Today is Lurker Day, as explained by Chris at Creek Running North, Lauren at Feministe, and PZ at Pharyngula. (Three of the coolest blogs on all the internets, I should add.) That is, lazy bloggers avoid posting original content by asking their readers who never (or rarely) comment to drop by and leave a note saying who they are and what they like about the blog. (Other blogs also ask for something called “constructive criticism,” or perhaps even for suggestions for improvement; we here at CV see no need for such things. But if you are so moved, knock yourselves out.)
I’m especially curious as to two demographic questions: how many readers are professionally science-related in some way vs. how many are from the so-called “real world,” and among the former, how many are students vs. embittered elders. No pressure, obviously; consider this just a chance to pipe up and say hi if you haven’t yet had the chance to comment.
What, you mean you do not have access to the IP addresses of people who read and comment here?
Zero
I was a lurker at Preposterous, now here. I received an undergraduate degree in biology abut 15 years ago, and worked for awhile at a pharmaceutical start up before it went belly up. Just before I was about to be cast adrift, I was lured into game design and some novel writing, but sometimes I wish I was a cosmologist :-).
I visit every day (or more accurately, I read the RSS feed when new content appears), and quite enjoy the blog’s wide swathe of topics.
Keep up the great work!
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!
Senior undergrad taking GRE on Friday! Trying to be scientist.
Started at Preposterous in April 2004. I like the science and politics. The hurricane coverage was great – one post (by Risa?) that pointed with many links to the mistakes being made cut to the heart of the matter, unlike the bullshit on CNN’s front page.
Hi!
I am a research student with specialisation in computational materials science.
Guru
Been lurking here for a while – wandered here from Preposterous Universe. I’m a chemical process engineer involved in biotech, with a general interest in all sorts of things…
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’m a phenomenology postdoc… Not a frequent commenter. Nice distraction from work though. Oh, and I got my string theory basics at Clifford’s BUSSTEPP lecture course…
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).
Mostly a lurker, migrated from Preposterous Universe, which I found via PZ Myers…. I’m a former Silicon Valley computer engineer and now a geology grad student, so I guess that makes me a scientist-wannabe.
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.
After hearing Sean at a colloquium two years ago, I turned to the internet to learn more about dark energy and stumbled into the Preposterous Universe.
Currently a 3rd year physics and math undergraduate, determined to make a living in academia (even having just finished “Slaves to science” in Salon, one of the bleakest articles on the career path I’ve seen).
One criticism, more of a suggestion- the blog is great, but I think some of the things on this site could do a lot more good in the NYtimes or the Washington Post or even on Fox News, where the audience is more diverse (and in the later case, lost).
Everybody who writes on this thing is thoughtful, well-spoken, and charismatic enough to survive the public spotlight. How about some Late Show appearances? Carl Sagan can do it, right? The public needs to see more of human scientists.
Ok, back to my swamps now, to lurk and listen. Thanks for the blog.
-bob
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
Thought I was on the academia track until I got to grad school, basically — now, not so sure. (Reading professor’s blogs tends to be very discouraging, although CV is an exception and usually I come away feeling good about a career in science.)
I am moving toward policy and ethics, perhaps, and so I like to read a blog that involves talking about issues related to science, without necessarily delving into the details of the science itself.
And I’ll admit that as a female in a subdivision of geophysics that is overwhelmingly male (often attributed to the fact that most people in the field start out in physics), and after a number of gender discrimination issues as a physics undergrad, I am always delighted to find more female scientists who are proving successful at physics and at academic careers.
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!” 🙂
hi, I’m a PhD student in Astronomy (Uppsala, Sweden). I haven’t read CV for long, only a week or so, but so far I have come back every time my rss-reader said there’s new stuff and haven’t regretted it yet 🙂
Pro mathematician, recently completed the post-doc phase of the life cycle, came from P.U, not a 100% lurker, but close.
I’ve been a lurker here and at Preposterous Universe. I’m currently a 4th year undergraduate studying physics in the UK and I’m hoping to do a PhD in high energy theory/gravity. Really like the blog, it gives a nice insight into how science really works 🙂
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
I’m a PhD student in mathematics, doing a bit of the ol’ algebraic geometry (I also did physics as an undergrad, and I still love the stuff). And I’m a serial lurker.
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?
I’m a cosmology researcher outside the U.S., who reads Cosmic Varaince (and preposteros universe before that) not only for the excellant science, but also to remind myself that the U.S. has not completely become Jesusland yet.
Keep up the good work!
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.
PhD student in CMB Cosmology in London, annoyed that someone else already thought of the “embittered and young” joke. Professional interest in String Theory and personal interest in all the other interesting things you guys talk about. Keep it up.
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!