[Beowulf] Intro question

[Robert G. Brown]

On Fri, 5 Dec 2008, Prentice Bisbal wrote:

> John Hearns wrote:
>>
>>
>> 2008/12/5 Robert G. Brown <rgb at phy.duke.edu <mailto:rgb at phy.duke.edu>>
>>
>>
>>     He has had ads in computer magazines -- at least small ads in the back
>>     -- for years and years.  Usually for physicists and mathematicians.  One
>>     of the few people it looked like it would be interesting to work for,
>>     actually.
>>
>> I was very interested in working for DE Shaw - they have an office in
>> London, and it would
>> have been an easy commute for me. It sounded an interesting place to
>> work, and they obviously
>> have some very bright people there.
>> Sadly I didn't make it past the application stage. Que sera sera.
>
> I read an article about D.E. Shaw that I wanted to link to, but couldn't
> find it. In that article, it said that not only is his company very
> secretive, but you don't apply there as much as they find you. They
> allegedly read all the academic journals and find the top scientists in
> the world, and then try to court them to work for D.E. Shaw. Being
> offered a job there is like winning a Nobel, allegedly.  I guess that
> doesn't necessarily apply to sys admins, since they were advertising
> very heavily for them a couple of years ago.

Sure, but remember the numbers.  There are a LOT of scientists, and most
of them are busy, too busy to move to NY and work for DES.  I think that
they used the ad as one way of learning about physics, math, etc Ph.D's
who were self-selected interested and demonstrably computer geeks,
because the ads appeared as one tiny box at the end of e.g. Sun Expert
or Byte -- a cheap ad in the classified section, no pictures, very
mysterious, clearly a think-tank sort of thing -- in every issue.
Clearly looking for e.g. physicists who were into neural networks and
complex systems and so on.  Which I was and am, but a) I don't publish
in the field -- they're the basis for my own entrepreneurial activities
and "secret"; and b) I wouldn't live in NYC for literally any money in
the world.  If one made a million a year and spent most of it one could
probably live decently and not save very much.  I really like living in
one of the most civilized enclaves in the world in NC.

Wait, forget I said that.  North Carolina is a TERRIBLE place to live.
Nobody should ever move here.  It's just awful, hot in the summer and
cold in the winter, and who cares about basketball and the arts anyway?

Yes, you're really better off living where you do already...;-)

    rgb

Robert G. Brown	                       http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/
Duke University Dept. of Physics, Box 90305
Durham, N.C. 27708-0305
Phone: 1-919-660-2567  Fax: 919-660-2525     email:rgb at phy.duke.edu