Off to Durham...

I've been invited to attend a symposium in Durham that starts this Friday. The difference between a symposium and a conference is that the attendees are expected to participate. As a PhD student this means I am expected to present a poster. I have known about it for some time but of course have only just finished my poster catchily entitled M-Theory Solutions in Multiple Signatures from E11 (click for larger version): I'm not really sure what is expected from a poster session. The few I have been to have rarely involved much participation from the person who made the poster; consequently I have tried to encourage as much self-reliance as possible from whomever may look at mine by including lots to read. Despite the purpose of the whole poster concept being a little vague, it has been fun making one, not least because I got to reacquaint myself with colours!

The symposium I am attending is actually a London Mathematical Society meeting, but is occurring in Durham, which is fine by me, I'm looking forward to some fresh air. The symposium title is Geometry, Conformal Field Theory and String Theory and judging from the programme they will be keeping us busy. That said, if possible, I will try and write up some notes from the talks, in my usual half-understood style. Although perhaps I am being optimistic to hope I will understand as much as one-half :)

Postscript: Thanks to Jenn See I have stopped being quite so pessimistic for a bit so I challenge you all to fight my giant battle monster, Mumrah:

mumrah is a Human-Sized Man-Eating Plant that eats Rocks, leaves a Trail of Goo, was brought back from a Distant Volcanic Island, Hovers Eerily, picks up Cars and Throws Them, and CANNOT BE STOPPED. Strength: 7 Agility: 5 Intelligence: 8 To see if your Giant Battle Monster can defeat mumrah, enter your name and choose an attack: fights mumrah using Strength Agility Intelligence