The past few weeks have been very... interesting. I have started a new phase in my life, and I have been working to adapt to it. For the time being, I am not going to go into details, most of which would be boring anyway, but suffice to say I am looking forward to what the future holds.
That being said, I am happy to say that I have been working on and off on a new math/physics post that I would really like to get up soon. I still need to sit down and clean it up a bit, though. As of right now, I don't think I have very many (if any) regular readers, which is fine for now, but I don't want to put something out there that is way to complicated for any random visitors, and I could use the experience to work on my scientific communication skills.
That leads me to an interesting point. The purpose of this blog is more personal with the hopes that one day it may grow to a form of outreach to inspire others in math and physics. It also serves as an outlet for me to get some simple and at times more complicated writing done. I was fortunate a few years ago to meet with Neil deGrasse Tyson when he spoke at Georgia Tech. I asked him what he wanted those of us who were future scientists to know about communicating with the public. His response was very enlightening and educational. One major point that he made was about writing. He said that before he speaks with a group of people he has probably written everything he is going to say several times over beforehand in one form or another. The idea being that the more time you spend writing about science, the easier it will be able to talk about science. That is one reason I started this blog. It was a way to force myself to write more so I could improve my communication skills with those people around me, in particular with respect to science. I have learned over the years how important it is for us as scientists and science enthusiasts to communicate with those who have less exposure to science. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I would tell people I was studying astrophysics and they would ask why it was important. They were generally curious as to why we would care at all about exploding stars and other more obscure research that has little if any impact on our day to day lives. I think this an indication that we as scientists have not done a very good job at expressing the importance of our research to the general public. Most of us are content to stick to our academic circles and conferences and do as little outreach as required, but I am hopeful that we will begin to find new ways to reach out and teach and inspire those around us with the work we are doing. Most people who go into science don't do it for the paycheck, but because they truly want to explore the universe and make the world a better place. I think that point has been lost, especially in the past few years in regards to climate change. I believe that we can work to make the world a better place by reaching out and sharing who we are and why we do what we do. Hopefully, this blog will serve as a means to that end for not only myself, but others as well.
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Multi-messenger Astronomy
Recently, I was invited to give a talk at the Von Braun Astronomical Society. It was a wonderful experience. I am very passionate about science and astrophysics, and I am always excited to be able to share that passion with others in the community. In all honesty, when I was younger, I didn't appreciate those like Neil deGrasse Tyson and other "pop-physicists" who were so focused on scientific outreach. Over the years, however, I realized that what they do is so important. Given that there are so many people who are so ignorant about science, I think it is extremely important for us as scientists to try to reach out and share what we do and how science works with the people around us.
That being said, my talk was about multi-messenger astronomy. The key point was that we are living in a very exciting time with regard to astronomical exploration. Man has been fascinated with the stars since the dawn of time. Then in the late 1500's, Galileo came along and pointed this new invention, the telescope, up toward the heavens, and he revolutionized science. I had a professor as an undergrad who said that the telescope was mankind's greatest invention, and I believe that there may be some truth in that. Since that time, we have used the whole of the electromagnetic spectrum from the very low energy energy cosmic microwave background radiation left over from the big bang all the way to the very energetic light of gamma rays from exploding stars to explore the universe. We have discovered so much about the universe since that time, and I am sure Galileo could not have even imagined some of the things we have found, from galaxies and black holes to dark matter and dark energy. Now, in the past few years, we have started to build new types of telescopes. We have begun to explore gravitational waves with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO). On top of that we have started to look for the tiniest of particles called neutrinos from the cosmos in experiments such as the IceCube Neutrino Observatory.
These two new observatories, LIGO and IceCube, are looking into the heavens for the first time, just like when Galileo first pointed his telescope up into the sky. And just like Galileo, we have no idea what we will find. We are living in a very exciting time for the exploration of the universe and I look forward to our next steps!
