CURRENT MISSION

Nuclear tourism

ABOUT ME

I'm a science nerd who likes to travel and enjoys the companionship of other travelers. I've lived previously in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Columbus, Ohio.

PHILOSOPHY

For me, Couchsurfing is about being a cultural ambassador--developing a heightened sensitivity to the varied customs of the world, and making my own culture and customs more accessible to visitors. I believe that Couchsurfing cultivates the trust and shared experience that underlie a more durable social contract.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I have the hope that CS will help me connect with interesting new people and some exotic, out-of-the-way travel destinations consistent with my "nuclear tourism" agenda. I also host visitors to Albuquerque, and live vicariously though their travel stories!

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have surfed many couches in the literal sense, but none yet via Couchsurfing.org. I've hosted a diverse handful of visitors, many of whom connected with me via this site.

Interests

Radiation
Particle accelerators
Nuclear reactors
Physics
Chemistry
Geology
Camping
Backpacking
Hiking

• culture
• electronics
• traveling
• hiking
• backpacking
• camping
• chemistry
• engineering
• geology
• history
• physics
• science
• tourism

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: I have a small pipe organ (3 ranks) in my house that visitors are welcome to play. I love works for the piano, particularly the late Russian romantics as well as Chopin and Brahms. Also fond of baroque and French Romantic organ music.Movies: Favorites tend to come from the horror genre ("Sybil" and "The Shining"). I'm also fond of dark comedies ("Dr. Strangelove"). I've enjoyed everything by the Coen brothers ("The Big Lebowski") and Quentin Tarantino ("Pulp Fiction").Books: I read lots of technical literature about nuclear stuff (mostly). I enjoy the prose of E. B. White and Garrison Keillor. I also enjoy Cormac McCarthy and John McPhee. I read non-fiction books about philosophy, religion, and food.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I have been inside the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine---three times. Not only is this a gargantuan monument to late-Soviet engineering practices, it is a building where history was made and ordinary people became heroes and victims in a reactor explosion in 1986.

Teach, Learn, Share

Things you can learn about from me:
-Nuclear science
-Radiation detection and measurement
-Electronics
-Glassblowing
-Plasma sculpture

Countries I’ve Visited

Canada, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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