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| Personal background |
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I am 68 years old, retired, and living on the edge of Washington DC. I've been a waiter, a journalist, scientific book and magazine editor, systems analyst, professional comic, and merchant. I am deeply interested in the subject of cosmology, especially as it has become an experimental science.
I have one vintage wife, and one young, huge tawny cat (Prince Gregory of Bethesda). And recently, as I sat looking out my window, I saw a very beautiful Indigo Bunting on my feeder. In hopes of seeing him again I am trying to teach the Prince (a natural born ornithophage)to take up ornithology instead.
My interests, in addition to cosmology and space science in general, include history, gardening and bird watching. I am fanatic about none of them. I DO NOT believe in flying saucers, alien abductions, astrology, atlantis, or that Republicans care about the welfare of others. While I understand so many people's need for religion, I must admit I despise them all equally.
I have taken as my motto: THE MOTHER OF FOOLS IS ALWAYS PREGNANT |
| Thoughts about SETI and SETI@home |
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I am sure that there is life beyond this planet. The discoveries that we have made in the past few years show that wherever life can exist it does exist. As to when and where we will discover it, its pretty much up to how willing we are as a civilization to spend what it will take to go and look. Our robots are becoming more and more sophisticated, and I think that if one of them detects a sign of life on Mars or Europa, the impetus will be given to send humans. But we'd better be careful of contamination in both directions.
As for a beacon for others to find, we've been sending signals into space for a long time now. I believe that given a level of technology not much more advanced than ours these signals are detectable a long way away --of course they 've only gone out about 50 lightyears so far. Since the best we can hope for is to let others know that they are not alone, I don't think it matters too much what the signal contains. We won't be having chats with anyone out there unless we can take advantage of some apparent quantum tricks to circumvent the speed limit.
I run S@H because its a way to participate in a pure scientific venture. I hope, but do not expect, that the true WOW signal will come in my time. But come it will I know. |
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