That being said, my talk was about multi-messenger astronomy. The key point was that we are living in a very exciting time with regard to astronomical exploration. Man has been fascinated with the stars since the dawn of time. Then in the late 1500's, Galileo came along and pointed this new invention, the telescope, up toward the heavens, and he revolutionized science. I had a professor as an undergrad who said that the telescope was mankind's greatest invention, and I believe that there may be some truth in that. Since that time, we have used the whole of the electromagnetic spectrum from the very low energy energy cosmic microwave background radiation left over from the big bang all the way to the very energetic light of gamma rays from exploding stars to explore the universe. We have discovered so much about the universe since that time, and I am sure Galileo could not have even imagined some of the things we have found, from galaxies and black holes to dark matter and dark energy. Now, in the past few years, we have started to build new types of telescopes. We have begun to explore gravitational waves with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO). On top of that we have started to look for the tiniest of particles called neutrinos from the cosmos in experiments such as the IceCube Neutrino Observatory.
These two new observatories, LIGO and IceCube, are looking into the heavens for the first time, just like when Galileo first pointed his telescope up into the sky. And just like Galileo, we have no idea what we will find. We are living in a very exciting time for the exploration of the universe and I look forward to our next steps!
Thursday, July 07, 2016
Another Overdue Update
The past month has been somewhat busy... Though to be honesty, it always feels busy. I am still trying to get caught up on reading. I am trying to get back into hobbies that had to take a backseat to grad school. I am also looking for jobs inside and outside of academia. I have also been trying to get out and stay active lately. In January, I started to increase my exercise by walking around the neighborhood a few times a week. Since then I have started walking around 3 miles a day 3-5 days a week. On top of that I am getting more involved in Yoseikan. So my exercise level is staying up for the most part.
As far as hobbies go, I recently did some flying and scuba diving. I went flying a couple weeks ago and did a handful of takeoffs and landings so I am at least now day current. It was nice to be able to just work on some landings without having to deal with any other flight planning. It has been a long time since I just did landings by myself. Usually, I am either with my instructor trying to work on something or with some friends and/or family and flying off somewhere for lunch.
A few days after flying I was able to get out and do some scuba diving down at the rock quarry in Pelham. I went down with a few other people either doing training or getting a refresher like myself. It was great to be back in the water again. I forgot how nice it could be. The one downside is that I had a problem with my regulator and now I am going to have to get it repaired before I can use it again, but that was going to happen either way.
The job hunt has been a little slow, but I was so focused on this job at the South Pole, now that I won't be getting that job, it has taken a little bit to get things figured out and to get refocused. I have a few things here and there that I am looking at, but nothing solid yet. I am also excited that in about a week, I will be giving a talk at the Von Braun Astronomical Society about my PhD research and IceCube. It will be the first public talk I have given in a long time, and really the first ever on my research. All of my other talks involving my research have been very technical to other astrophysicists, so this will be a fun experience. I get to try to excite a bunch of amateur astronomers about particle astrophysics!
Overall things are going well. I am just trying to figure out the next step in life. Sometimes it can be stressful, but at other times, it is very exciting. I am very optimistic about what the future holds.
As far as hobbies go, I recently did some flying and scuba diving. I went flying a couple weeks ago and did a handful of takeoffs and landings so I am at least now day current. It was nice to be able to just work on some landings without having to deal with any other flight planning. It has been a long time since I just did landings by myself. Usually, I am either with my instructor trying to work on something or with some friends and/or family and flying off somewhere for lunch.
A few days after flying I was able to get out and do some scuba diving down at the rock quarry in Pelham. I went down with a few other people either doing training or getting a refresher like myself. It was great to be back in the water again. I forgot how nice it could be. The one downside is that I had a problem with my regulator and now I am going to have to get it repaired before I can use it again, but that was going to happen either way.
