What about vain? Allow me my vanity already.

I’ve commented before (rarely) but I’m a current college student who is one of Sean’s former students. I won’t be a professional scientist, although there’s a chance I’ll go into economics, which sort of almost counts. But I’m interested in science, hence taking Sean’s class and reading his (now shared) blog.

A couple of science degrees long ago. Too dumb to be a real scientist, too lazy to be anything else. Restricted to mind-numbing wage-slavery like most people and studying physics and mathematics by myself in my spare time. That’s 3 pointless, boring sentences too many; 4 if you include this one.

A busy blog. Frequently, some nice science discussions. Comments can be interesting. Too much politics and fluff for my tastes, but easy enough to ignore. Will always enjoy listening to people smarter than me talking about things I can barely comprehend. Good luck, keep it up, and now I’ll shut up.

Hey there, I’m a lurker, I really enjoy the explorations of the universe, there was a time I thought I would go into science but decided against it … so, to answer your questions, I am not a scientist, and I am no longer a student.

Degree in Math, 50 years ago. I’m a non-embittered elder. I visit your site every day, and like it except that it often drifts pretty far from its core content of science.

Hi – I work for the Department of Homeland Security and am tasked with monitoring websites such as this one to ensure that the information being discussed (science-related or otherwise) is not a breach to national security. Keep up the good work! cjl

Is it possible to be an embittered student? Studying Physics and the History of Science in Red Sox country (am a lackidazical Mets/Astros fan).

how about science and the real world? I’m a lab rat, working in a clinical lab that is situated in a research building. Get to see a little bit of everything that way. (hmm. kind of like here…)

I’d been checking in on Orange Quark and migrated over to CV when all of you joined forces.

Back to lurking…

I was a lurker for a long time in Preposterous Universe, then migrated over here. Lurked for a while, then dared to post a comment. I’ve commented a few times here since then.

Physics BS degree from a university in the best tropical climate in the world (or at least it seems so to me). Third year graduate student in Astrophysics in a very cold place in the middle of a mid-atlantic/northeast state. Hating the snow/cold, but slowly getting used to it

Love CV, I visit every day. Everything about it is interesting, from the science to the politics to the random posts about personal stuff. Clifford’s posts are my favorite (most -if not all- of my few comments have been in them). Also love Sean’s GR-lecture-notes-turned-book (very helpful back when I took my first GR course).

A few comments thrown in so not totally a lurker. BS in Physics (by the skin of my teeth). Masters in library science, working towards PhD in information studies (specifically personal information management, etc., of scientists and engineers)… I’m related to science professionally because I work supporting scientists and engineers, if that counts. So I’m really into online communities and blogging. The physics (when I get it) is my favorite. Really dislike some of the politics but I’ll deal, I’d rather have you honest.

I also started on preposterous and migrated here. I love the fact that it’s a collaborative blog and that you get so many comments.

Computer science college dropout, with any luck, soon to return.

I teach English at Sean’s alma mater, but have always loved science, astronomy in particular. Wanted to be an astronomer when I was a kid. Didn’t, but my son did it for me. I like all aspects of the blog. Scientists are citizens too. Not my first post, but I post infrequently. Too busy grading freshman papers.

What, you mean you do not have access to the IP addresses of people who read and comment here?

Zero

College Student and Adventurer Extraordinairre. On a bit of a science kick after reading some stuff and so I started reading some science blogs, which is you and carl zimmer. I like your site because it’s about 30% science and 70% thoughts and opinions (about said science or otherwise). It is very readable and always has thought provoking discussion or at least links thereto. Keep up the good work!

Hi!
I am a research student with specialisation in computational materials science.
Guru

4th Year of Arts/Science double degree at Melbourne University.
Majors of Physics, Philosophy and Politics – a combination which seems to suit this site. Considering whether I’ll put myself through the tortorous Physics honours program, afterwhich travel will be the first priority.

Enjoy the site – and is a great distraction from the study i’m supposed to be doing.

m

I comment occasionally, but this is a good chance to blow your own trumpet:). It’s fair though that the hosts can get to know who is commenting and where that person is coming from in terms of background and so on. Myself, Bsc. Mathematical Physics; MSc. Bioengineering; Phd, Biophysics/Applied Mathematics. Interests: mostly stochastic processes in physics and biology; nonlinear systems/noise, general relativity/gravitation and areas of mathematical physics. Bit of a dilitante and “jack of all trades” really (yeah I know and “master of none”:)). I find a lot of stuff in math and science interesting actually but not enough hours in the day really to even learn a tenth of what you would like to. Not in academia right now but may return next year full time or part-time depending on funding etc. (I am in the UK). Still publishing a bit though on the side “for fun”(standard journals right now but not the arxiv). Hobbies: powerlifting(gravity is not a weak force). Have my own gymnasium (best place to think).

