Advanced search

Forums : General Topics : Why do you participate in Cosmology@Home? Who is the \"most surprising\" participant?
Message board moderation

To post messages, you must log in.

Previous · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · Next

AuthorMessage
Profile Julie

Send message
Joined: 31 Oct 09
Posts: 100
Credit: 475,341
RAC: 0
Message 9011 - Posted: 20 Aug 2010, 10:36:28 UTC - in response to Message 8999.  

Hello, my name is Pop Horea-Vasile and I' from Romania.
I'm 28 years old and I'm a mechanic. I love documentarys about space so I decided to do something to improve de knolege data base for such scientific problems such as cosmology.


Hi Pop! Welcome:)
ID: 9011 · Report as offensive     Reply Quote
John & Suzann

Send message
Joined: 22 Nov 10
Posts: 1
Credit: 5,040
RAC: 0
Message 9189 - Posted: 22 Nov 2010, 1:04:11 UTC

Well, my wife and I are Nursing Assistants, I also have a background in Frame Carpentry. Weird combination I know. My wife I are also a very outdoors oriented people ; fishing, camping, hunting, ect. But, I find cosmology, physics, and quantum mechanics fascinating. I guess I'm kind of a "closet" science nerd. So, to the outside world, no I don't fit the stereotype at all, but, deep down, I fit it to a tee
ID: 9189 · Report as offensive     Reply Quote
Stephen

Send message
Joined: 3 Dec 10
Posts: 1
Credit: 4,620
RAC: 0
Message 9226 - Posted: 11 Dec 2010, 23:02:16 UTC

Although I have an MD and I am a physician by profession, I have always been fascinated by the question of how the Universe came to be as it is. I actually received my BS in Astronomy from UMCP and hoped to become a professional astronomer. I did very well in my math, physics and astronomy courses for my first three years of college but in me senior year instead of getting As I was getting Bs and after brushes with Hilbert Space, Reiman Integrals and Tensor calculus in my fourth year classes I began to worry that I might not have the mathematical aptitude to succeed in Astronomy in graduate school. My GRE scores were 730 verbal but only 670 in math. At that point I decided to go to medical school, took the prerequisite courses in Biology and Organic Chemistry that all U.S. medical schools require and went to the Drexel University School of Medicine where I found that if you knew high school algebra you knew all the math you would need to practice medicine.

I still love Astronomy and Astrophysics and see my participation in this project as one way that I can still participate in Astronomy and make a small contribution to our understanding of the Universe. This project particularly intrigues me because it tries to answer the questions that first attracted me to Astronomy.
ID: 9226 · Report as offensive     Reply Quote
Profile Julie

Send message
Joined: 31 Oct 09
Posts: 100
Credit: 475,341
RAC: 0
Message 9236 - Posted: 14 Dec 2010, 17:22:38 UTC

Welcome John, Suzann and Stephen :) Not a lot to do around these forums but the project makes everything interesting!
ID: 9236 · Report as offensive     Reply Quote
skgiven
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 21 Dec 10
Posts: 4
Credit: 300,306
RAC: 0
Message 9249 - Posted: 21 Dec 2010, 20:06:00 UTC - in response to Message 9236.  

First there was the big bang, now there is the big crunch :)
ID: 9249 · Report as offensive     Reply Quote
Qax

Send message
Joined: 15 Jul 09
Posts: 11
Credit: 801,789
RAC: 0
Message 9257 - Posted: 26 Dec 2010, 14:51:35 UTC

ID: 9257 · Report as offensive     Reply Quote
Profile Philip Janes

Send message
Joined: 8 Feb 11
Posts: 7
Credit: 17,220
RAC: 0
Message 9319 - Posted: 8 Feb 2011, 21:15:13 UTC

I Googled "cosmology Washington" in the hope of finding someone in my home state with whom to share my cosmological model. I landed here. Perhaps I will get more than I was looking for. For now, I anticipate becoming a beneficiary of BOINC, more than a contributor. I envision several projects related to my model, which might require many days of computation.

I am resisting the urge to dive straight into a description of my model, here. Suffice it to say, for now, that a whole new branch of chaos theory is needed to analyze the exchange of momentum between regular energy and dark energy. I am not a mathematician, and my computer skills are lacking. I must plead with the community for volunteers to assist in illustrating my model with 3D animations, as well development of experimental tests.

For Christmas, I bought myself a new 6-core Acer computer from Sears online, which would have been about 10 times faster than my old computer. Unfortunately, it was dead on arrival, and it took 8 weeks of hounding Sears before they sent UPS to retrieve it. So my money is tied up for who knows how much longer before I can upgrade. I appreciate any tips on what's good for this project for under $2K. I'm considering a local shop that builds to order.