The job hunt has been a little slow, but I was so focused on this job at the South Pole, now that I won't be getting that job, it has taken a little bit to get things figured out and to get refocused. I have a few things here and there that I am looking at, but nothing solid yet. I am also excited that in about a week, I will be giving a talk at the Von Braun Astronomical Society about my PhD research and IceCube. It will be the first public talk I have given in a long time, and really the first ever on my research. All of my other talks involving my research have been very technical to other astrophysicists, so this will be a fun experience. I get to try to excite a bunch of amateur astronomers about particle astrophysics!
Overall things are going well. I am just trying to figure out the next step in life. Sometimes it can be stressful, but at other times, it is very exciting. I am very optimistic about what the future holds.
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Random Inspiration
I have always loved the stars. I remember when I was a kid, I would go out with a cheap telescope and try to use it without really having any idea what I was doing. It was mostly enough for me to just be outside starring up at the night sky. At the time, I had no idea that I would ever actually end up studying astronomy and astrophysics in school or even end up now moving towards a career in astrophysics. But even when I was younger and considering other career paths, the stars always captivated me.
I remember hearing people say that learning too much of the mechanics of something can detract from its beauty, but it was opposite with me. The more I have learned about astrophysics, the more captivated I can become when I step out on a clear night and just look up. Though, to be completely honest, sometimes I get a little complacent or jaded. I can get so wrapped up in looking through the telescope that I forget all the amazing beauty that I am seeing, but then out of nowhere it hits me afresh. That love of the stars and the inspiration will hit me when I least expect it. I had an experience like that last night.
I went to VBAS, our local planetarium, for the public show. Usually, I don't get too much new information out of the public shows, but it can be nice to chat with people or maybe learn a few little things here and there that I have missed in my studies. But last night was interesting. The talk was about Jupiter. I find Jupiter to be a fun object to observe, mostly because you can actually see structure such as bands and moons. But last night for some reason, I had one of those inspirational moments where I was caught up in the beauty and majesty of Jupiter and its moons in a whole new way.
The lecture wasn't particularly deep, and really, I am not sure I can quite put my finger on what was so amazing to me. Part of it was the thought of Jupiter out there with it's moons waiting for us to visit. The idea of an entire other planet so close to us and yet so far and so much larger than our small home world. The idea of future adventures that could allow mankind to one day branch out even farther in our exploration of of the stars. It was more than that, though. I remember hearing some of the facts and descriptions of the atmosphere and just trying to imagine what it would be like to travel down to the core of such a strange planet, and trying to imagine digging through the ice of the moons to see what is hiding down there. And then there was just something intangible that just kind of grabbed me through out the lecture. Something like hope, maybe, but not quite.
It's nights like last night that remind me why I have spent so much time studying astrophysics. I wish I could help other people see and feel what I did so they would understand how amazing and big our universe is. I want them to be inspired the way I am when I look up into the night sky. Hopefully, I will be able to better convey my awe and wonder as time goes on because our universe is truly an amazing place and there is still so much left to explore!
I remember hearing people say that learning too much of the mechanics of something can detract from its beauty, but it was opposite with me. The more I have learned about astrophysics, the more captivated I can become when I step out on a clear night and just look up. Though, to be completely honest, sometimes I get a little complacent or jaded. I can get so wrapped up in looking through the telescope that I forget all the amazing beauty that I am seeing, but then out of nowhere it hits me afresh. That love of the stars and the inspiration will hit me when I least expect it. I had an experience like that last night.
I went to VBAS, our local planetarium, for the public show. Usually, I don't get too much new information out of the public shows, but it can be nice to chat with people or maybe learn a few little things here and there that I have missed in my studies. But last night was interesting. The talk was about Jupiter. I find Jupiter to be a fun object to observe, mostly because you can actually see structure such as bands and moons. But last night for some reason, I had one of those inspirational moments where I was caught up in the beauty and majesty of Jupiter and its moons in a whole new way.