Good blog with good range of views, discussions and ideas in science and other topics. Like the personal stuff too, like what people are doing in terms of other interests (eg Clifford’s gardening and biking).

i’ve actually posted here once, so i’m not a complete lurker. 20 year old canadian who came here from preposterous universe. i’m in my 3rd year of undergrad doing a degree in arts & sciences, in math and history.
so…hopefully someday far in the future when i am sufficiently smartified, i may enter into the sciences. but for now, i live vicariously through you.

Ah..a chance for us lurkers to play I have a doctrate in (nuclear) physics with a few postdocs under my belt and am now working in computer science. Since I maintain an interest in physics, I followed a link from slashdot (/.) to a series of articles on 100 years of relativity which led to the quantum diaries which led to here. Simply put, as swamped as I am, I barely have time to read much of it (let alone post anything) but I’ve loved the content I have read…the physics discussions and the politics (great posts from Risa). The posting concerning the Federal Research and Policy Making Act, for example, did motivate me to dash off emails to Senators. Boxer and Feinstein (still need to write actual letters *sigh*).

Thanks for askin’
XP

Particle Theory Grad Student, mostly a lurker… Followed over from (first) Preposterous Universe and (later) Orange Quark. The former having been followed primarily due to such tremendously interesting physics content (I was working on dark energy stuff when I first found Sean’s blog, and have always been interested in gravitational entropy physics).

Ironically enough, I *think* Sean is the only poster here I’ve not yet met, actually (but I hear rumors that you’re visiting UW in Seattle soon… ).

I like the ‘mixed-use’ nature of the blog, but I do think the physics has gotten less technical now that all of you are sharing space (was it intentional, or has it just worked out that way?), which while nice for “the masses”, is sad, because it’s rare that I get to read something physicsy at a level above hallroom conversation, and yet below a research article. So, er… “more physics! of any kind, whatever interests whoever’s willing to post about it!”

Pro mathematician, recently completed the post-doc phase of the life cycle, came from P.U, not a 100% lurker, but close.

Physics degree a generation ago, sort of astronomy for a while, software now.
I read this blog for the science commentary and perhaps to keep a virtual-kindly eye on Cliffords vegetable patch.
You folk have actually inspired me to start my own blog!! It’s current readership is approximately zero but nevermind, you can’t build Rome in a day.

Must say I’m still looking forward to the promised part 2 of the Holographic Principle. Part One I thought was spot-on. I guess if i did post more, then it would mostly be a series of questions.

big cheers, astromcnaught

hi sean…
phd student in string theory/cosmology (should have been one year, but now its two years to go). love the blog for many reasons. here are a few…

sometimes its like being at a small conference in that you get to watch some real scientific debate take place, except in a very informal setting, and where the participants are very approachable.

sometimes its like sitting around with your friends and enjoying a few beers and arguing about the issues of the day… collectively sighing here and there i guess…

mostly its because in the course of procrastinating through ones day at the office, its nice to have something other than the newswires and the baseball scores (go mets!.. no really!) to kill time.

but really the clincher for me (sorry to be boring), is that its very rare that you get to hear other people think out aloud or philosiphize or speculate on the issues of the day in the various fields of theoretical physics. we all do it among colleagues, but its just plain nice to be able to listen in on other people doing so, especially certain people whom you might have a lot of respect for, but might not neccesarily run into on a daily basis.

also the synergy of the people involved in this group project is really neat. i really enjoy everyones posts for different reasons. how did you all meet?

String theory lurker from the fortress of solitude. I’ve been a regular reader for a long time, keeping up with old friends and what’s happening on the other side of the pond.

I’m an undergrad physics/computer science student in New Zealand. I must say the physics in your blog generally terrifies me but the whole thing is a really good read. The politics side of things is interesting too, especially since we’ve just had our own election here. The contrast between the two systems is enormous!

You’re distracting me from a lab report as we speak actually… So my request, if any, would be that you should write less so I can actually get some work done now and then!

You mean we have Mets fans reading this blog? I’m not sure if that’s permitted at all.

