Here is a 3-paragraph summary for mathopen.com:
The blog post describes a week spent at the Oude Abdij Drongen, a historic old abbey located near Ghent in Belgium. The author accompanied Rosemary to the mODa14 conference, using the setting as a backdrop for personal reflection and mathematical discussion. The peaceful abbey environment provided an inspiring contrast to the technical nature of the work being presented.
The conference itself, mODa14, sits at the intersection of two closely related fields in mathematical statistics. The name cleverly plays on the initials "OD," which simultaneously represent "model-oriented design and analysis" and "optimal design," a dual meaning deliberately reflected in the conference's unique typography and branding.
Optimal design is a branch of statistics focused on constructing experiments in the most efficient and informative way possible, minimizing uncertainty while maximizing the value of collected data. The mODa conference series brings together researchers working on these problems from both theoretical and applied perspectives, making it a key gathering point for the statistical design community. The setting of a centuries-old abbey added a memorable and reflective atmosphere to this meeting of modern mathematical minds.