So... This post is pretty much an outline of my research interests and the types of things that I'm really interested in. I'm posting this here, as opposed to a webpage or somewhere else, since there are probably like-minded people here who won't attack me for this.
Is anyone else here into this? My research interests are almost identical to those that you can find on http://lifeboat.com/ex/boards - in addition to astrophysics/planetary science, I am also especially interested in calorie restriction/life extension and animal intelligence (and read dozens of research papers in these fields). I am also applying to the computational astrobiology summer program at Hawaii (maybe I can network with graduate students there). I've also started to network with professors who study atmospheric evolution on Earth and have read many of the books by John Lewis, James Kasting, and Brownlee/Ward. I've actually personally talked to many of them, although they're not as interested as I am on the topic of long-term sustainability.
So, right now the problem is that it's hard to network right now. But I am planning on doing a summer project on studying the atmosphere of the Precambrian Earth using 3D atmospheric science models. I am then planning to move onto a project to model the 3D dynamics of Earth's atmosphere (around various types of stars, including perhaps the sun when it becomes a subgiant and later a red giant) with the astrobiology department here (at UWashington) before moving onto graduate school.
I do believe that I am currently in one of the best possible places for this research - the University of Washington has one of the top astrobiology departments in the nation, one of the top atmospheric science departments in the nation [also quite relevant especially for studying global warming and the possible impacts+interventions of gamma ray bursts on the atmosphere] (and it may soon be able to collaborate with the astronomy department here over a project that's related to mine), and also Matt Kaeberlein's "Molecular Mechanisms of Aging" lab. It even has John Marzluff, who studies crow intelligence. I've also done a bit of work on a paper to model the structure of the Milky Way galaxy, which is also relevant for the long-term sustainability of the Earth (as mentioned in one of John Lewis's books - it's possible that Earth could be hit by a gamma-ray burst when the sun's orbit enters the galactic plane).
So what is my point in making this post? I'm trying to outline my very long-term research interests, and am perhaps making an attempt to network here. I have some obstacles though - severe cases of both ADD and Asperger's among them - but I am under medication and things have significantly improved since before, but I do face substantial discrimination for my disability (and have lost all my real-life friends over this, and have been attacked numerous times on various online forums). But in a collaboration, perhaps someone can help absorb the effects of my disability so that one can make the most use out of my talents and interests (I'm intensely resourceful), and my weaknesses may perhaps be covered up by someone else.
But also, I'd like to hook up with someone from the Lifeboat Foundation, if at all possible. The problem is that the membership fees are simply way too hefty for me, as I have no stable income at this point, nor do I expect to have one in a long time
Edited by InquilineKea, 27 April 2011 - 02:11 AM.
