Who Are You People?

I'm a mid career physicist living in New Hampshire. I don't remember how I first found this blog, but I stay because Chad writes entertainingly on topics I'm interested in.

OK, I'll bite. 33yo female; volunteer with wilderness search & rescue group; paid (somewhat) editor for a medical book publisher; training for an Olympic-distance triathlon in September (cough); and enjoy intelligent writing. Since I am clearly unable to compose my own...

God sent me. As there is no God, personal initiative is implicit. Thinkers were once in charge of progress, now managers are - and the job gets smaller every day.

I'm a chemist about to start my first faculty position in a month. I was reading a couple blogs that ended up part of ScienceBlogs, and I found this blog when I followed them here. I keep coming back for (in no particular order):
* Interesting discussion of physics
* Relative lack of screeching monkeys
* Emmy
* Nostalgia (I got a physics minor at Union)

Who am I?

That's a great question Chad, for in depth analysis, we turn to our expert in the field...me.

I'm just this guy, you know?

I'm a physics postdoc at UMN doing experimental microwave background cosmology. I found your blog via a friend's blog; both myself and said friend are friends with Colin McCormick, one of your former students, I believe!

I'm an adjunct in a biology department that came here looking for some variety in my science reading (have to read more than just the biological science blogs, don'tcha know).

Eleven (or maybe twelve).

I'm a 50 year old female non-scientist science groupie; and the type of scientist I most obviously and particularly am not, is a physicist. I enjoy reading about physics, though, at least the non-mathy bits that can be explained in English, so the idea of a book on physics as explained to a dog has obvious attractions. I'm not sure, having slept since then, but I think I followed a link here from some other science blog, where said upcoming book was mentioned.

undergrad in physics. did several years of condensed matter physics in grad school. left, disgruntled, after having done everything 'cept the thesis. back into physics now in industry, though without letters after my name. stumbled onto Uncertain Principles via Pharyngula.

i guess you could say that Pharyngula is a gateway blog.

I'm a producer for a public affairs program at an NPR affiliate housed at a Big Ten U. Scienceblogs Select introduced you to me. Emmy's and your discussions have staying power. One of my husband's students (social science) was enthusiastically telling another last night how your book has given him an understanding of how physics fits into his life.

Voyeurism - hearing about another academic's life in a smaller setting, and different place.

I am a grad student in physics, working on the T2K experiment in Japan. I like Japanese and physics, and cute things, so I often find this blog interesting :) æ¥æ¬èªã好ãã§ããåå¹´éãããåå¼·ãã¾ããã

Fairly longtime lurker, surfacing to take the bait... I'm a "pure" mathematician, originally from England; now working in Quebec (2nd postdoc).

Can't recall how or exactly when I first came across Uncertain Principles, it was back in the days of SteelyPips, and quite possibly through some of your and Kate's book reviews.

Why stay? Hmm, I like the mix of topics, the view (which I'd never had) of a liberal-college education and educator, and some of the comments and views on writing and online shoutiness.

Hell, I just like the "voice" of the blog. Which is at the end of the day why we read these things, no?

I am a current undergraduate physics student from the UK, although I am currently doing my summer research project in Brazil. I am interested in general physics, although I specialise in Condensed matter theory.

I think I came across Uncertainty Principles from another blog, and stay lurking and reading as the blog contains intelligent and interesting writing, both on physics and off physics. I enjoy reading about the academic life that I don't yet get to see in much depth. Plus who doesn't love Emmy?

I'm a technical writer in the area of computer security who never finished a physics class. (The lab partner assigned to me dropped the electrified plumb bob into me deliberately, so I switched to computer science from chemistry since it didn't require any physics.) I stay for the physics in plain English (which I enjoy a whole lot more than Physics 101A) and Emmy.

Steelykid is wonderful too.

31yo male physicist. Doing a postdoc at UCLA, and soon to go to UBC in Vancouver for another one. I like the mix of topics here. Also, The atmosphere is nicer here than many other blogs since Chad isn't a pompous blowhard and the commenters are usually pretty nice too.

Undergraduate physics student at UCLA! One of my readers recommended you, so I subscribed. I had already heard of you before, of course, since you were one of the few physics bloggers on Science Blogs.

