Maybe it's the accent...

Believe it or not, when I first met Simon I was really intimidated by him. As a prospective student at Stanford, I briefly chatted with him. Instead of the usual small talk, he asked me very direct questions about my interests and intentions for the future. I was distressed when my answers did not seem to be satisfactory. I walked away questioning my future, and I was intimidated by the obviously superior intellect. Who knows... maybe it was just the sophisticated British accent.

I took classes and seminars from Simon. I watched as student after student squirmed under the barrage of questions from him. Not just questions, but really really good questions. Insightful questions. The kind you desperately wish that you had thought of yourself.

The most embarrassing moment (for me) came during one his lectures: as he was making a point about interpreting seismic data, he suddenly looked at me and said something like, "what's 100/10?" Although I realized that this was the easiest question ever, I froze like a deer in headlights. I was supposed to shout out the answer to verify that I was, in fact, following the lecture. Instead I melted into my chair.

On a recent field trip, I saw the other side. In addition to being a strong-minded professor, he is also warm, funny, thoughtful, and devoted to his family. I learned that when he asks assertive questions, it's because he just wants to KNOW. I really like talking to Simon, and his awesome wife Mary. Plus, once you've seen a guy play with Barbies, it's hard to find him intimidating. Happy birthday Professor Klemperer!