Reflective Geometry

My mobile phone currently thinks I am in Germany... interesting.

I'm not sure if I've shared information on my method of transport to work. I live in a tiny village, Villigen, about a 20 minute walk from PSI. By velo the commute is a happy 5 minutes. PSI have a "user office" where they loan bicycles for a maximum of two weeks, so I was delighted when my boss and his wife offered me the use of his wife's bike for the duration of my stay. They have a brand new baby so she's not going to be doing much cycling... Anyway, I was certain upon receiving said bike that it was a kamikaze bike: One brake, on the front wheel. Now I don't know about you, but I was not aware that some bicycles had a braking method operated by cycling backwards. One snapped (and repaired, thank you Bennie) front brake and more practice at this new method of braking later, and I am doing quite well. Cycling is a very popular passtime in Switzerand. My means to an end is quite enjoyable, although I do miss my own bike which has gears and all things nice... if I had my own bike I'd be more inclined to cycle beyond work and the supermarket.

I am quite pleased with my achievements at work this week. I have changed the laser set-up to fit the new "reflective" test-mode. Which essentially means that instead of all the components being in a straight line ("transmission mode"), they are layed out in a triangular formation, so the laser beam can hit the sample at an angle then reflect onto the course of the CCD (camera/detector which captures the diffraction patterns - ie. the sample images). If I hadn't been on my own all week I'd have achieved more, but since it's just been me and it's all new to me, I am quite pleased. I am slightly worried by the fact that I've only a few weeks left in which to make some major discovery and write a report about it.. and the exam looms ever closer. The website is a pain in the backside because I wanted to finish it three weeks ago and I still haven't. Readers, I will force you to follow the link to the website when I finally put it up.

Photos are now organised, hallelujah.. no more scrolling through the previous month to get to new pictures!