Going to the OSS Summit North America 2023, I’ve reconnected with the area that gave me a new life in 2005. Seeing Seattle through the clouds then really revived me. I was at a loss after leaving my future wife in Russia without a plan to reunite. I was ensconced in my Cranbury apartment recompiling Linux kernel, going to Small World cafe and Bay Head to the shore. I got an interview at Amazon and went there. It has changed my life.

I like coming back. Vancouver reminded me of that PNW spirit. Walking among glass buildings with the sea between them. Boats going out to sea. Coffee shops with techies coding and lattes called.

This time I took the seaplane up from Lake Union. Landed at the Vancouver Harbor, getting ready to take an Uber to the Convention Centre, and then saw a guy with a sigh for the summit. In 5 minutes I was at the PyTorch talk! Took Amtrak Cascades back, so many people enjoying themselves on the tidal sands. Summer is coming! And our regular road trip up North.

We had an event unveiling the Lab of the Future, enabling Accelerated Discovery.

There are seasons here.

Sakharov predicted convergence of socialism and capitalism. If he’d awoke in Zürich he’d think that happened. Outside of my hotel, Grälischhof, there a Grant Thornton bank. And on the way to IBM there are many buildings that would fit right in the USSR.

The lab is set in nature. Previous time I was here (2019) there was a wild cat hunting in the fields.

The science is great and the lab is conducive of thinking big and grand. I got a temporary office with photos of past engineers. The Think lab is a setting predisposing one to communicate and share — which I did with my OSSci station and three screens.