I live on the borderline between genius and stupidity.

I have a degree in Science (Applied maths with a minor in Theoretical and applied mechanics).
A degree in Engineering (Civil).
A PhD in Civil Eng (Computation of wind flows around buildings).

Worked at CSIRO
Mostly on computational fluid dynamics – mining sludge, algae pond, mixing tank, airflow over Brisbane City Centre, airborne salt transport over Australia, droplet coalescence and runoff, turbulence modelling, etc.
But also in corrosion prediction, high speed fibre network, microclimate, mineral scale in pipes, finite elements for earthquake modelling, etc.

Outside of work and Uni, I have a good working knowledge of the following books:
Handbook of Chemistry and Physics
Capper and Cassie – The mechanics of engineering soils
Bondi – Relativity and common sense
Numerical recipes in Fortran
A. Zee – Quantum field theory in a nutshell
Coxeter – Regular polytopes, and other books on advanced geometry
I know my way around nonstandard analysis (infinite and infinitesimal numbers)

I’ve never missed an xkcd cartoon. I’ve never missed an apod picture

I used to be a fan of the following, each for many decades before realising my error:
Two wrong cosmological models (little big bang and swiss cheese)
A wrong theory of everything (supersymmetry)
The club of Rome – the limits to growth (I watched all their predictions fail, one after another)
The IPCC (I cried when I realised that they were deliberately withholding essential information and misusing statistics)

I used to be a member of Scientists Against Nuclear Arms
I used to be a paid-up cynic

Author of (privately published) “The Halls of Jamaica: Allegonda’s legacy”
Author of Good Scientist Cartoon
Author of (unpublished book) “The nearest stars”

I have a chromosomal disorder (translocation), and that led to me having a severely retarded child who died at age 3, which led to a brief stay at a mental hospital. So I have a knowledge of chromosomal disorders, psychiatrists and psychologists. As a hangover from that time I need an exorcist – I still occasionally struggle with demonic possession.

When speaking, I can’t put two sentences together without making a terrible mistake.

I’m twice married, but don’t have friends because I have an unfortunate knack of alienating everybody.

Mentally, I’m like a Hooke not a Newton.
I’ve always had the mental trick of asking myself questions before anybody else does, and finding the answer by search or by approximate calculation. This keeps me one step ahead of everyone else. If I don’t know the answer, then I will dig and dig until I find out.

Case in point, two days ago I was asked if I knew any C.J. Dennis’ poems that are not in “Sentimental Bloke”. So I spent a happy yesterday reading everything I could find, three of his other books, and writings I dug out of the Melbourne Herald on Trove.

When mentally healthy, I’m a critic. When mentally unhealthy, I’m a dreamer. I’m not creative, except in the sense of interpolation.

I have an interest in things, not people. But I don’t remember ‘things’, I remember ‘processes’.

mollwollfumble said:

I live on the borderline between genius and stupidity.

I have a degree in Science (Applied maths with a minor in Theoretical and applied mechanics).
A degree in Engineering (Civil).
A PhD in Civil Eng (Computation of wind flows around buildings).

Worked at CSIRO
Mostly on computational fluid dynamics – mining sludge, algae pond, mixing tank, airflow over Brisbane City Centre, airborne salt transport over Australia, droplet coalescence and runoff, turbulence modelling, etc.
But also in corrosion prediction, high speed fibre network, microclimate, mineral scale in pipes, finite elements for earthquake modelling, etc.

Outside of work and Uni, I have a good working knowledge of the following books:
Handbook of Chemistry and Physics
Capper and Cassie – The mechanics of engineering soils
Bondi – Relativity and common sense
Numerical recipes in Fortran
A. Zee – Quantum field theory in a nutshell
Coxeter – Regular polytopes, and other books on advanced geometry
I know my way around nonstandard analysis (infinite and infinitesimal numbers)

I’ve never missed an xkcd cartoon. I’ve never missed an apod picture

I used to be a fan of the following, each for many decades before realising my error:
Two wrong cosmological models (little big bang and swiss cheese)
A wrong theory of everything (supersymmetry)
The club of Rome – the limits to growth (I watched all their predictions fail, one after another)
The IPCC (I cried when I realised that they were deliberately withholding essential information and misusing statistics)

I used to be a member of Scientists Against Nuclear Arms
I used to be a paid-up cynic

Author of (privately published) “The Halls of Jamaica: Allegonda’s legacy”
Author of Good Scientist Cartoon
Author of (unpublished book) “The nearest stars”

I have a chromosomal disorder (translocation), and that led to me having a severely retarded child who died at age 3, which led to a brief stay at a mental hospital. So I have a knowledge of chromosomal disorders, psychiatrists and psychologists. As a hangover from that time I need an exorcist – I still occasionally struggle with demonic possession.

When speaking, I can’t put two sentences together without making a terrible mistake.

I’m twice married, but don’t have friends because I have an unfortunate knack of alienating everybody.

Mentally, I’m like a Hooke not a Newton.
I’ve always had the mental trick of asking myself questions before anybody else does, and finding the answer by search or by approximate calculation. This keeps me one step ahead of everyone else. If I don’t know the answer, then I will dig and dig until I find out.

Case in point, two days ago I was asked if I knew any C.J. Dennis’ poems that are not in “Sentimental Bloke”. So I spent a happy yesterday reading everything I could find, three of his other books, and writings I dug out of the Melbourne Herald on Trove.

When mentally healthy, I’m a critic. When mentally unhealthy, I’m a dreamer. I’m not creative, except in the sense of interpolation.

I have an interest in things, not people. But I don’t remember ‘things’, I remember ‘processes’.

That’s fine moll, but might I suggest with areas you are less familiar such as environment matters which have many influences, that you do your research first including the most recent scientific investigations and only then make your opinions known.

I’m not sure why you believe that you are possessed. Perhaps unpacking that with mental health support could be healing.

monkey skipper said:

I’m not sure why you believe that you are possessed. Perhaps unpacking that with mental health support could be healing.

Yes. One part of being a scientist and cynic is tthat demons aren’t actually real.

roughbarked said:

monkey skipper said:

I’m not sure why you believe that you are possessed. Perhaps unpacking that with mental health support could be healing.

Yes. One part of being a scientist and cynic is that demons aren’t actually real.

Yeah, unfortunately I’m human, not 100% pure scientist.

As a scientist I would call it Jung’s shadow archaetype. It is present as a verbally self-destructive impulse and as a speaker of unwanted Tourette-like utterances. I have to be on my guard against it far more than most people, because it will trip me up if I let it.

Calling it a demon is easier.

mollwollfumble said:

As a scientist I would call it Jung’s shadow archaetype. It is present as a verbally self-destructive impulse and as a speaker of unwanted Tourette-like utterances. I have to be on my guard against it far more than most people, because it will trip me up if I let it.

Vocal Stimming

mollwollfumble said:

Worked at CSIRO
Mostly on computational fluid dynamics – mining sludge, algae pond, mixing tank, airflow over Brisbane City Centre, airborne salt transport over Australia, droplet coalescence and runoff, turbulence modelling, etc.

Are you still available on email for a chat about CFD being used to test a couple of ideas I have? One is a rocket nozzle that has a lower peak efficiency but a much wider area of efficiency, and the other about reducing the overpressure wave for supersonic aircraft.

My assessment of you : you’re fine

You can string sentences together

You’re not possessed. Possessed people have a completely different vibe.