tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3262545138071937772024-03-17T23:01:41.627-04:00MIHAI CARAGIUProfessor of Mathematics. Experimental Math. Agnostic mindfulness. Black Lives Matter. Views are my own.Mihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comBlogger219125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-51286448572249852912024-02-27T13:54:00.002-05:002024-02-27T13:54:20.760-05:00RobinsA cluster of busy robinsMihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-56138863010926504172024-02-07T17:29:00.001-05:002024-02-07T17:32:06.045-05:00130 years of mind games and quantum challenges A wonderful article by Laurie Wurth-Pressel (source)
130 years of mind games and quantum challenges
January 22, 2024
Mihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-71876870949272223282024-02-05T22:40:00.002-05:002024-02-05T22:47:58.465-05:00A "tree-of-light" on campus...In the woods on ONU campus, often visited by deer...Mihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-33202253713257504272024-02-05T22:20:00.003-05:002024-02-05T22:20:18.249-05:00Orion Mihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-42584982032766160412024-02-05T22:14:00.000-05:002024-02-05T22:14:25.647-05:00Reeds, sun, and Dalma Mihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-33238350320641354412024-01-31T22:26:00.004-05:002024-01-31T22:37:35.338-05:00Fluffy is back. A genuinely zen cat.Being
still aware of the pervading impermanence, and still having Fluffy
forever in our hearts whether alive with us, or alive in the forest, or
traveling who knows where, or over the rainbow, the thing is that
Fluffy IS BACK after ~10 days, yay. A very strange and wonderful cat. She was totally unfazed. A zen cat. I
took a photo after serving her a celebratory late dinner with Mihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-25275677059782392912024-01-30T22:49:00.004-05:002024-01-30T22:59:52.244-05:00Fluffy, our sweet Norwegian forest catUnfortunately, it is possible that our sweet, proud, loving but strongly independent, Norwegian forest cat Fluffy (with us for more than 9 years) crossed the rainbow bridge. She disappeared on January 22, 2024. We can only hope, being aware at the same time that nothing is permanent. The love for her is and will remain forever in our hearts. Until we meet again.Mihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-64988378531217129802024-01-30T22:17:00.003-05:002024-01-30T22:17:59.928-05:00Brad Mehldau (Piano solo)♫ Moon River♫ Dear Prudence ♫ Mihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-49168399278212593992024-01-19T23:35:00.000-05:002024-01-19T23:35:01.507-05:00The magic of the real"I
love both fantasy and science-fiction novels (even better: series) but
they always leave me feeling somewhat disappointed because all the
tricks and gimmicks don't work in reality. That's why I became a
scientist: It's magic, but it's real." ~Sabine Hossenfelder (source) From Wikipedia: Sabine Hossenfelder (born 1976) is a German theoretical
physicist, author, science communicator, Mihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-62240999761916180592024-01-08T21:21:00.001-05:002024-01-08T21:23:42.673-05:00The poetry of recursionAfter teaching what I believe to be the highest-numbered MATH class in the catalogue (MATH 4671 Probability and Graphs - a.k.a. Random Graphs - a quite difficult class), next year 2024-2025 I would like to take at step towards the other end of the spectrum, and teach Mathematics for Liberal Arts (MATH 1201). It will be a challenge. I want to get into the mindset of a poet, and I want toMihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-5418026741981396062023-12-20T21:06:00.001-05:002023-12-20T21:06:10.639-05:00Many thanks and gratitude to my students!At the end of every semester, I find myself amazed, impressed, and grateful seeing amazingly uplifting comments from my students. This gives me the power to move on. Some excerpts from evaluations for my Discrete Mathematics class - Fall 2023:
"I think this course is a great introduction to higher level
math, its related language, terminology, as well as higher-level working Mihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-23086746890478940632023-12-17T22:43:00.003-05:002023-12-17T22:43:46.873-05:00Dalma - our lovely Jack Russel mix"I wonder who's there..." Mihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-14315216280727622402023-11-29T13:16:00.003-05:002023-11-29T13:16:56.909-05:00Remembering my mother Aurelia Caragiu Aurelia Caragiu (11/27/1932 - 2/2/2022), quick notes to self, thinking about the early years:In grade school, she taught me calligraphy, encouraged me to write summaries (I liked that, so I moved on recursively, writing summaries of summaries and so on in a convergent process to the essential - if any), bought me popular Science books