I stick around for the physics, politics, and general opinions about everything. Admittedly, I usually skip the links, polls, and photos.

I'm a thirty-something materials science post-doc at a Department of Energy national lab. I'm interested in being a professor, and I like hearing Chad's take on the profession.

I originally bookmarked this blog because of his taste in music. And as a Carolina fan, I do like reading about his disappointment in Maryland basketball.

I'm a fellow Williams College alum (Class of '95 in my case). I think we had a computer science class together (with Duane Bailey) in the fall of '92. I'm a biologist, so I don't understand the hard-core physics posts, but I enjoy your writing on the more general aspects of science. By the way, I liked your recent commencement speech. I once made a similar attempt to convince graduating high schoolers to think like scientists; if interested, you can find it here:
http://faculty.washington.edu/crowther/Misc/Writing/RHS2003.shtml

I am a 40 years old priest and we are following Uncertain Principles with great interest: You will help us to take over the World.

I'm the manager of a small high-tech manufacturing company. I have a degree in physics from the University of Adelaide in South Australia but no post-grad qualifications (apart from abandoning a Ph.D.)

I'm still very interested in physics and materials science but I'm way out of date and rusty. UP is well-written and gives me the illusion that I understand some current research :)

Physics grad student in neutrino oscillations from William and Mary. Wandered here many years ago linked from Kevin Drum (back when he was Calpundit, I think). I stay because I like to see pictures of strangely colored stuffed bison.

Another longtime lurker. Wanted to be a physicist from ages 5 through 15. Life got in the way of that, then I fell in love with computers and now I'm in software, but I still like to keep in touch with what's happening in physics. I'm pretty sure I must have found your articles especially interesting in Scienceblogs 24, so graduated it to bookmarked, then RSS. Really enjoy the physics, and of course Emmy, but you also make the non-physics stuff fun to read.

Physics undergrad, dropped out of a Ph.D in computer science after a couple of years, worked as a software engineer, then became a stay at home mom/community volunteer 14 years ago. I enjoy the mix of topics, Emmy, and SteelyKid.

40+, full professor in mathematics, mother of three. I read lots of ScienceBlogs but I think yours is my favorite. I like the mixture of topics and the attention to various form of literature.
I also think you cannot possibly have too many pictures of the child.

Mid-career neurobiologist at the world's smallest college. Former rugby player. Huge Emmy fan. My dog talks to me, too.

40yo, Physics Undergrad. Fell into large-scale databases and web-publishing. Want to "keep in touch" with state of science. Appreciate tone & content of this blog. Wish my dog were smart enough to employ quantum tunneling. Tired of filling holes under fence! (Oh -- lived on Guam for 2 years, studied Judo as child. Delighted by stories of Japan!)

Currently a graduate student in Physics at the University of Alberta in Canada. I enjoy the fact that Chad seems like a normal person with a wide range of interests, especially the basketball posts we occasionally get.

Like many others, I'm a physics undergrad, though I'm a non-traditional student. I'm 26 years old, and just returned to college after many years in the work force.

I found ScienceBlogs via Phil Plait's blog. I don't really post much, but I follow along at several science blogs, but mainly PZ Myers.

I am, apparently, the token engineer. Microwave engineer by training and salary, computer scientist by training and hobby.

I've known Chad in person, as have some of the other commenters, for quite a while, but I'm not a Williams grad and I don't play Rugby....

I'm a swedish M.Sc in electrical engineering/signal processing, who's out in the industry doing boring non-science stuff, so I get my science fix from good blogs.

I don't really know how I found the blog, a couple of months ago, I just know I can't stop reading it.

48 years old. Statistician.

Known Chad for a while (back to the days of rasfwrj). Don't recall specifically how I found this blog.

Just generally like the articles.

I'm an executive assistant and personal chef, which is a fancy way of saying I'm a housewife with no kids who happens to like to to cook. I'm a dilettante: I've programmed computers, learned to fly a helicopter, studied drawing and painting (watercolor). I sew quilts, and have recently started learning how to play the harmonica.

