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| Personal background |
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I'm an inquisitive type of individual with a mad-scientist mentality who enjoys problem solving - the bigger the better! I try to think outside the box, but I'm also very skeptical of things that reek of psuedo-science or supernatural behavior. I reject the line of thinking which says "there are some things we are just not meant to know or understand". Invoking supernatural explanations for things we don't (yet) understand is a waste of time. My personal mantra is: There's no such thing as magic - only a lack of understanding.
I have a background in both analog and digital electronics. I've done some digital design work and have done a few embedded processor projects. Have also done some programming projects at various levels. I'm currently employed at the Applied Research Lab at PSU where I do work and testing on various types of sonar systems.
Past and current hobbies include amateur astronomy, telescope making, telescope drive systems (motion control). I also enjoy building and flying R/C aircraft - both planes and helicopters.
Although I have no formal background in Physics or Cosmology, I often spend time pondering the "big" questions in these fields. Like many people, I'm deeply interested in how we got here and what possibilities the future might hold for us and our children.
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| Thoughts about SETI and SETI@home |
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I have to believe the chances of contacting life beyond our planet are extremely remote. I would think SETI not worth the effort if the potential pay-off weren't so enormous.
I think this not only because of the vastness of space, but also because of the extremely tiny time window in the evolution of an alien intelligence in which they'd be able to, or would be interested in contacting us.
But - the payoff could really transform humanity. Any alien intelligence which would be able to, or be interested in contacting us would likely be somewhere near our level of technology (probably within a few hundred years by our scale).
The motivation to make more direct contact would be irrestible and would give us a fantastic goal and new sense of purpose. The explorer spirit in humanity could be re-ignited brighter than it has been in our entire history.
The revival of that explorer spirit could very well make the difference in the long-term survival of humanity.
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