What hobbies and interests do you have outside academia?

[wolram]

Now i am getting older i partake in more sedentary sports, i am quite good at Wellie Wanging, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellie_wanging.
Another sport i enjoy is Gurning although i have never won a competition. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurn.
One competition i would love to win is Cheese Rolling though i think i am getting to old for it.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooper's_Hill_Cheese-Rolling_and_Wake
The last sport although you will not find it on the internet was Cow Pat throwing, one had to find a nicely dried cow pat and throw it like a discus, the cow pat had to land in one piece for one to win.

 

[davenn]

where do I start ?

amateur radio
seismology
rock, mineral and fossil collecting
general electronics --- includes commercial manufacturing and sales ( a good paying hobby ... funds some of my other expensive ones)
astronomy
photography, including astrophotography
coin and banknote collecting
still do some model building ... the latest will be a 1:1 scale of the Millennium Falcon model as used for filming in Star Wars
This will be the most complex and largest one I have ever done, measuring roughly 1 metre in diameter ( a kit spread out over a year or so)

That's the core of them
Dave

 

[Sophia]

where do I start ?

amateur radio
seismology
rock, mineral and fossil collecting
general electronics --- includes commercial manufacturing and sales ( a good paying hobby ... funds some of my other expensive ones)
astronomy
photography, including astrophotography
coin and banknote collecting
still do some model building ... the latest will be a 1:1 scale of the Millennium Falcon model as used for filming in Star Wars
This will be the most complex and largest one I have ever done, measuring roughly 1 metre in diameter ( a kit spread out over a year or so)

That's the core of them
Dave

That's a lot! Rock, mineral and fossil collecting sounds interesting. Do you go on trips and look for them yourself or do you buy them? What kind of fossils do you have?

 

[davenn]

That's a lot! Rock, mineral and fossil collecting sounds interesting. Do you go on trips and look for them yourself or do you buy them? What kind of fossils do you have?

it keeps me out of trouble

I find having many hobbies is good ... if I get a little bored with one, I can move on to do work on one of the other ones

Much of the overseas samples are purchased, either imported by local rock and mineral shops or I purchased from similar shops
when traveling overseas. ( it's the only way to get some of the stuff).

Over the years have done lots of collecting as I traveled around the countryside both here in Australia and back in my home country of New Zealand
Stopping at road cuttings, beaches, mining quarries and all sorts of other places ...

My fossils ... mainly NZ ones and all personally collected. NZ has an abundance of marine fossils.
3 of the cooler ones ... 30 million yr old HUGE oysters from SW area South Island. 65 million yr old Ammonites from a quarry close to my old home
... The last of their kind before the big K-T extinction event. 500 million yr old Trilobites from the NW region of the South Island

They are all still in New Zealand ... there is a thing called the Equities Act which limits the export of the country's natural history
If I wanted to take any of them out, they would all have to be sent to the local univ geology dept for appraisal to determine if they were common
or rare species. Just too much hassle.

The only ones I brought with me were ones that were purchased and are not NZ fossils

I did bring my entire rock and mineral collection to Australia when I moved here. Cost me a fortune in airfreight costs ( a lot of weight haha)
my rock and mineral collection includes 3 specialty areas
Fluorescing ones ( under UV light), radio active ones, and meteorites

Just in case you are interested ... the seismology interest ... I run my own seismic recording station.
5 of the 6 sensors are online, they update every 5 minutes.
http://www.sydneystormcity.com/seismograms.htmcheers
Dave

 

[phinds]

Several hobbies, but one that takes a lot of my time is the creation/maintenance of an enormous educational website for information about wood:

http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/

 

[Psinter]

Several hobbies, but one that takes a lot of my time is the creation/maintenance of an enormous educational website for information about wood:

http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/

You wrote all that?!

I like how this one looks like: It says at your website Movingui

 

[Kevin McHugh]

Hot rods
Drums
Bicycling on and off road
Hiking (day hikes)
Photography
Poetry
Physics

 

[Sophia]

it keeps me out of trouble

I find having many hobbies is good ... if I get a little bored with one, I can move on to do work on one of the other ones

Much of the overseas samples are purchased, either imported by local rock and mineral shops or I purchased from similar shops
when traveling overseas. ( it's the only way to get some of the stuff).

