Condensed concepts

 Total I am giving a talk, "Effect of quantum nuclear motion on hydrogen bonds in complex molecular materials" at  Light-matter Interactions from scratch: Theory and Experiments at the Border with Biology  Here are the slides The talk provides a concrete example of the tutorial on constructing simple model Hamiltonians for complex materials that I give before the talk. It relates to the bio theme of the meeting through work on isotopic fractionation in proteins and the recent paper below. It makes use of the simple model that I talk about. Unusual Spectroscopic and Electric Field Sensitivity of Chromophores with Short Hydrogen Bonds: GFP and PYP as Model Systems Chi-Yun Lin and Steven G. Boxer

This week I am giving two (virtual) talks at a meeting Light-matter Interactions from scratch: Theory and Experiments at the Border with Biology  supported by the ICTP (International Center for Theoretical Physics) in Trieste. In the ICTP tradition, one talk is a tutorial and the second talk is about my research. Here are the slides for the tutorial on Effective Model Hamiltonians for Quantum Dynamics in Complex Molecular Materials. Feedback is welcome. The research talk is about hydrogen bonding. I will post slides for that later.

Biology involves many different scales. At each scale, one considers what are the essential components and how they interact with one another.  All living beings are composed of organs which in turn are composed of biological cells. The functionality of an organ emerges from the interaction between cells.  Part 3 of The Economist 's excellent series on biology is How organisms are organised . Here are a few highlights. The twin processes of differentiation (many different types of cell) and integration (a highly functional structure) [are] at the heart of what makes organs tick. How are the structures of plants and animals different? Why? ...  animals and plants have different relationships with time and space. These different ways of life require different sorts of flexibility. Animals move through space but, once adult, change shape comparatively little over time. Plants stay still in space but change shape a lot as they grow.   Most animals seek the energy they need by hunting

 Any organisation is composed of many interacting parts. For example, a university is not just composed of staff and students, but also includes collaborators, donors, employers, suppliers, parents, graduates, and trustees. Their interactions with one another are influenced by structures, such as buildings, committees, and government policy. Furthermore, a university exists in a context: political, economic, historical, and cultural. What emerges from the interactions of all these components may be new states, for good or for ill. Like all emergent phenomena these states are hard to predict. For example, what will lead to high-quality education or a diverse student body? Can desirable outcomes be managed? What is the role of leadership in large organisations? Are there some universal principles of management that are useful for a wide range of organisations, whether corporations, NGOs, universities, or government departments? Researching, teaching, and writing about "Organisationa

 Here are the slides from today's talk.

"Shallow work is non-cognitive, logistical or minor duties, often performed while distracted. These efforts require little cognitive effort, tend to create little value, and are usually easy to replicate." Examples include replying to emails, browsing websites, looking at social media, filling in forms, and attending meetings. "Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate.” A colleague told me that Cal Newport 's book,   Deep Work , revolutionised his professional life.  These two short videos give a nice summary, focusing on quite practical ways to implement the ideas.  They are both based on this article by Dan Silvestre.