This month's issue of SIAM news had a beautiful story of how one hard problem in mathematics was solved in less than six weeks using online collaboration. SIAM's story is not online yet, but here is another link to the same story .   SIAM news refers to a "super-mathematician" coming out of several individual mathematician spread all over the world.

I was just wondering if a similar thing is possible in applied mechanics. imechania seems ideally suited for that. 

Lately I am feeling like imechanica is becoming a craigslist for mechanics than a forum. Most recent blogs are simply ads that do not generate any discussion. Neither do questions from people get any reply, not any where near to what it used to be.

The last journal club had about five or so replies and the current one has no comment with two days to end.

Is it just me or does any body else feel the same too? I feel we have to think about how we can have a community here than just a repository of mechanics related stuff.  

I am in the process of applying for a PhD in computational solid mechanics in the US and I am about to take the GRE. Well I have been kind of busy at my work and didn't really get time to study the word list.

My question is, how much weight does the verbal part have in admission/fellowship/assistantship decisions? If I have really good GPA's and research experience with enthusiastic refrees, can I still make it with medicore results on the verbal part?