I’m a graduate student in condensed matter physics.

Quasi-scientist; MS biotechnology in ’87, now assay/product development… mostly I reformat molecular assays for unsophisticated users. Trying to learn more about everything, and CV has some great teachers.

I am currently a graduate student in Computer Science.

My interest in physics is purely non-professional at the moment although as a youngster I did seriously intend to go into theoretical physics but other things caught my eye. Perhaps if CV existed back then I would now be a string theorist or something

I enjoy all the posts personal and non-personal. My favorite kind are those that provide an insight into what physicists think about certain issues that I would otherwise not know about as an outsider e.g the “The greatest paper” topic, the “landscape” post,the “theories vs. fact” post and even “Lets talk about kids” (combining “normal life” with academia is a big issue for many people).

Erm, yeah … Keep up the good work!

Currently software engineer at a biotech startup. Trying to read here and on Pharyngula (hi, PZ!) every day, originally from curiosity about todays latest theories and results. Originally a PhD in Physics (Uppsala, Sweden; hi, tom!) on thin film materials.

As a lot of people said of them, I also was a lurker at Preposterous and Orange, now here. And I think that Risa, Clifford and JoAnne were excellent “acquisitions” for the blog world. PhD Student in Astroparticle at SISSA, just besides ICTP, Italy.

im an RSS lurker studying(now industrial ) engineering after a jaunt through electrical engineering and applied math at ohio university(#2 party school in America!!). in my 5th year, threatening to be a perennial student. i like this blog because it makes me feel smart to read the cool stuff you nerds put up for nerds like me

I’m a Condensed Matter Experimentalist with a strong interest in crossovers between CM and particle physics/cosmology. I also try to stay abreast of sociology issues related to science and so this is why I read CV. I came to it through Prep. Univ. I am an American currently based in Geneva Switzerland (but not at CERN), but return to the US next year to take a position at Johns Hopkins.

Not a lurker, so I’ll pass on the personals, but thought the Salon piece referred to in comment #37 was so good it deserved a proper link. Here goes: http://archive.salon.com/books/it/2000/02/28/postdoc/print.html

[unlurk]
lurker since cosmicvariance started recently…found u guys thru the announcement on pharyngula when this site started…was not aware of sean’s or mark’s earlier blogs…love the varied perspectives u guys bring to the plate…love the physics posts immensely, but also love the non-physics ones like clifford’s posts on gardening, the arts and such topics that bring out the more everyday aspects of scientists

born, raised and educated in india (bachelors in engineering), came to the US for my masters in the same field, switched over to working in the software industry, and been living in the US since (7 yrs and counting)

been a lover of math and physics since childhood, idolized feynman big-time as a teenager, and still (i suspect) a wannabe nerd suffering from a case of severly suppressed physics-envy (damn u feynman!!)
[/unlurk]

I’m a physics/cosmology grad who realized I didn’t have the patience to do the sometimes tedious day-to-day work that good science requires. Now I’m an editor at a science magazine. Love the content, both technical and political. It’s good to see folks of reason respond when attacked.

Am I allowed to be an embittered physics grad student? Sean, you might recognize me as the student, who, after hearing your CTP talk last week said loudly: “Interesing idea, but I don’t think it’s real,” as, unbenownst to me, you were walking past my very open office door.

Love the blog, I followed from the preposterous universe. I always leave reading this blog until last while going through my morning blogroll, its like the bonus at the end of sometimes very boring reads, the whip cream to my sundae, the B side of Abbey road….

A student in Probability. I find this blog very interesting and well written (especially Science related articles, but also occasionally other topics)

I will dare to go out on this limb as it appears the majority of you are scientists or of a scientific mind.

I’m very new to the blog world and I’ve only been reading CV for a couple of weeks now and enjoy it thoroughly. I was turned on to it by JoAnne. We went to high school together. It was great fun to see her name in lights and read her musings. And then of course I drifted about and read all of your posts. Great stuff! You are all – for lack of a better descriptor – cool.

Alas, I am quite unscientific. I have no interest in becoming a scientist, I am not studying to be one, and only really know the one (mentioned above) whom I like very much. I am really more of a spiritualist (GASP horror, one of THOSE!) I am also one of those “real world” “kindergarteners” who hears a great whoosing when 99% of the science stuff flies past my head. However, I find your science utterly fascinating. And whether I get it or not, I recognize how important it is to all of us.