on Christmas, pretended not to notice that I stole some Mihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-77899319101204820452023-11-29T13:13:00.005-05:002023-11-29T13:13:38.258-05:00sunsetMihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-19801079194212751962023-11-14T23:45:00.001-05:002023-11-16T20:53:31.502-05:00Memo 4 - After The Snow The FragranceNot to be forgotten: our summer group listening sessions in the early 80's - Music For Zen Meditation And Other Joys (1964 by Tony Scott, Shinichi Yuize, and Hōzan Yamamoto) at Razvan's home; we were five high school students living in an oppressive dictatorship; after those sessions ended we departed free and in meaningful silence. Particularly fond of After The Snow The Fragrance... Is NotMihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-25859322709726089562023-11-07T22:50:00.001-05:002023-11-07T23:06:37.940-05:00In the libraryI love that tranquil space in the library. It feels good even without picking a book.Mihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-39328888008777913652023-11-07T22:12:00.005-05:002023-11-07T22:12:48.305-05:0042+ years later - Kozyrev-Grinberg for my students In
one of my classes, this past week we discussed Kozyrev-Grinberg theory
(for me it brought back ideas that I felt passionate about 42 years ago -
it felt good to resuscitate them, and my students apparently liked it). Mihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-50747097822521293922023-10-23T22:14:00.000-04:002023-10-23T22:14:07.438-04:00Hranind bula de imaginar social65000
la Parascheva-fest. Ireal? Nonsens? Nicio problema! Exaltarea
repetitiva hraneste bula de imaginar social. Iar monstrul de spaghete
continua sa zboare.Mihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-73184438089611290192023-10-13T22:30:00.006-04:002023-10-13T22:45:34.316-04:00A masterpiece: The Inner Light (Star Trek TNG)Star Trek TNG's episode "The Inner Light" (Season 5, Episode 25 - June 1, 1992) was aired today on Heroes and Icons HD. It is a masterpiece, arguably the best Star Trek TNG episode. For the record, I paste here the plot from Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Inner_Light_(Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation) alongside George Harrison's "The Inner Light"On stardate 45944.1, the Enterprise-D Mihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-6040465266647080372023-10-02T22:37:00.006-04:002023-10-02T22:42:26.372-04:00Lima OH multicultural fair (September 30, 2023)On 9/30/2023 I
really enjoyed a multicultural fair in Lima, OH, featuring Indian,
Nigerian, and other cultures. For India, a Lima young lady danced a
wonderful dance of Siva (afterwards she told us that she learned the
dance online - she was from Lima OH), and a boy (I suppose less than 8
years old) presented the activities of the latest Moon landing of the
India space program. Mihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-89575012378797408952023-09-26T11:36:00.002-04:002023-09-26T11:36:29.664-04:00Phenomenology as the quick cheap fixWhen
one has nothing to say, nowadays it looks like one just has to enlist
phenomenology! It's a cheap, quick fix for those in need of an aura of
intellectual respectability. Some are in need of "spicing up"
theological doctrine, others are UFO nutcases in need of a pair of nuts,
and so on. No problem, just claim "phenomenology is on your side" (with
a "god is on your side" Dylanesque Mihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-31487387455031654722023-09-11T13:21:00.005-04:002023-09-11T13:21:27.148-04:00Save the bees advice The following advice is offered at https://thebeeconservancy.org/10-ways-to-save-the-bees/
Plant a Bee GardenGo Chemical-Free for BeesBecome a Community ScientistProvide Trees for BeesCreate a Bee BathProtect Ground Nesting BeesLeave Stems BehindTeach Tomorrow’s Bee StewardsHost a FundraiserSupport Local Beekeepers and OrganizationsMihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-21131344212772963612023-09-11T13:19:00.001-04:002023-09-11T13:21:48.820-04:00Bees at Black Swamp Festival 2023Some bee photos from the 2023 Black Swamp festival (Bowling Green, OH) Mihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-71500781019506341022023-09-09T22:26:00.001-04:002023-09-09T22:26:03.873-04:00Super blue moon 2023 photos (August 31 - Ada, Ohio) Mihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326254513807193777.post-52827996102674759812023-09-08T22:41:00.003-04:002023-09-27T13:50:39.474-04:00Educatia vs. presiunea bisericiiIn
loc de nonsensul cu "reasezarea educatiei pe principii bisericesti",
prea-nefericitul ar face bine sa reaseze institutia bisericii in afara
sistemului educational. Asta ar fi solutia onorabila!Laicitatea este OK. Mihai Caragiuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17518637740425832023noreply@blogger.com