David Strumfels

Name: David Strumfels

Sex: male

Birthday: 09/30/1956

Born / grew-up in:

Levittown, PA.

e-mail address:

strumfels@gmail.com

Chief science/nature interests:

natural history, science in general, physics, astronomy, geology, chemistry, molecular/cell biology, neuroscience, computers

Education: MS Chemistry AA Computer Science

Occupation: Has varied over recent years: programmer, chemist, teaching, writing.

Particular science/nature interests:

My formal training is in chemistry, I also read a great deal of physics and biology.

Other points of interest:

I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome several years ago. I regard this as a primary source of my interest in the sciences and desire to write.

Other interests & pastimes:

Very much enjoy reading, mostly science, but also some fiction and

history. I also enjoy computer programming and writing. I like hiking and

exploring nature. I also enjoy people; not too much in social settings, but

one on one; also, people with interesting or "off-beat" minds draw me to

them. I also have some interest in Buddhism.

Preferred reading material or information sources:

Again, I read a lot of science books and magazines. These days I get a lot

more information from the internet, primarily through Wiki. Some television,

e.g., documentaries, PBS shows like "Nova" and "Nature".

Favorite books/writers/films:

my favorite science writers are Jacob Bronowski ("The Ascent of Man") and

Richard Dawkins (his "The Blind Watchmaker" is right up there up Ascent). I

also have a favorite writer on Buddhism, Pema Chodron, as we;; as a fondness

for poetry. Favorite films are "Annie Hall" (by Woody Allen), "The Maltese

Falcon", "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest", "As Good As It Gets",

"Conspiracy Theory", Monty Python's "Search For The Holy Grail" and "Life of

Brian", and a few others which I can't think about at the moment.

Tastes in music:

I love a number of classical works (Beethoven's "Pastoral", "Afternoon Of A

Fawn" and "Clair De Lune" by Debussey , Pachelbel's "Canon" come to mind. My

favorite piece is probably Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue". But I also enjoy a

great deal in modern music, including many jazz pieces, folk songs by people

like Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, a hodgepodge of pieces by Crosby, Stills,

and Nash, Niel Young, and practically everything the Beatles wrote.

Greatest sources of enjoyment:

Reading, writing, listening to music, exploring nature, thinking and

wondering, computer programming, and one-on-one conversations with people

with interesting and/or off-beat minds.

Additional comments:

My life over the last few years has been in some disarray, but I am finally

"getting it together.". As I am very much into the sciences and writing, I

would like to move more in this direction. I also enjoy teaching. As for my

political leanings, most people would probably describe as basically

liberal, though not extremely so. My religious leanings are to the

absolutely none: I've alluded to my interest in Buddhism, but again this is

not any supernatural or scientifically untested aspect of it but in the way

it provides a powerful philosophy and set of practical, day to day methods

of dealing with myself and the other human beings.