One of the perks of an academic’s pre-pandemic life was the chance, at least once a week, to take a break from problem sets and proofs, and walk down the hall or across campus to sit in on cutting-edge research presented by invited experts from around the world. Offered through a department’s regular seminar series, these talks were also opportunities to get some friendly face-to-face with colleagues who were otherwise buried in their own work. And on occasion, a chance meeting or a raised question could spark a new collaboration…
