Profile: Austin Saylor

Personal background
I am originally from Toledo, OH but upon joining the USAF I was stationed in Colorado, Thule Greenland, and then back to Colorado! (not bad for an 8 year enlistment) I'm currently a DoD contractor working at Buckley AFB here in Aurora, CO working with AF Space Command.
I am a VERY happily married man to the girl I first kissed back in third grade. (how many guys can say that?) And I still think she's the most beautiful girl in the world!
Lastly, I've been a musician for over 23 years and am currently one of the founding members of a Denver-based industrial band called Throe Vein. You can check us out at http://www.throevein.net
Thoughts about SETI and SETI@home
You ask if I think extraterrestrial life exists - the odds say yes. :) And without getting into too much detail, with the things I've seen myself after working over 10 years in the AF space program I can honestly say we are not alone in this Universe. As to the "when" and "how" humans will discover extraterrestrial life (or vice versa) I cannot say - and the various ways it could happen are so numerous I don't think that could be accurately determined. I DO believe that SETI's vision is a sound one, else I wouldn't be taking part in the SETI@home program.
As to to the possible benefits and dangers of humans contacting alien life - again, the possibilities are practically endless (especially on the "benefits" side of the question.) But one danger I readily see is one of religion. I sincerely believe that the solid, undisputable discovery of extraterrestrial life could have an uprooting affect on many of our world's religions. Whether they themselves realize it or not, their doctrines largely rely on humans being the only lifeforms in existence. If that notion were shattered by such an important discovery, they would have to deal with the fact that their doctrines are in err - and most of the world's belief systems' egos cannot handle that. To redeem themselves (in their own eyes and in those of their followers) they would have to label such a discovery as "evil" or "the end of the world". It is my hope that I am under estimating the fiber of these types of groups (and of humanity for that matter) but my experience has taught me that under estimating people is usually best because they then seldom let you down.
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