I'm one of those people who walks between many worlds, never really settling for any of them. I'm drawn to a number of different sciences, from psychology to computer science and from political science to economics. I'm drawn to writing fiction and non-fiction, to participating in politics, and to many other things besides. I might not develop a deep mastery in any single field, but I'm instead building a broad expertise over several. I have a BA in cognitive science, a field I chose partially for its cross-disciplinary nature.

I tend to be pretty mellow about things. I like talking with people, but I'm often on the quiet side, especially in groups. That's fine: I don't mind listening to others.

I'm polyamorous in the sense that my emotions don't always draw a very clear line between being close friends and being in a relationship. If I like someone enough, and get to hang out with them frequently enough, that's not so different from being in a relationship with them. I suppose I could be in a monogamous relationship as well, but besides "don't have sex with other people", I'm not entirely sure of what exactly that would mean.

I have noticed honesty - both to others and to yourself - to usually be the best policy. So many times have either I or a friend been unhappy about something, but reluctant to say it aloud. When the issue was finally brought up, it turned out to be either a misunderstanding, or something that could be resolved to make the relationship stronger. I strongly prefer the kind of company in which everyone can be honest about their feelings, and feel safe in doing so.

After a dry and scorching summer, the first autumn rain. As I extend my arms and let the rain drench me, a part of me wonders. The storms will be fierce this year, and it will not be long before the land is covered in frost and ice. We have survived winters before, but this one will be the harshest of them all. I should prepare, but it is not clear what I should do.

But before that, let the rain come. Let the storms come. If they are the last ones that I will see, that much more of a reason to enjoy them.

You can read that as a metaphor on my views on the future. Technology has done a lot for us, and improved our lot in life. It has also brought new risks and dangers, but we so far we have mostly learned to overcome them. But can we be sure that we'll always be so lucky? I'm a Research Associate at the Singularity Institute, contributing to the effort of ensuring that new technologies will remain safe and beneficial for humanity.

In my spare time, I spend time with my friends, play board games and role-playing games, and try to improve myself.

I have previously written three non-fiction books (covering role-playing games, developing technologies, and copyright law, respectively) in Finnish, and have long been intending to write a fantasy novel next. Now it feels like it might finally be happening.

Recently I have also been trying to explore my mind via meditation. After doing it semi-regularly for some months, I have started picking up some interesting subtle sensations that underlie my ordinary experience and which had escaped awareness before. Unfortunately, noticing them seems to require maintaining a regular meditation schedule, and I lose track of them if there's an extended period during which I don't meditate.

Understanding my own emotions and motivations. I'm willing to see them as they are - noble or selfish, admirable or petty, sensible or inconsistent, depending on the occasion. Perhaps because I'm ready to accept my selfish parts as valid pieces of myself, I can use them in a healthy way - not letting them dominate, but letting them veto things that I know wouldn't be good for me.

Understanding different viewpoints. I might need somebody to explain them to me first, but after that I get them pretty quickly.

Writing.

Taking an analytical approach to issues.

My long red hair.

Books, non-fiction:

* Stein On Writing, by Sol Stein. The best book on writing that I've ever read, useful and inspiring at the same time. Provides advice on both fiction and non-fiction writing.
* Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt. While there are a number of reasonable criticisms that can be made against Haidt’s work, he still does an excellent job of exploring the foundations of conservative and liberal morality, and showing in how they differ. His explanation of the ways by which human moral reasoning is to a large extent rationalization is also excellent.
* Why Everyone (Else) Is a Hypocrite: Evolution and the Modular Mind, by Robert Kurzban. Does an amazing job of exploring the modular nature of the human mind, and its many implications.

Books, fiction:

Most books by Alastair Reynolds, Robin Hobb, Terry Pratchett, and Timothy Zahn. Watership Down and Lord of the Rings are two old favorites. I don't like Greg Egan's newer work as much as his older stuff, but Permutation City and Diaspora were awesome.

Movies

I don't watch a lot of movies, but Star Wars, Dr. Strangelove, V for Vendetta, The Princess Bridge and Ghost in the Shell were nice.

Shows

Babylon 5, The Wire, Star Trek: The Next Generation. Series that I like, but haven't gotten around watching all of, are Pasila, Firefly, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Game of Thrones, Death Note, and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Inuyasha is an old guilty pleasure.

Music

Pet Shop Boys, H.E.R.R., Depeche Mode, Absoluuttinen Nollapiste, Teräsbetoni. I'm not big for CMX in general, but Talvikuningas was awesome.

Food

Eh, mostly anything goes, as long as it's vegetarian and I'm not allergic to it.

Not sure: I'm pretty adaptable. But let's say friends, writing, the Internet, and a relatively stress-free way of getting an income. That's four, but I can't think of what the fifth and sixth would be, besides obvious things like "sleep" and "shelter".

Where I'm going with my life. Technology and the future. The sciences and the arts. Other people. What I'd like to write.

Hosting a board game evening at my apartment, like I do on most Fridays.

I enjoy BDSM. Not so much the purely physical kind, but rather the kind with a strong emotional focus (so DS rather than B). Being the dominant partner is the easiest for me, though if there was a person that I trusted enough and who was sufficiently skilled, being in the submissive role would give me an even stronger trip.

Which isn't to say that I wouldn't enjoy plain ordinary sex as well. I'd probably be fine even with a a partner who wasn't into BDSM at all.

On the topic of sex, I have some demisexual tendencies. In my case, it means that even if I found somebody physically attractive, the thought of actually having sex with them wouldn't feel right until we'd have at least some emotional connection.

You would like to sit together somewhere and enjoy a cup of something nice, talking about everything under the sun - and other stars besides.

You have a healthy understanding of what you want, and are honest about your likes and feelings.