Stony Brook University, United States
I am a member of the DUNE Spokespersons Advisory Committee. Scientifically, this is a very, very, challenging project. We’re going to measure CP violation in neutrinos to address the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe, one of the most profound questions in science. It’s exciting to tackle that, and the way we choose to do it is challenging. It’s like climbing Mount Everest — when you go up a peak, it’s challenging. But you go with partners — that camaraderie, the friendship you build, is incredible. You have your own view of the world at the peak. I also like meeting new people, especially young people — help them, mentor them and then assist them to find their goals in life and be successful and be happy. I’m hoping all young people can have all that feeling of discovery when they get to the peak. I was a really, really bad student in college. My graduating GPA was 2.73 with two probations. I can confidently say that in the history of American higher education, I had the lowest GPA to get a graduate school fellowship — not a good example to follow.
I did write some music that became popular in South Korea. I wrote a mountain song — it had a yodel part — when I was captain of the Alpine Club in university. When I went back years later, they were having a campfire party. They were singing this song, and I asked how they came to learn it. They said it was popular among alpine clubs in Korea. I was surprised that, 30 years later, they were singing the song I wrote. One of the guys at the campfire party had a connection to Mountain Magazine, and they sent a reporter the next day. The magazine interviewed me, and they were happy to find the composer.