CURRENT MISSION

Explore the Universe

ABOUT ME

This is absolutely ESSENTIAL. You MUST !!! read my "How I participate in CS" before asking to use my couch!

So, about me. I became interested in Astronomy when I was 10 years old, and have been studying and learning about it ever since. My main interests are the evolution of stars and galaxies. I taught at the local university for over 20 years, and retired about five years ago.

Now I split my time between Tucson during the worst winter months (Dec - Feb) and Flagstaff the rest of the year. I still do observing at Kitt Peak and other telescopes in Arizona, but I now have more time for my hobbies,which include travel and hiking, mostly on old railroad grades.

I've traveled in many countries around the world, on all continents except South America and Antarctica - which are still my goals. I've met people from all over the world, both in their country and here at home, and look forward to having visitors in my home through Couchsurfing.

PHILOSOPHY

Reality is just an illusion brought on by an alcohol deficiency.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I absolutely need a couple of days notice before I can accept you for surfing. Please DO NOT ask to show up in an hour, or something. I have several groups booked per week, and need time to plan.

Also, please don't try to book multiple couches - I will answer your query as soon as I can, usually immediately, so if I can't host you, you should have time to find another couch in town.

Please be honest with me, and please don't try to convince me astrology works - it doesn't.

If you cannot make your appointment - if your plans change - let me know immediately! Coming a day late or a day early is NOT OK. In fact, please reassure me that you will do this when you ask to surf, so I know you read this far. Otherwise I'll likely turn you down. And, of course, if my plans change, I'll let you know, as well.

I do not have a telephone, so please do NOT ask me to call you!

My house is outside of town, so if you don't have your own transportation, I probably can NOT accommodate you. I catch water from my roof, so conservation is essential.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've now hosted about 400 surfers - all have been great. I've surfed a few places, and it has also been fantastic.

Interests

Astronomy, Railroads, Travel

• books
• traveling
• hiking
• surfing
• astronomy

Music, Movies, and Books

Movie: Silver Streak
Music: Beethoven's Seventh
Book: Anything by Steinbeck

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The one amazing thing I've seen is a total eclipse of the sun. I mean, right in the middle of broad daylight, the sun goes OUT, the stars are visible - it seems as though the universe is ending.

Teach, Learn, Share

Many years ago, I read a short story by Isaac Azimov ("The Last Question", 1956), in which humans became aware that the stars could not last forever. Humanity realized that eventually all the stars would burn out, and we would have no source of heat, light, life. Azimov likened the situation to taking shelter under a tree in a rainstorm, and upon finding that the tree was getting saturated, realizing that moving to another tree would not help, because they were saturated, also. Likewise, when the sun eventually burns out, so also all the other stars will be burning out, leaving the universe cold, dark, and dead.

Azimov's story was written in the 1950's, at a time he should have known better. I was aware of conservation of energy, and so the story was plausible. But, it was known, even then, that the sun has another five and a half billion years to shine; it won't be burning out soon. But, more significant, when a star dies, it returns a portion of its gas back to the interstellar medium, from which NEW stars form. Stars, unlike people, have learned to recycle.

In Azimov's story, humanity continues building larger and larger computers, to try to figure out what to do when the stars all end. And each time, each new bigger computer replies that it doesn't have enough data to answer the question. Finally, when the last star dies, and the last human has died, the final computer DOES figure out what to do - but I'll let you read the story to find out what that is.

In fact, though, the stars have taken care of the problem themselves. The sun is not a first-generation star, but the result of previous stars that have built up heavy elements, and exploded, to supply the material that the sun and other new stars are made from. In fact, it is these heavy elements (Carbon, Oxygen, etc) that make our bodies. Without these previous generations of stars sacrificing themselves, we would not even BE here now. But stars continue to die, and be born from the remains. I suppose ultimately even THIS process will need to terminate, as less and less hydrogen is left for the new stars, but the timescale for this is truly mindbogglingly long.

Countries I’ve Visited

India, Russian Federation

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Austria, United States