Scenes from the AAAS

It has been quite a crazy few days since I left for the AAAS meeting in Chicago:

• Thursday, reaffirmed my faith (shared by the family Obama) that Avec is one of my favorite restaurants in the country, but I can't figure out how to describe it
• Friday, grappling with the almost-unmanageable AAAS sprawl, learning a bit about scientists in Hollywood, and huge events by Sean B. Carroll, Al Gore, and the Ig Nobel folks
• Saturday, skipping the science of kissing for the arts of getting scientific insight to Congress (with the impressive Bill Foster), learning about the human propensity for blinkenlights at the BNL booth, the joys of neo-Origami, Chicago evening fireworks on the river, and the fun of science journalist parties (and congrats to the AAAS award winners!)
• Sunday, the wonders of Houlihan's breakfast, surviving our symposium (audience shown above!), missing the Higgs discussion at the FNAL/CERN symposium, and bumping into a few physioblogospheric luminaries (yes, that's two Sean Carrolls in three days...)

A few attempts at documentary photography can be found in the usual place.

And more to come on the symposium itself.  I'm still processing things -- e.g. our crashing symmetry magazine's site with thousands of hits, apparently thanks to Digg.