Goettingen

My last night in Goettingen. My talk and David Kleinfeld's were today. Here are some highlights of the stay. The shelf pictured below was one of many in the Max Planck Institute foyer, full of fascinating handmade geometrical objects.

For Anselm: the toystore on Prinzerstrasse was a beauty.


Above you see Sara, Michael and David, three fine neuroscientists, in a Biergarten. A surprising thrill was a city tour this evening, where we learnt about the remarkable academic history of Goettingen and the mighty intellects who have passed through. The brothers Grimm, for instance, and Weber were among the "Goettingen Seven" who protested the withdrawal of the liberal constitution of King Wilhelm IV by his autocratic brother Ernest Augustus. The photograph to the left is taken in the university cells, where students spent between 1 and 14 days for University misdemenours. The worst offender of all time was Bismarck, who spent 14 days several times for seconding duels (strictly forbidden).