| Personal background |
|---|
Sean O'Neill, aged 45 (in April of 2007-the date of his registration with Seti@home) lives in Ontario Canada. He is a forcefully retired entreprenuer who is, like many, struggling to find meaning and a place in the world that both fulfills himself and lends an optimal contribution to his world. Amature astronomy, inventing things and environmental collaboration are amongst the many interests that have his attention. Presently, his vocation and source of income involves a project which has already saved thousands of acres of forests from the clear cut logging methods being used in northern Quebec and Ontario. Now his own words upon lending computing time to Seti@home:
"What can I add that Jodi Foster hasn't already contributed. I'm right there with her in the desert with headphones on next to the big array in New Mexico(I did drive there from Ontario Canada and arrived at about 1am to the thunderously silent applause of a canopy of the brightest stars I've ever seen). Carl Sagan is my hero for such an inspirational life so well lived. There is so much behind and in between the words of his many works, it would take the full time study many 'normal' lives (like my own humble one) to really do such genius any meaningful respect.
Richard C Hoagland, Bill Gates, Opra, Art Bell, George Noorey, Mitsu Kaku, and many others have turned my head on occasion. Yes, 90% fringe, but its the 10% that makes life worth living isn't it!
So, to anyone who's interested in the motives of a recent Seti@home recruit, lets just sum it up to me feeling a little more connected to what might one day be the 'most meaningful events in human history, or history of histories'
All my very best to you and as FDR says:
'do what you can, with what you've got, where you are, with those around you, with all you've got to give, to as many as you can reach'
Sean, April 2007 |
| Thoughts about SETI and SETI@home |
|---|
1. To contribute in some small way to a cause that is worth something.
2. Disclosure is an issue. What is the policy about disclosure? How do we know it will be executed as stated? Are we not all entitled to know about even interesting 'close-call' signals that are discovered? One possibly empowering act might be to set up SETI as a publicly traded company that must report all to its shareholders. Run like a company but not only for profit, thus investors would be attracted by the concept of contributing and potentially being 'in' on the greatest potential discovery ever. A policy of disclosure after 3 yrs to the general public but not before the company profits can be harvested would suit me fine.
3. Consider expansion into other ways of 'contact' via other wave frequencies than just 'radio' waves. Even our civilization will soon go analog-silent as it switches to digital and other 'non-standard' radio frequencies. Get an experiment on board the next 'voyager' class deep space launch that will point back at earth from increasingly distant points in order to see what we should be looking for from a distance in space. Does the signal become diffuse? How far do our own signals really travel and with what quality? Does the background inter-galactic static play a measurable part that mutes the earth's radia signals after 1 or 10 light years? Lets get something out there and measure how earth sounds from 1, 2, 5 and then 10 light years away.
Seth has been doing a great job in the publicity department! Keep up the good work but watch out for being relegated to the 'UFO-nutters club'. Affiliation, even fleeting, with the likes of people who rub shoulders with John Lear types could prove damaging to the whole SETI program's credibility. This I say from the vantage of a common member of the sentient public. Please make friends with the likes of Richard Branson who have shown an interest in things from and of space. He and others like him will keep the wheels well oiled with the necessary funds and provide great ideas for relevant opportunities for the whole SETI program.
Again, thanks for listening and my very best wishes for all involved. And, yes, I'm looking for a job. ! (call me :>) |
| Your feedback on this profile |
|---|
| Recommend this profile for User of the Day: |
I like this profile |
| Alert administrators to an offensive profile: |
I do not like this profile |
|
| Account data |
View |
| Team |
None |
|
