Week 1, Day 3

My quals for the PhD program in nuclear science and engineering at MIT are going to happen in the first or second week of February 2026, so I’m blogging my progress on my work (master’s thesis, qual practice problems, research, classes) to keep me on track and motivated.

This morning, I missed the bus and had to uber to MIT’s campus to catch a seminar on Microscopic Energy Trasnport in Emerging Energy, Electronic, and Quantum Materials. It’s finals week and 10 am is early (?) for a seminar, so I was just one of two people there. I managed to ask one question; my professor thinks that everyone should ask at least one question during any talk or presentation in order to force yourself to pay attention and learn at least ONE new thing.

By the time I got back to my office, chatted with my partner, ate lunch, I didn’t start actually working until 1 pm. During lunch, the post-doc in my group told me that actually the most popular theory among high-energy theorists on how our universe is going to end is the "vacuum freeze." Basically, the theory is that right now, we're not in actual vacuum, but at some point, there will be some "true" vacuum bubble which may spontaneously form and then expand and move across the universe as a ball of nothing at the speed of light to consume everything in its path. Then in the afternoon, I went to another lecture on coherent states.

Things I accomplished today

Classes

I did nothing for this class today. I’ll perservere tomorrow.

Research

I finished the first chapter of my master’s thesis. Like, did final read through, finished. I have four more chapters to finish in the next thirteen days. Actually, the Dec 16 deadline isn’t a hard deadline but a self-imposed deadline because I want to get this over with and focus on just practicing problems for my quals.

Quals

I worked through another problem!

Miscellaneous

I caught up on some emails on the bus home, and I tried to call a lawyer hotline for some water bill issues we’re facing at my house. Also I went to the gym! I did entirely lower body workouts (romanian dumbell deadlifts, hipthrusts). I also attempted to fix my hair. I think I fixed it—or at least it’s in better shape than yesterday. I’m not gonna cut anymore because I’m afraid I’m not gonna stop.