ve seen somewhere else. “Back in the day” it usually meant this, but perhaps nowadays that’s more like this. Needless to say (but I’ll say it nonetheless), both are very stereotypical representations, and people sometimes find it weird when we do not correspond to what they expect.
I may not be the fastest
I may not be the tallest
    Or the strongest

I may not be the best
    Or the brightest

But one thing I can do better
     Than anyone else...

      That is

        To be me

— Leonard Nimoy

My public GPG key.