Given that one professor told me that I'm "easily distracted" while another is convinced that I'll never settle down, it is perhaps unsurprising that my life seems to have been spent switching between and among fields.

My educational interests have focused on mathematics and the more mathematical sciences (in particular, physics), with bachelor’s degrees in each. I also recently earned my master’s degree in astrophysics, but am now working with computers, albeit with some math thrown in.

My hobbies have been even more varied, beginning with piano playing (when I was very young), followed by learning chess (playing in tournaments and composing problems; still one of my main hobbies) and magic tricks, then some Texas Hold’em (isn't everyone playing this now?), and then taking up karaoke, dancing (nothing formal, just jumping around to beats), bridge (at which I’m still not much more than a beginner), and softball while in graduate school.

Between finishing school and starting my current job, I was a contestant on the fourth season of Beauty and the Geek, a “role” which gave me new perspectives and helped prepare me for the current chapter of my life.

My sense of humor has been described as quick, witty, and dry. I have a penchant for making puns that tend to elicit groans or worse.

I was raised (but did I grow up?) in Arizona, and although I spent a few years in New Jersey, I'm still getting used to this east coast weather.

Apparently you can now take my "MatchMe" test at http://www.okcupid.com/matchme?u=jvg1981.

I last updated my profile on November 17th, 2008.

I am easygoing, quirky, and analytical

Work and play, work and play. OK, that's not really descriptive, but more details can be found in the answers to the other questions. I guess I'm just trying to build a life out here, a life that is currently centered on my first "serious" job, the friends I've made, and the various social groups I've found (not necessarily in that order).

Dancing and Karaoke, I guess, though I never really thought so until people started telling me; draw your own conclusions. I've spent a lot of my life playing chess, and for that there IS an objective rating: 2046 USCF, "Expert." Beyond those, I like to think I have some ability in my main areas of study--mathematics and physics (with some astrophysics thrown in)--but it's somewhat harder to get regular feedback in those areas. In difficult situations, I can generally keep my cool and reason my way through things (or offer such advice to others).

Lately, they've been recognizing me from Beauty and the Geek. Before that, at least at Princeton, it was probably my dancing. Before that, I'm not sure I WAS noticed.

When I was much younger, I read a lot purely for fun, though it hasn't been a particularly common activity in awhile. However, based on lots of recommendations, I'm currently working my way through "Cryptonomicon."

For movies, I generally think in genres, but I'm not too fussy—I like comedies (silly as well as the more "serious" type), action, drama/mystery, sci-fi, etc.. Try me!

For songs, I tend to think of specific songs that caught my ear (e.g. on the radio). When I was younger, my parents controlled the radio, so I liked the songs of their generation. Then my mother switched to light rock and I liked some of those songs, then my brothers started listening to pop songs and I liked some of those. Once I was on my own, I found myself listening (and dancing) to more 80s music, songs which probably crept into my consciousness while I was growing up even if I wasn't paying attention.
For food, I like "American" food and the "Mexican" food that we had in Arizona. Italian can be good sometimes as well.

Hard to say, as I gave up most of my life for a month during the summer of 2007 and survived the ordeal. Besides the obvious survival necessities, I guess I need to be around people (a bit different from when I was much younger), I'd hate to have to give up my hobbies of singing, dancing, and chess, and I'd prefer not to give up my internet access (my main connection to so many people). When I come up with a sixth thing, I'll add it.

i) the path my life has taken and if I'm currently on the right track.
ii) what the world be like in 1, 5, 10, 20 years.
iii) where I can go and how to meet new people.
iv) work-related issues (at least while I'm there).

dancing (moving around semi-randomly to beats), singing (karaoke), or maybe playing games with friends.

you want to chat and/or meet—why else?