The lecture wasn't particularly deep, and really, I am not sure I can quite put my finger on what was so amazing to me. Part of it was the thought of Jupiter out there with it's moons waiting for us to visit. The idea of an entire other planet so close to us and yet so far and so much larger than our small home world. The idea of future adventures that could allow mankind to one day branch out even farther in our exploration of of the stars. It was more than that, though. I remember hearing some of the facts and descriptions of the atmosphere and just trying to imagine what it would be like to travel down to the core of such a strange planet, and trying to imagine digging through the ice of the moons to see what is hiding down there. And then there was just something intangible that just kind of grabbed me through out the lecture. Something like hope, maybe, but not quite.
It's nights like last night that remind me why I have spent so much time studying astrophysics. I wish I could help other people see and feel what I did so they would understand how amazing and big our universe is. I want them to be inspired the way I am when I look up into the night sky. Hopefully, I will be able to better convey my awe and wonder as time goes on because our universe is truly an amazing place and there is still so much left to explore!
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Getting into the grove of things
It has been a while since I have tried to keep up a blog, so I am still not quite back in the habit of posting regularly. Though, to be honest, I am not sure my other blogs were updated quite as often as they should have been either.
At any rate the past month has been quite interesting. I had a set of interviews up in Madison, WI for a job that I am interested in this past week. There are still a couple more candidates left to interview so it should be a few weeks before they make their final selections. One great thing about being in Madison was that I was able to get caught up with some IceCube collaboration friends I haven't seen in a while. There are a ton of wonderful people in the IceCube collaboration and in my time there I made many friends, but unfortunately, I haven't been able to see many of them in over a year. We still keep in touch on Facebook, but there is nothing like being able to sit down and visit and have a face to face chat with a good friend you haven't seen in a while.
I have still been trying to get a bunch of reading done. I have almost finished a few more books. One I did finish was Black Holes And Time Warps by Kip Thorne. I think I started reading this book years ago, but I kept getting distracted so I never finished it. So I recently restarted it and was able to get through it in about a week or so. It really is a great book for someone with a physics background. I loved reading about the history of the development of various topics in physics and how so many branches and researches were intertwined. That much of the book should be enjoyable with any interest in physics at all. The physics was very basic for me, but could end up being a little difficult for others without much physics experience. Overall, I really enjoyed the book.
I have also been reading a lot of physics papers. I still have a ton I want to read. One project I think I would like to do one day is to build an online collection of papers for grad students in particular. A listing of papers that are important for students to read as they enter particular research subjects, historical papers and review papers that are important to gain the basics of a subject or group of subjects. I think that would have helped me as grad student.
I also have a few other computer/physics projects floating around in the back of my mind that I might try to work on soon, but I am not ready to even try to put down any real plans yet. I'm going to have to let them float around a bit and see where they land.
At any rate the past month has been quite interesting. I had a set of interviews up in Madison, WI for a job that I am interested in this past week. There are still a couple more candidates left to interview so it should be a few weeks before they make their final selections. One great thing about being in Madison was that I was able to get caught up with some IceCube collaboration friends I haven't seen in a while. There are a ton of wonderful people in the IceCube collaboration and in my time there I made many friends, but unfortunately, I haven't been able to see many of them in over a year. We still keep in touch on Facebook, but there is nothing like being able to sit down and visit and have a face to face chat with a good friend you haven't seen in a while.
I have still been trying to get a bunch of reading done. I have almost finished a few more books. One I did finish was Black Holes And Time Warps by Kip Thorne. I think I started reading this book years ago, but I kept getting distracted so I never finished it. So I recently restarted it and was able to get through it in about a week or so. It really is a great book for someone with a physics background. I loved reading about the history of the development of various topics in physics and how so many branches and researches were intertwined. That much of the book should be enjoyable with any interest in physics at all. The physics was very basic for me, but could end up being a little difficult for others without much physics experience. Overall, I really enjoyed the book.
