Welcome to Ask The Dean's Journal

What do I like to do in my spare time?

The keys to success in any field, not just science, are hard work, more hard work, perseverance, and relaxation. The first three keys leave very little time for the fourth, but the fourth element – relaxation- is essential. It is not so much how one relaxes that is important, but that one finds time to relax. These leisure moments may be spent listening to music, reading, exercising, BASE jumping, etc.. These stolen moments allow time for our minds to relax and the thoughts of the day to percolate on the back burner. You will be amazed at the clarity these “distracted” moments bring to the burning questions of your day. In his book "Einstein: Hs Life and Universe", Walter Isaacson relates how Einstein would often have eureka moments not when tediously pouring over some tedious equation, but while playing his violin or listening to a symphony. The mere process of relaxation distracts the mind and in this relaxed environment the answers to the day’s questions bubble to the surface. I am not saying relaxation will make you an Einstein, but it may prevent you from becoming an Elmer Fudd!

So, how do I spell relief? I enjoy reading (mostly nonfiction), cooking (because I love to eat), and bicycling (again because I like to eat). I find great serenity peddling the hours away…alone…on my bicycle…on a country road. It affords me time alone, a time free from e-mail and the issues of the day. A time, as my Indian friends would say, to get back into balance. So I would urge you all to step away from the computer and chill out for a while.