Over the years have done lots of collecting as I traveled around the countryside both here in Australia and back in my home country of New Zealand
Stopping at road cuttings, beaches, mining quarries and all sorts of other places ...

My fossils ... mainly NZ ones and all personally collected. NZ has an abundance of marine fossils.
3 of the cooler ones ... 30 million yr old HUGE oysters from SW area South Island. 65 million yr old Ammonites from a quarry close to my old home
... The last of their kind before the big K-T extinction event. 500 million yr old Trilobites from the NW region of the South Island

They are all still in New Zealand ... there is a thing called the Equities Act which limits the export of the country's natural history
If I wanted to take any of them out, they would all have to be sent to the local univ geology dept for appraisal to determine if they were common
or rare species. Just too much hassle.

The only ones I brought with me were ones that were purchased and are not NZ fossils

I did bring my entire rock and mineral collection to Australia when I moved here. Cost me a fortune in airfreight costs ( a lot of weight haha)
my rock and mineral collection includes 3 specialty areas
Fluorescing ones ( under UV light), radio active ones, and meteorites

Just in case you are interested ... the seismology interest ... I run my own seismic recording station.
5 of the 6 sensors are online, they update every 5 minutes.
http://www.sydneystormcity.com/seismograms.htmcheers
Dave

That's fascinating! And I believe you spent a small fortune at the airport :-) but it would be such a pity not to take them to the new home after collecting it for a long time.
I only have a few "healing" gems like citrine, crystal, hematite, tiger's eye and similar. However, I suspect some of them are fake.
Where have you learned about the minerals and fossils? Can you recommend a book or website?

 

[wolram]

H

That's fascinating! And I believe you spent a small fortune at the airport :-) but it would be such a pity not to take them to the new home after collecting it for a long time.
I only have a few "healing" gems like citrine, crystal, hematite, tiger's eye and similar. However, I suspect some of them are fake.
Where have you learned about the minerals and fossils? Can you recommend a book or website?

Here is a book Sophia https://wordery.com/dictionary-of-g...currency=GBP&gtrck=VnY0QUY3YjIyZ3pPT21zWXZxZF

 

[Psinter]

Here is a book Sophia https://wordery.com/dictionary-of-g...currency=GBP&gtrck=VnY0QUY3YjIyZ3pPT21zWXZxZF

£313.20

How many?!

 

[Sophia]

HHere is a book Sophia https://wordery.com/dictionary-of-g...currency=GBP&gtrck=VnY0QUY3YjIyZ3pPT21zWXZxZF

Great, adding that to the list of things I'll buy when I win the lottery
That's like a minimal monthly wage here :)

 

[davenn]

I only have a few "healing" gems like citrine, crystal, hematite, tiger's eye and similar. However, I suspect some of them are fake.

The crystals/minerals are probably not fake
BUT the purported healing properties of them are

 

[phinds]

The crystals/minerals are probably not fake
BUT the purported healing properties of them are

Careful now; Deepak Chopra is going to be very upset with you.

 

[davenn]

Careful now; Deepak Chopra is going to be very upset with you.

hahaha, I had to google the name

but seriously !

 

[QuantumQuest]

I like studying ( mostly science and Astrophysics - Cosmology in particular ), playing chess - I play since 8 y.o. and vacations. I love playing the electric guitar and play since 16 classic guitar. I managed to get a strat beauty back in '96, and a marshall combo after hard work. The last 5 - 6 years I've been much more serious about playing electric guitar, attending a lot of online lessons and playing - I thank America for that too. What inspires me most, is the groovy thing of Hendrix playing - the chords - phrasing alternation, and I follow his masterpieces in detail. I also like rock from 70's - 80's, some hard rock and a little bit of (old) metal.

 

[wolram]

Great, adding that to the list of things I'll buy when I win the lottery
That's like a minimal monthly wage here :)

Well this site may interest you http://www.gia.edu/ i have a beautiful 14inch high by7inch wide amethyst geode on my mantelpiece.

 

[phinds]

Well this site may interest you http://www.gia.edu/ i have a beautiful 14inch high by7inch wide amethyst geode on my mantelpiece.

Pictures. Must see pictures.