I have also been reading a lot of physics papers. I still have a ton I want to read. One project I think I would like to do one day is to build an online collection of papers for grad students in particular. A listing of papers that are important for students to read as they enter particular research subjects, historical papers and review papers that are important to gain the basics of a subject or group of subjects. I think that would have helped me as grad student.
I also have a few other computer/physics projects floating around in the back of my mind that I might try to work on soon, but I am not ready to even try to put down any real plans yet. I'm going to have to let them float around a bit and see where they land.
Sunday, March 20, 2016
So many books, so little time!
The past week has been somewhat good. I found out I made it to the next interview for the job I want, and I was asked to be a godfather again for a couple of my best friends next child. Both of those are very exciting, and to be honest, I am not sure which I am more excited by. I have also been kind of busy with various other things.
I decided to try to read a book a week this year... So far, I have only read three books. I am way behind! I could have sworn there was one more book I had read, but for the life of me, I can't figure out what it would have been. Overall, I don't feel like this is something I have to be too overwhelmed by if I don't meet my goals. Really, I just want to read more, and having a goal helps keep me motivated. While my books tend to be somewhat varied in nature, lately they are almost all at least semi-nonfiction. I say "semi" because one was a bit of a biographical fiction. It was mostly true, but with some details modified here and there to make it a little more allegorical.
The books so far:
I have actually been going through some old physics text books as well. It has actually been fun reviewing without the pressure of school behind them. On that note, I am also thinking about doing some electronics review. I will probably spend some time on YouTube over the next few weeks watching electronics videos to get back into the grove of things.
I have also been trying to keep active with yoseikan. I forgot how much fun it was, not to mention the added benefit of exercise. The past few weeks have been largely review as I haven't practiced in over five years, but I feel like I am not as far behind as I could be.
I visited VBAS yesterday for the members meeting, and they had a talk about their expansion into radio astronomy. I am mildly interested in radio astronomy, so I may try to get involved some if time allows. I actually have a book on radio astronomy published by the ARRL that I started to read and never finished. I may have to bump it up on my list of priorities now!
I decided to try to read a book a week this year... So far, I have only read three books. I am way behind! I could have sworn there was one more book I had read, but for the life of me, I can't figure out what it would have been. Overall, I don't feel like this is something I have to be too overwhelmed by if I don't meet my goals. Really, I just want to read more, and having a goal helps keep me motivated. While my books tend to be somewhat varied in nature, lately they are almost all at least semi-nonfiction. I say "semi" because one was a bit of a biographical fiction. It was mostly true, but with some details modified here and there to make it a little more allegorical.
The books so far:
- Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
- The Art of Asking (Amanda Palmer)
- Level 4: Virus Hunters of the CDC
I have actually been going through some old physics text books as well. It has actually been fun reviewing without the pressure of school behind them. On that note, I am also thinking about doing some electronics review. I will probably spend some time on YouTube over the next few weeks watching electronics videos to get back into the grove of things.
I have also been trying to keep active with yoseikan. I forgot how much fun it was, not to mention the added benefit of exercise. The past few weeks have been largely review as I haven't practiced in over five years, but I feel like I am not as far behind as I could be.
I visited VBAS yesterday for the members meeting, and they had a talk about their expansion into radio astronomy. I am mildly interested in radio astronomy, so I may try to get involved some if time allows. I actually have a book on radio astronomy published by the ARRL that I started to read and never finished. I may have to bump it up on my list of priorities now!
Wednesday, March 09, 2016
Overdue Update
The past couple of weeks have been somewhat busy and exciting. I have been working on a few different things, and I haven't been able to really sit down and collect my thoughts for a post, but I think it is overdue, so I am going to give a quick update.