I do appreciate your off-topic musings – as it shows me you all live in the “real world” with me.

Lurker. I’m a low energy nuclear physicist grad student slaving away at one of our nation’s salt mines national labs. I learned GR from Sean’s notes back in the day and enjoyed his previous blog before this one.

I’ve posted a few times. I’m a first-year graduate student at Chicago. Currently investigating the dialectic of doing fun theory vs. getting jobs. Also marvelling over Benjamin Franklin’s wit regarding science and religion in his letter to Ezra Stiles (an alma mater of sorts…).

Physics grad student. My two cents about the blog would also be that it’s much more interesting when the bloggers are addressing their fields of expertise. I can go anywhere for left-wing political discussion. Informed discussion by experts on cosmology and the like is substantially rarer. (No offense intended by this comparison but) Consider the quality of Lubos Motl’s political discussions versus his physics.

Occasional poster to Preposterous and now here. BA in English, but unofficially minored in History of Science. My first book is out now (linked in my name), and if it doesn’t completely bomb…I hope to do more.

Math undergraduate from Lund, Sweden, with an interest in some of the fundamental questions in physics and computer science. One thing I like about CV (and many academic blogs in general!) is how you sort of get to know the authors — you get to see another side of the professors which sometimes can be hard to catch as a student, at least on my level.

Though it should be stressed that I continue to read academic blogs on their academic merit, and to be honest with you there’s sometimes a bit too much politics in here for my taste. Actually, that’s why I stopped reading Preposterous after a while, I felt the science/politics ratio was too poor for me.

That’s not to say I don’t like most of your writings. I’m still here, ain’t I? Continue the good work!

I’m a senior in college, majoring in physics. I’m looking for a graduate school where I can pursue Intelligent Design/String Cosmology. Any recommendations? I’ve heard Baylor might be a good choice.

Was aqualung a lurker?? Well then i am not one. But as a retired humanties type (philosophy and religion first, then teacher education) i have always studied(academically for 40+ years), and continue to study, consciousness, which is inextricably linked to cosmogony, and thus requires me more and more to strive to understand cosmology and theoretical physics. I grew up in a household of scientists–mother taught med school, father was one of our nation’s rocket scientists, sister has a Ph.D. in nutrition science(specializing in food for research animals), brother is MD/Ph.D. in advanced cancer therapies. There was no other path for me except to pursue undergrad and graduate work in the history and philosophy of religions.

I’m just a regular guy. Most of the science stuff here goes right over my head (I’m an English and History) guy, but I still check back three or four times a week. I like the blog. When I do understand the science stuff, it’s fascinating.

Was a lurker at Preposterous, now am lurking here

Third year Physics Student at Georgetown University, at this point planning on going on in my studies to pursue a PH.D. in Theoretical Physics.

I also am put off by the politics at times-it can be overbearing.

Cheers,

NM

I’m mostly a lurker, but I’ve posted occasionally. Being an astronomer, I fall into the “professional scientist” category. I’m mostly an observationalist (extragalactic), though I’ve done a little bit of theory (pure Newtonian gravitational dynamics, I’m afraid; none of yer fancy 21st Century stuff). BA in astronomy and medieval history — two separate subjects, not one weird combined major! — PhD in astronomy from the cold upper Midwest, postdoc in the Canary Islands and now in Germany.

This is generally a very good blog, though I sometimes feel there are perhaps too many posts per day to keep up with regularly . The most interesting topics for me are the science-related ones, particularly as they feed my thinking and musing on just what it is we scientists are doing, and how, and how we can do it better.

I’ve been a grad student in a prestigious astrophysics department for a long time now — and still many have not caught on to what a fraud I am…

First year physics grad student from the University of Kansas. Discussions, obviously are interesting. I somehow feel that we miss Prof. Feynman here! Imagine, Feynman blogs

Condensed matter theorist turned material scientist (but still theorist/computer modeler). Currently postdocing (at a gov’t lab), and beginning the academic search.

I came here to read a link (probably on evolution), and decided to make it part of my daily skimming/reading. Keep up the good work.

lurker, real world, no science background whatsoever

I am the mom of a 3rd year physics grad student (particle, experimental, US.) Surfed over from Quantum Diaries which I read to see just what my son’s life is like even though, like many sons, he never writes or calls. If I don’t understand the science it just gives me topics for conversation and the kid gets practice explaining it to the lay people. Life looks pretty cool (especially compared to the real world.) Enjoy.