ID: 9319 · Report as offensive     Reply Quote
.clair.

Send message
Joined: 4 Nov 07
Posts: 651
Credit: 14,555,207
RAC: 594
Message 9329 - Posted: 10 Feb 2011, 11:47:42 UTC

What this project needs is an administrator that can develop the software and comunicate with us the people that process the data.
we very rarely hear from the admin as Ben is away most of the time,
there was a job application posted for someone who can at least call in at the university an check the systems an keep things going, unfortunatly none was found, most of the time cosmo seems to be on auto pilot and the recent crash and burn led to weeks of `unstable` running or offline compleatly, we have no idea what is going on `back at the lab`
ID: 9329 · Report as offensive     Reply Quote
Zindargo

Send message
Joined: 28 Jun 11
Posts: 1
Credit: 2,520
RAC: 0
Message 9433 - Posted: 28 Jun 2011, 21:08:13 UTC - in response to Message 4156.  

I am a new member and I participate because I love everything about space. I want to learn more and be of help in a wider understanding of the universe.
ID: 9433 · Report as offensive     Reply Quote
Tomas

Send message
Joined: 18 Aug 08
Posts: 30
Credit: 827,240
RAC: 0
Message 9434 - Posted: 29 Jun 2011, 17:19:11 UTC

I participate because I love vaccum and the total lack of comunication and information ragarding the status of this project reminds me of that;)

Naaaa, just joking :)
I hope that it will lead to someting good and maybe give me an insight in the sciense behind this.
ID: 9434 · Report as offensive     Reply Quote
andrew

Send message
Joined: 15 Jan 10
Posts: 1
Credit: 2,520
RAC: 0
Message 9641 - Posted: 7 Nov 2011, 11:46:38 UTC

Why am I donating 25% of my (24/7) computer time to C@H? Because this work is important! Much of it is way over my head, but I get the 'John and Betty' explanation on the home page. I merely have an associate diploma while the ppl behind C@H are PHuDs. I have a computer that would otherwise spend an inordinate time 'NO-OPing' whilst waiting for me to press a key or move the mouse. It might as well do Real Science whilst it awaits my pleasure...

Who am I? Just some old guy who has always had a keen interest in science, especially astronomy-cosmology. If I don't have the smarts to be a scientist, I can at least donate my spare CPU cycles to aid those who have.

My $00.02,

Andrew
ID: 9641 · Report as offensive     Reply Quote
Profile Benjamin Wandelt
Volunteer moderator
Project administrator
Project scientist
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 24 Jun 07
Posts: 192
Credit: 15,273
RAC: 0
Message 9655 - Posted: 8 Nov 2011, 23:58:14 UTC - in response to Message 9641.  

Thank you, Andrew - welcome, and let me just say:

we are here for the science... and people like you.

All the best,

Ben
Creator of Cosmology@Home
ID: 9655 · Report as offensive     Reply Quote
Profile Faik

Send message
Joined: 3 Oct 11
Posts: 2771
Credit: 140,700
RAC: 0
Message 9662 - Posted: 10 Nov 2011, 2:46:05 UTC - in response to Message 9434.  

Hello Thomas,

Thank you for your feedback! The concern you raise is indeed very legitimate. It is exactly because of this that Professor Wandelt has recruited me into the C@H team to fill this gap.

We are working currently to make sure that updates about the project and about cosmology in general are available more frequently!

Faik
---
Member of the C@H Team!
ID: 9662 · Report as offensive     Reply Quote
Profile microchip
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 19 Jul 08
Posts: 19
Credit: 2,963,018
RAC: 0
Message 9691 - Posted: 21 Nov 2011, 14:51:14 UTC

I'm a junior Linux sys admin at a Belgian chip design house (Essensium, Mind department). I have a vast interest in cosmology and physics in general. Since I'm too stupid for most of the stuff going on in physics & the universe (though I understand the basics and maybe a little bit beyond) I'd like to contribute to C@H since I can't contribute in other manner. I crunch on my server and on my desktop while it's on. I also crunch for other space/physics related projects (Einstein, Milkyway, etc. Though I don't crunch for SETI as I think they'll never get a signal from extraterrestrial intelligent life).
ID: 9691 · Report as offensive     Reply Quote
Profile Faik

Send message
Joined: 3 Oct 11
Posts: 2771
Credit: 140,700
RAC: 0
Message 9701 - Posted: 26 Nov 2011, 3:08:35 UTC - in response to Message 9691.  

