As an astronomer, I get to do one of the coolest jobs in the world. Every day, I get to think about the universe, our place in it, and how to understand that better. I get to travel to faraway places, meet interesting people and play with really cool toys. It's always a challenge, but the inspiration I get from doing what I do, and sharing it with others, makes it more than worth it.

It also means a lot to me to share that with other people. I truly enjoy just chatting with people about what I do...it's always fun to tech them, formally in a class or just gabbing in a bar or on a plane, about the universe around them. Essentially everything around you, and including you, was created inside of a star and spread across the universe to eventually end up, after billions of years, where it is today...connecting people to that physical reality almost always inspires them to look at things differently, and me to keep at what I do.

Beyond that, I think I'm just your average nice guy, trying to find my way in this world and looking for people to go along with me in exploring it. I have a broad range of interests, and am always up for looking into new things or talking about old ones. I'm here to find new friends to go along on those journeys, and if I'm lucky then maybe I'll find a person to take with me as a partner in crime. Not actual crime, though if you do it right it can feel like you're getting away with something you shouldn't because it feels so damn good...

I'm a scientist...it's the kind of career where you don't just do it from 9 to 5, it is a part of your identity. I mainly work on astronomical instrumentation, and robotic systems...instruments I have worked on are currently in place in Chile, Hawaii and Antarctica.

This past year (2008), I have been making a point of expanding my horizons. I got back into shape, and am trying to decide if I want to do something more with that (do I compete in sports again or just stay healthy?). I did a bunch of traveling to Europe (I had two conferences and added trips to Paris, Florence, Barcelona and Stockholm around them), and down in Chile (went four wheeling and exploring around San Pedro de Atacama). I have been learning about food, learning to dance salsa (which I'm getting the hang of), learning scuba (which I really enjoy, I like the water), and just plain learning. I am definitely the intellectual sort...I'm happy to meet people and talk to them about what they do, no matter what it might be. You can always learn something from someone, if you're willing to pay attention.

This year, I'm trying to decide what new things to do and new places to go...suggestions are more than welcome.

Technical stuff, mechanical stuff, analyzing things and figuring out what to do about them. I'm definitely detail oriented, but I also can look at the big picture and see how things really are. If you want to know about it, I can usually tell you something, or else I can find out what you want pretty quickly.

I'm also apparently a fairly good cook (though that always surprises me), and a thoughtful, passionate lover (which also always surprises me to hear).

I'm also good at listening and talking about a broad range of topics, not just in science. I think it's important to know the history of where we cam from, why we are here, and what that means...a lot of the world's problems are rooted in the past that people just can't get over.

That I'm a nice guy, attentive, and try to make other people comfortable. I listen really well, but I'm also shy and it takes a bit of effort to draw out the more personal side of me. And, it always comes through that I know a lot of stuff about a lot of stuff.

I have been told in the past that I am the smartest normal person people have ever met...that probably comes from doing things that weren't all about geeky science stuff when I was younger. Mainly, it was sports (I could have played college baseball and was captain of the swim team in high school) and having a good circle of friends in high school that kept me grounded in the real world.

This could go on and on.....

Books: Mainly science fiction and history. The science fiction goes from the classical (Clarke, Asimov, Heinlein) to newer authors (Card, Czerneda, McDevitt, Weber). I have a bunch of bookshelves full of books...I really want a library room, full of books from all kinds of topics, when I finally settle down with a house. The history is a lot of aviation and space stuff, but with a few other things thrown in. I don't have time to read as much as I used to, but I still enjoy it when I can. I also read academic articles, the news online (NY Times, CNN mainly), and various magazines that I get.

Movies and TV: Science fiction again, surprise. Babylon 5, BSG, old Star Trek, Alien and Aliens, Joss Whedon stuff (it truly is a crime that Firefly was cancelled), and 2001 and Contact, the two movies that get astronomy and space travel right. I also like stuff that is intelligent, like Veronica Mars, Life on Mars (the UK series, haven't watched the US version), Homicide, Wonderfalls. I thought Gran Torino (the last movie I saw as of now) was excellent. I don't watch much TV, and in fact don't have one now (I get my TV off the internet at the moment), but good TV or movies can really strike a chord. Beyond that, I like a cross section of stuff, from adventure to comedies to art house to anime (Cowboy Bebop is really, really cool).

Music: radioparadise.com is my radio station, it probably gives a good idea of what I like in terms of music.

Food: I spent the past year trying to teach myself more about food...I've never been into it really, but I now have far more of an appreciation for why people are crazy about food. It's probably because I grew up in the usual US household, with boiled veggies and meat and potatoes...not exactly tasty. I like a large breadth of stuff now (standard American fare, Chinese, Mexican, Indian, Thai, Japanese) and have been hanging out with people who are introducing me to more new stuff all the time. Food is finally a fun thing for me, so if you want to go try some new thing then I'm up for it.

I hate this question.....

Does it mean things like air, water, chemical reactions that decompose oxygen and nutrients in your body, the current values of the physical constants of the universe?

Does it mean my iPhone, tech toys, books, music, parties, dancing?

Does it mean intelligent conversations, lazy Sundays spent with a lover, winding, twisty mountain roads, sunsets, hiking in remote areas, enjoying the natural world?

There are far too many facets of a person to summarize "needs" into six items, and it just seems silly to select down. I know I can't, there are too many things I enjoy and would not want to do without to limit myself to six.

Science, astronomy, the effect science (or the attempt to ignore it) has on our lives. I also think about relationships, love, what I'm making for dinner, what new, fun things I want to try.

Actually, I'm just always thinking, and glad to encounter new things to think about.

Out at a bar with friends, out catching a movie, out dancing, sometimes in relaxing.

I'm willing to go along with whatever adventures you might come up with, even if I seem hesitant about it at first.

You want to meet someone who is very knowledgeable about all kinds of things, who is fun to talk to and who always tries to make sure everyone has a good time. Or, just because you want to talk to someone new, I always enjoy meeting new people and hearing what they have to say.