Just an average reader…

I live a few thousand feet up a volcano in the middle of the tropical Pacific. Got my physics Ph.D. in theory six years ago, then turned left to study what I wanted and try to solve the whole puzzle instead of getting a post-doc or real job. I just couldn’t swallow the string cool-aid, but I really love GR, QFT, differential geometry, Kaluza-Klein, etc. So I work on my own stuff — right now trying to figure out BRST geometry in a way that makes sense is kicking my butt! I earn enough money for food and surfboards by working the interstice between academia and the real world — teaching a college class or two, picking up the occasional consulting gig, and playing the stock market. Mostly though I alternate days between working on theory and playing in this beautiful ocean.

I enjoy your posts. It’s good to have a place I can see physics discussed casually, instead of just religiously pouring over the papers that post to the arxiv. As I’m a bit isolated out here (I am the physics department), weblogs like this substitute for listening in on departmental conversations.

If anyone’s planning to vacation in Maui, drop me an email.

Female graduate student, soon-to-be postdoc, in particle theory. This is one of my favorite sites to read.

I found Cosmic Variance via a reference Chad Orzel of Uncertain Principles made to Sean’s site, Preposterous Universe. Around the 3rd or so time I visited PU, Sean announced the birth of CV, which led me here. I guess I’m professionally science related in *some* way, though probably not what you have in mind. I’m a former philosophy grad student who now works in biotech. What I find most interesting at this site are the introductions to various theories, e.g. string theory and general relativity. These tend to be rather over my head, but there’s usually one or more passages that are accessible enough to be interesting to me.

Unembittered elder and natural history illustrator knowing just enough about a whole bunch of stuff to be truly dangerous.

I learned relatvity partly from Sean’s lecture notes in the late ninties while I was at New Mexico Tech. When the textbook came out, I googled him because I had just moved to Milwaukee for grad school in gravitational physics at UWM in the general area of Chicago, so I ran into his blog.

Hi Scott, I’ll be out at UBC giving the theory seminar in a few weeks. Maybe I’ll run into you then.

When not perfecting my lurking skills, I’m working on a DFA (Doctorate of Fine Arts) on science and theater. I started my lurking at Preposterous after meeting Sean at the STAR conference.

I wasn’t even lurking on lurker day. I’ve been a computer programmer for about a decade, but I’m about to return to grad school to become a middle or high school math teacher. I started reading political blogs shortly before the election last year, stumbled upon a science blog a few months later, and via links in posts and comments have collected dozens that I now read more regularly than the political blogs. I have a generic liberal arts degree, so much of the science is beyond me, but I like seeing what’s of current interest to scientists and I’m especially interested in the interaction of science and politics (which is a more central issue on the biology blogs). I’ve commented only about a half dozen times total on other blogs (and never on this one); I don’t write quickly and by the time I’ve organized my thoughts the conversation has moved on.

I’m closer to being a semi-lurker than a full-blown lurker. I’ve been a post-doc in the observational cosmology group at UCSD, run by Brian Keating, for the past year. The three years before that I was a post-doc with Shaul Hanany’s group at the U. of Minnesota.

I’m in lurk mode now as we are in the final push of lab testing for BICEP, which ships to Pole on Oct. 17. I think our sky coverage is just small enough that we will not be seriously affected by cosmic variance, actually.

Say hi to Brian for me. He and I were grad. lab partners.

Tony… Hi…What a pleasant surprise! Just goes to show: “you never know who’s reading”.

Folks…this is the guy who wrote that excellent introductory field theory book I’ve mentioned a few times….

Cheers,

-cvj

PhD in Chemical Engineering, now developing new products and processes for a major chemical company in the US.

I’ve been following Sean’s posts over from the Preposterous Universe for about a year now…

Amy: PVHS women rock!

I am an undergrad at Stanford, and I’m almost definitely going to major in Physics. I was excited to see a physics blog somewhere on the net (I think I found this through Pharyngula), and in enough time, I hope to know enough to start my own.

been a long time lurker from p.u. days but, unfortunately, haven’t read much here lately. first year grad student interested in particle theory/cosmology. this blog is certainly one of the best available. thoroughly thought out posts that are very well communicated. great mix of physics and other, although it seems less physics as of late. sean – in my opinion the best blogger on the internet. first was introduced to your stuff when i used your g.r. text as an undergrad several years ago and have continued to enjoy your writings ever since.