Hello microchip,

Thank you very much for your post!

It is really nice to see members put a "face" to a name. In fact, what you are doing on your computer is an immense service to science and to the attempt to answer the ultimate questions about the universe. I do also hope that the information you find on this website about this particular project and about cosmology in general helps give you some perspective and a context to see how your contributions fit in the bigger picture.

We are very glad that you have decided to join our C@H community!

All the best,

Faik
---
Member of the C@H Team!
ID: 9701 · Report as offensive     Reply Quote
Profile Ray_GTI-R

Send message
Joined: 21 Oct 10
Posts: 17
Credit: 23,520
RAC: 0
Message 9790 - Posted: 3 Jan 2012, 1:23:03 UTC

Why do I participate?

Not any longer!

Task 20145611
wu_121011_191506_1_1_1
Sent 13 Dec 2011 21:37:56 UTC
Received 2 Jan 2012 18:26:19 UTC
Outcome Success
CPU time 121799.8
Granted credit 0
Task was reported too late to validate ... yet it crunched on for 24 hours solid knowing that a different PC had already fulfilled the minimum quorum of 1.

What a waste of my CPU effort and my electricity for >33hours CPU & days of always-on elapsed time at the expense of not crunching other tasks that would have completed on time.
Even if my PC had beaten the other PC (and that PC would have been given zero recognition for it's contribution) mine would only have been given a paltry credit compared with other projects that recognise honest work, selfless comittment & devotion and reward in a commensurate manner e.g., WCG, Moo etc etc.

Something is seriously wrong hereabouts.
ID: 9790 · Report as offensive     Reply Quote
Profile Cesium_133*
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 22 Jan 09
Posts: 1
Credit: 193,153
RAC: 30
Message 9884 - Posted: 20 Jan 2012, 22:47:55 UTC

I wish to assist in the advancement of pure science, especially our basic knowledge of our own existence and reality. If we want to find a dimension beyond a 4th, or a parallel brane, we have to know ourselves first, and totally...
Check out the fresh lady in the avatar: Hayley Westenra, classical soprano without compare...
ID: 9884 · Report as offensive     Reply Quote
Profile Faik

Send message
Joined: 3 Oct 11
Posts: 2771
Credit: 140,700
RAC: 0
Message 9886 - Posted: 21 Jan 2012, 1:14:47 UTC - in response to Message 9884.  
Last modified: 21 Jan 2012, 1:16:21 UTC

Hello Cesium 133,

Thank you very much for feedback! We are always very excited to hear from our community members.

You said that " If we want to find a dimension beyond a 4th, or a parallel brane, we have to know ourselves first, and totally". I am not sure I understand what you mean. Could you please elaborate a little bit more? I am just interested to know what you mean with that.

Faik
---
Member of the C@H Team!
ID: 9886 · Report as offensive     Reply Quote
Profile Jatila van der Veen

Send message
Joined: 6 Nov 09
Posts: 15
Credit: 1,260
RAC: 0
Message 9887 - Posted: 21 Jan 2012, 5:08:57 UTC - in response to Message 9886.  

Hi Faik and "Cesium 133" -

Interesting discussion: to understand higher dimensions we first have to understand ourselves. Einstein said, in his 1936 article Physics and Reality, that in order to understand "external reality" we first have to understand the nature of thinking, as without our ability to think and process information that comes in through our senses we cannot postulate the existence of an external reality. In other words, he said that to understand the nature of Nature we have to understand the nature of thought.

Cheers,
Jatila
ID: 9887 · Report as offensive     Reply Quote
Profile Faik

Send message
Joined: 3 Oct 11
Posts: 2771
Credit: 140,700
RAC: 0
Message 9891 - Posted: 21 Jan 2012, 15:24:31 UTC - in response to Message 9887.  

Thank you very much for the explanation, Jatila!

I was not familiar with this particular quote by Albert Einstein. However, it does not surprise me when I consider it in the light of how he had thought and worked. In fact, Einstein, Heisenberg, Bohr, Schrodinger and other pioneers of modern physics have had very remarkable ideas about how the universe, conscientiousness and the scientific process relate to each other. I hope we will get a chance to present these ideas and insights here at C@H in the context of trying to understand more about the universe. And like Einstein had put it eloquently, understanding the process of understanding is part of understanding the things we try to understand. Einstein was such an understanding person!

Faik
---
Member of the C@H Team!
ID: 9891 · Report as offensive     Reply Quote
Previous · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · Next

Forums : General Topics : Why do you participate in Cosmology@Home? Who is the \"most surprising\" participant?