 Nickname: Metlin
Real Name: Karthik
Age: Never old enough. =)
Resides: Atlanta, Georgia
Occupation: Slacking Student, Entertaining Entrepreneur & Regressive Researcher.
Favourite Website: Slashdot , Kuro5hin
Favourite Program Of All Time: Hard to say, but if I were to choose I'd say my editor (Emacs) is something I can't live without.
What Are You Playing And Working On Right Now: Well, playing UT 2004 (kinda research related too, beat that!). Developing a graphics tool that can slice 3-D mesh structures using Virtual Reality gloves.
And working on some really, really geeky stuff related to quantum computing.
Current Wallpaper/Screensaver: My wallpaper is a collage of the sci-fi series, Stargate SG-1. I'm a huge fan of this most amazing (and inspiring) series.
How Many Computers Do You Have: At home, two - a desktop and my laptop. At work, I work at a couple of labs and so I've a handful there.
What's So Special About Your Computer: Lots of books on topics ranging from astrophysics and building Beowulf clusters to Zen, lots of gadgets and lots of cables. Tonnes of AI related stuff such as anthromorphic entities which talk back, a wee bit of VR equipment and miscellaneous stuff. Of course, odds & ends such as puzzles, rock posters, and various electronic circuitry lying open on the floor.
Geekiest Moment: Well, the geekiest moment was when I got the opportunity to work at the famed Los Alamos National Labs, the home of the nuclear bomb. Let's just say it was a dream come true! I can never forget the moment when I walked through that door, to see the place where such greats as Richard Feynman, von Neuman, and a quintillion other really great and really smart people had worked. One simply cannot put words to that.
When Did You First Realize You Were A Geek: I remember building stuff for science fairs and reading really boring books since I was a kid - but somehow I never felt the need to justify my actions or my interests.
If I Was A Program I'd Be: Quite honestly, having worked a _lot_ on AI, all I can say is that I would not want to be a computer program. Atleast not given our present state of technology.
Favourite Quote: "If you immediately know the candlelight was fire, the meal was cooked a long time ago." - Oma Desala, Stargate
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The Truth Behind The Geek (*creative liberties taken for the benefit of the reading audience)
Karthik says that you should not be afraid to be geeky. A lot of really geeky (and smart) folks somehow feel the need to prove themselves, for whatever reason. You don't need to. Remember this - the world's greatest contributors to science and progress have always been geeks.
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