Friday, February 02, 2007

Feierabend

I went to work today, and am now enjoying that relieved feeling at the end of a working day. Germans like to call this Feierabend (literally celebration evening).

My first work project is to help prepare an exam about electromagnetism. I've forgotten almost everything I knew about this subject, so I had to get a textbook from the library. I was most pleased to see my old friend "Electromagnetic Waves and Radiating Systems" by Edward Jordan and Keith Balmain. It is a delightful book, although a little dated. Luckily electromagnetic theory hasn't changed over the last 50 years, although labour relations, feminism and household appliances have come on a bit since the 50's, as demonstrated by the following quote from the book.


A man can do work for a 12-hour day at the rate of about 40 Watts, which is less than the power required to run his wife's electric washing machine.

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