Went to MIT but really wasn't cut out for the hard math; got an "honorable discharge" as a humanities major. So, I'm not a scientist, but I enjoy the company and discourse of scientific people. I still glaze over at the math, but love it when you and Emmy explain physics concepts in plain English. I started following this blog long before Steelykid was a gleam in her father's eye, but the Thursday baby blogging has become my favorite thing. Found Science Blogs through some link or other, found this while browsing around, loved the voice, and have stayed.

I'm very much looking forward to the book. Bummed that I didn't win an early copy in the caption contest. (Oh, well.)

I'm a new chair (10 years here, 10 days as chair) of the mathematics/computer science department at a Midwestern liberal arts college. I don't remember what originally brought me here. In a past life at another Midwestern LA college, I was the physics department as well as half the math faculty, which probably accounts for my renewed interest in physics and a big chunk of why I keep coming back.

Just graduated from college, heading to Caltech for a PhD in Applied Physics in September. (Thus partly answering Stephen's request back at http://scienceblogs.com/principles/2008/08/reader_request_career_option…, though I can't really say much about job options. I'm baking desserts and washing dishes this summer, if that helps). Keeping myself open for whatever options are available post grad-school.

Started with Pandas Thumb, which lead to ScienceBlogs, and was glad to find a physics blog among all the biology ones.

math/phiz undergrad software engineer - catching up on all the fun stuff i never took - particle phys/general rel/qft.

I'm a Physics Honours student from Canada. I think over christmas break I was suffering from physics withdrawals and I came across the blog. I stayed because the posts are interesting and concise. I plan to one day start a blog and this is the kind of blog I enjoy. Also you have a cute dog!

Freshly minted PhD in Structural engineering and mom to a 7 month old. I landed here searching for example teaching statements while applying for faculty positions. I went to industry but stayed here for the flavour of academia, Steelykid and physics.

25 yr old who's not a scientist in any form but enjoys the company & conversations of science-y people. :) love your blog cus you come across as a scientist who's also just another guy. incidentally, i'm from india.

21 year old physics and political science undergrad in PA. I've been reading this blog since before the scienceblogs days and I'm a big fan/lurker. I think another blog linked here and I liked what I read so I bookmarked it.

I'm a 42 year old chemistry professor at Linfield College in Oregon. Father of one daughter (approximately 12 years older than Steely Kid), husband, brewer, walker of the dog.

I keep coming back for the same reasons others have posted: interesting posts, not "screechy", and sense of humor. I wish there were chemistry blogs like this.

30ish PhD candidate in Analytical/Industrial chemistry at University of Tasmania.
Firefighter, disc golfer, hiker, and so on.
I got into this from John Scalzi and the 'Dance like a monkey' bet, realised Chad said some interesting stuff and stayed.

41yo in Indy, with equal interest in the physics, pop music, SF, and general rants, but love the bonus SteelyKid cuteness. Briefly flirted with a major in Astronomy, back about a hundred years ago, and sometimes wish I'd stuck with it. Wound up in Math and Philosophy, but strangely enough, didn't end up working in either industry. My career, such as it is, is in IT.

Who are you: 45 yo, British, professor of economics; How did you get here; followed a link, from Cosmic Variance I think; What keeps you reading the blog: Physics envy.

I've been lurking for about a year. I'm an office specialist (more accurately: receptionist). I enjoy reading science written for us non-scientists. Boing Boing got me here to begin with. BTW - please recommend something I might be able to handle about condensed matter physics. This blog is usually the first one I check when I have time.

Oh why not? I've lurked here for at least a year now. I'm a 31 yr old mom to 2 kids, the oldest of which is starting kindergarten in the fall which causes me mini heart attacks when I think about how September is going to be such a huge transition for my family that I may require daily deep-breathing sessions. I took a slew of science courses, including physics, at my undergrad and have enjoyed reading general audience physics books. I now edit science journal articles (grammer, word choice, etc for ESL scientists) and I write memoir/essay pieces that I hope will see publication someday somewhere.

I ended up here because you had the most sensible responses to the science/religion flame wars. I've stuck around because you write well about a wide variety of topics and the environment here is pleasant. Mostly you're a darn good writer who often makes me laugh. Thanks.