Most excitingly, I had a phone interview for a position that I am very excited about. I am not going to go into much detail right now, but this would be a dream job for me. This week I expect to hear back and find out if I made it to the "onsite" interview. Overall, I think the phone interview went ok, but I am sure it could have gone better. I blanked on a couple of parts. The one that bothers me the most was the electronics questions. I don't have a ton of hands on experience with electronics, but I have some, and when I was being asked the questions, I started to overthink them. The first questions were so easy, I was afraid that I was missing something obvious, so I wasn't as confident in my answers as I should have been. Lesson learned. At any rate, I am optimistic, and if this doesn't work out, I am just going to have to keep looking for that next awesome job!
I have also been doing a little more astronomy lately. I know I have already posted some on this. I went out again a couple of nights ago with an old friend of mine and did some observing. We spent the night hopping from one Messier object to another and discussing science, astronomy, and astrophysics. It was a ton of fun, and I think I was able to identify over 20 objects. I also visited VBAS and the UAH Astronomy Club a couple more times over the past few weeks. I think I am going to try to get trained on the VBAS telescopes. It would be nice to have that experience.
Finally, I have also started to get back into Yoseikan. It is a martial art that I started taking years ago, but quit because I didn't have a place to study during grad school. It has allowed me to get a little more exercise, but in the process, I hurt my shoulder last week, so I have been a little sore. That being said, I have been enjoying it, and I hope to be able to continue it. Here is an older picture (before they changed the gis and before I started grad school).
Most excitingly, I had a phone interview for a position that I am very excited about. I am not going to go into much detail right now, but this would be a dream job for me. This week I expect to hear back and find out if I made it to the "onsite" interview. Overall, I think the phone interview went ok, but I am sure it could have gone better. I blanked on a couple of parts. The one that bothers me the most was the electronics questions. I don't have a ton of hands on experience with electronics, but I have some, and when I was being asked the questions, I started to overthink them. The first questions were so easy, I was afraid that I was missing something obvious, so I wasn't as confident in my answers as I should have been. Lesson learned. At any rate, I am optimistic, and if this doesn't work out, I am just going to have to keep looking for that next awesome job!
I have also been doing a little more astronomy lately. I know I have already posted some on this. I went out again a couple of nights ago with an old friend of mine and did some observing. We spent the night hopping from one Messier object to another and discussing science, astronomy, and astrophysics. It was a ton of fun, and I think I was able to identify over 20 objects. I also visited VBAS and the UAH Astronomy Club a couple more times over the past few weeks. I think I am going to try to get trained on the VBAS telescopes. It would be nice to have that experience.
Finally, I have also started to get back into Yoseikan. It is a martial art that I started taking years ago, but quit because I didn't have a place to study during grad school. It has allowed me to get a little more exercise, but in the process, I hurt my shoulder last week, so I have been a little sore. That being said, I have been enjoying it, and I hope to be able to continue it. Here is an older picture (before they changed the gis and before I started grad school).
Other than that, there have a been a few little things going on here and there, but I won't bore you with the details, at least not now!
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Astronomy on a cold winter night!
I have been motivated a little more lately to get out and do some astronomy. I visited the VBAS observatory/planetarium and renewed my membership last weekend. I was a member before grad school 5 or 6 years ago, and haven't actually been up there very much since then. I also pulled out my telescope a couple times over the past week and did some viewing. Since I was living in Atlanta during grad school, I had a hard time getting out where it was dark enough to see anything, so I am a little rusty. My telescope is a modest 10" Zhumell dobsonian. I also have a small set of Celestron lenses and filters that I use.
Tonight I was actually to observe some pretty interesting objects in the sky. For those who are unaware, there was a French astronomer named Messier who was interested in finding comets. He compiled a list of objects in the night sky that could be mistaken for comets so he wouldn't waste his time on them. This list has grown to around 110 objects that many amateur astronomers try to observe for fun. The list contains nebulae, galaxies, and various other objects that are fun to observe because they are more than just points of light such as stars but can be seen by a skilled observer in dark locations.
The list of objects I observed tonight include Jupiter and the Galilean moons, several constellations, and 11 of the Messier objects:
I also spent a little time on the moon. I even took a picture using my cell phone (through the telescope). Unfortunately, I am not equipped for astrophotography... yet!
