If you are ever minded to learn quantum field theory, and chose to do it from the book Quantum Field Theory by Lowell S. Brown, then you are in for a treat, because some of the problems are fun. For instance:
If you want to put a proof in the comments, feel free!
It's the end of week 1 of the first semester of the new academic year. I teach two modules this semester: Modern Computational Techniques and Special Relativity. I had the first face-to-face sessions in both classes yesterday, and it was nice - and weird - to be back on campus, teaching students. I did have a similar level of face-to-face teaching for at least part of semester 1 last year. That stopped at the beginning of December and it has been 10 months since I've last regularly gone onto campus or seen students face to face.
My modules are third year undergraduate modules, though the Special Relativity one can also be taken by students on one year taught masters' programmes. I think it is probably right to say that I met none of the students I saw this week face to face before. Quite a few of them I have interacted with online and it was nice to see them in person. In particular, one student I supervised for an EPSRC-funded summer project this year is taking both my modules. We had interacted a lot over the summer via Teams and Zoom, and yesterday we met in person for the first time. "You're taller than I was expecting" he said to me. "You too!" I said in return. We are both around the same height (195cm) and I suppose used to most other people being at least a little shorter than us.
Week 1 of semester has also been #BikeToSchoolWeek so I took a photo of my youngest three on the back of our bikes as my partner and I were about to set off on the school run. It's bike to school week every week for us, but I hope posting a nice picture to Twitter (and here) will make a few people think that maybe it's a possibility for them, too, and make the environment of our town a bit nicer for all. I don't know if it's the colder weather causing it, but the traffic fumes of all the vehicles dropping their kids off at the schools this morning seemed even worse than normal.
