Geek On Conference: Chaos Mathematics Day 2-5

The discoveries so far are:
1. "Mathematics is the language of the nature"... and I don't speak this language - but it's never too late to learn.
2. Chaos is NOT the same as randomness. There are relations between the behavior of elements in the chaotic system, while there are no patterns in noise.
3. With Alex and Stephan we build Zeeman machine (see photo below), collected data from it and fitted chaos model into it. This taught me a very interesting lesson about how catastrophe theory works.

4. European Parliament is cool.
5. Psychology is complex physics.
6. More Belgian Beer!
Carolus Classic (8.1%) - classic, strong, distinctive, dark, expensive... strong...
Chimay (~8%) - typical street-type, cheap, not-so-special
Westmalle Trappist Dark (6.5%) - very German, both in taste and design
Primus (5.1%) yet another cheap beer that is very light comparing to above, and taste a bit like Polish lager...
Duvel (8.5%) - a king's beer, my favorite so far, I have at least one every evening since I came here, beautiful beer that is very strong in the effect, and has very complex taste, you can get addicted, honestly
Leffe (?%) - typical, cheap, barrel bear, quite casual comparing to other possibilities
Abbeye des Rocks (9%) - it rocks, made but some monks I think, they know the shit, it makes your brain bubble withing 2 minutes ;-)
Palm (6.1%) - dark and slightly fruity, not impressed actually

Westmalle Trappist White (9.5%) - strongest I had so far, don't get cheated by light design of label, it is a killer, I only had small glass from this bottle and... I woke up the next day...

And the last photo presents a common viewpoint in Belgium ;-)

Geek On Conference: Application of Chaos Mathematics in Psychological Research

(La Foresta, Belgium, 22nd May - 1st April)

This is an ultimate ERASMUS training. Fifty PhD students from 12 different universities and 14 professors closed in old monastery (now converted into conference center) for 10 days. We will try to figure out how to apply non-linear dynamic systems, catastrophe theory and Bayesian modeling in psychological research. Every day there are 10 hours of workshops, seminars, tutorials, practical sessions. It is hard. Extremely hard. But the interdisciplinary mix of people from psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, mathematics and computing are making it a unique workshop.

We only arrived today, but I will report regularly from La Foresta to update you on this amazing and strange training.