Tonight I was actually to observe some pretty interesting objects in the sky. For those who are unaware, there was a French astronomer named Messier who was interested in finding comets. He compiled a list of objects in the night sky that could be mistaken for comets so he wouldn't waste his time on them. This list has grown to around 110 objects that many amateur astronomers try to observe for fun. The list contains nebulae, galaxies, and various other objects that are fun to observe because they are more than just points of light such as stars but can be seen by a skilled observer in dark locations.
The list of objects I observed tonight include Jupiter and the Galilean moons, several constellations, and 11 of the Messier objects:
- M3
- M13
- M36
- M38
- M44
- M51
- M53
- M63
- M65
- M66
- M92
I also spent a little time on the moon. I even took a picture using my cell phone (through the telescope). Unfortunately, I am not equipped for astrophotography... yet!
Friday, February 12, 2016
Random Thoughts On Internet Privacy
I am a strong proponent of Tor and Tails. I have used PGP (via GnuPG) off and on for years. For those unaware, these technologies are designed to protect anonymity and/or privacy on the internet. Each may get its own blog post in the future. So it feels a little odd starting a new website with the purpose of getting all my professional and even personal information out into the eye of the public.
Personally, I do still try to browse anonymously using those technologies and a few others (which I will also post about in the future). I even run a Tor relay. I think that more people should be involved with the Tor project. So, I suppose the question is, "How do I reconcile my desire to remain somewhat anonymous with posting so much personal information?" I have been thinking, and at least in some respects it comes down to my ability to choose. I (mostly) choose carefully what gets posted on my website. I choose what I post on my blog and on social media. I have actually tried to be careful about what goes out to the interwebs about myself. I think it is perfectly fair for me to let people see certain aspects of my life without showing them every reddit post I read or every academic article I look at.
One day we could have this same level of control over all of our data. We may be able to better choose what people see about our activities online. I think this is still a challenge waiting to be solved, and I am interested to see how it all plays out over the next several years!
Personally, I do still try to browse anonymously using those technologies and a few others (which I will also post about in the future). I even run a Tor relay. I think that more people should be involved with the Tor project. So, I suppose the question is, "How do I reconcile my desire to remain somewhat anonymous with posting so much personal information?" I have been thinking, and at least in some respects it comes down to my ability to choose. I (mostly) choose carefully what gets posted on my website. I choose what I post on my blog and on social media. I have actually tried to be careful about what goes out to the interwebs about myself. I think it is perfectly fair for me to let people see certain aspects of my life without showing them every reddit post I read or every academic article I look at.
One day we could have this same level of control over all of our data. We may be able to better choose what people see about our activities online. I think this is still a challenge waiting to be solved, and I am interested to see how it all plays out over the next several years!
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Congratulations to LIGO!
The LIGO collaboration announced today the detection of the first gravitational waves from the merger of two black holes. I originally started grad school wanting to work on gravitational research before joining the IceCube collaboration to do research on neutrinos and particle astrophysics, so I am especially excited to see the progress being made in gravitational astrophysics. The work being done by LIGO will provide a new way of exploring the universe through the observation of gravitational waves. Their announcement today is just the beginning of the work to come!
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Welcome!
Welcome to my blog! The purpose of this blog is to document some of my travel and random projects in technology and science. I recently finished my PhD in physics at Georgia Tech as a member of the IceCube collaboration. For those interested, my research was in particle astrophysics. I have many hobbies that I enjoy when I am able. I am a pilot, and I am working on my instrument rating. I have my amateur radio license (AI4LX). I scuba dive. I love to travel and have been to a few interesting places including the South Pole. I (try to) play a few musical instruments: trumpet, violin, and guitar. Lately, I have also been exploring some network security and computer privacy issues. As time goes on, I hope to be able to explore all of these hobbies and more on this blog.
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