 

[davenn]

Well this site may interest you http://www.gia.edu/ i have a beautiful 14inch high by7inch wide amethyst geode on my mantelpiece.

nice, I will photo my one tonite, but as a teaser ...
my wife standing in front of a huge amethyst geode

Worlds biggest Amethyst Geode – The ‘Empress of Uruguay’ – Atherton Tablelands, Cairns, Australia
At well over 3 metres tall (that’s 11 feet) and weighing two and a half tonnes,

Cindy is 5'3"

cheers
Dave

 

[Sophia]

Well this site may interest you http://www.gia.edu/ i have a beautiful 14inch high by7inch wide amethyst geode on my mantelpiece.

Thanks, I'll check that out :-) amethysts are beautiful

 

[davenn]

@phinds , since you insisted

OK couple of mineral clumps from my collection

first a section of an amethyst geode

and a conglomerate of a number of minerals
Stilbite, Quartz, Chabazite and something else I have yet to identify ( the small brown crystals)

cheers
Dave

 

[Sophia]

OK couple of mineral clumps from my collection

first a section of an amethyst geode

View attachment 97131

and a conglomerate of a number of minerals
Stilbite, Quartz, Chabazite and something else I have yet to identify ( the small brown crystals)

View attachment 97132

cheers
Dave

Amethyst has a marvellous colour but I like the second one more. It's a bit simpler and gentler (at least appears so on my mobile screen) yet has an interesting structure that could be observed for a long time

 

[wolram]

I like studying ( mostly science and Astrophysics - Cosmology in particular ), playing chess - I play since 8 y.o. and vacations. I love playing the electric guitar and play since 16 classic guitar. I managed to get a strat beauty back in '96, and a marshall combo after hard work. The last 5 - 6 years I've been much more serious about playing electric guitar, attending a lot of online lessons and playing - I thank America for that too. What inspires me most, is the groovy thing of Hendrix playing - the chords - phrasing alternation, and I follow his masterpieces in detail. I also like rock from 70's - 80's, some hard rock and a little bit of (old) metal.

I find cosmology fascinating, if you can play like Hendrix you are okay in my book why you thank America is beyond me all the best guitar players came from England

 

[James Holland]

That is a really nice interest.

Out of academia? Besides playing video games, training. I just like how it feels. Been thinking about doing gymnastics (always wanted to try this), but I'm not so sure of a place where I can learn it. Cool historic fact about gymnastics:

i love gaming too
an also rugby is fun and so is polo/riding however sailing defiantly takes the top spot

 

[QuantumQuest]

if you can play like Hendrix you are okay in my book

I wish I could - even very near to his playing, but it's really difficult; anyway I try my best and I go fine.

why you thank America is beyond me all the best guitar players came from England

I thank America, for the very good online lessons, that have helped me a lot and it's not only music it's education, too. While England has a long history of great bands and guitar players and I like it too, many great guitar players are Americans.

 

[James Holland]

I find cosmology fascinating, if you can play like Hendrix you are okay in my book why you thank America is beyond me all the best guitar players came from England

Rule Britannia

 

[ProfuselyQuarky]

Several hobbies, but one that takes a lot of my time is the creation/maintenance of an enormous educational website for information about wood:

http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/

phinds, whatever made you decide to create a website on wood?

Not many people may find it interesting, but I really like making digital art. Really, really love it. I also like to sew and hike. Webcomics are good, too.

What cartoons and comics do you guys like?

Cartoons: the original Adventures of Tintin
Webcomics: The Gentleman's Armchair and the Pigeon Gazette.

 

[phinds]

phinds, whatever made you decide to create a website on wood?
.

Why do some people collect matchbook covers? I'm a woodworker. I work with exotics and am interested in them.

 

[phinds]

Not many people may find it interesting...

Well, I wouldn't say that, exactly. My site gets 15,000 unique visitors per month.

 

[ProfuselyQuarky]

Why do some people collect matchbook covers? I'm a woodworker. I work with exotics and am interested in them.

You're a woodworker? How cool! I guess a website about wood makes sense now. Did you make those bowls??

Well, I wouldn't say that, exactly. My site gets 15,000 unique visitors per month.

I wasn't talking about your website. I was talking about my art

15,000 is an impressive number. I'll show my father so maybe you'll get 15,001

 

[phinds]

Did you make those bowls??

Well, yeah. It would have been pretty silly to post pictures of someone ELSE's bowls