cjsmith | What color IS my parachute?

In my last post, I grumped a bit about what happened to the startup I joined years ago. Stock's dead, people gone. At least it's not the other way round. Okay. What next?

Software, the only thing I'm trained for, is just not going to create any breakthroughs any time soon. (Frankly, software sucks. People generally agree that the vast majority of software is bloated, buggy, unreliable, hard to use, etc etc. I have my own theories on why this is the case.) So anyhow. The paradigm shifts have shifted. We've come up with some good concepts over the history of computers. Operating systems, compilers, databases, computer games, graphical user interfaces, network protocols... the invention of each of these things has significantly changed the way computers are used. Java could have been, but wasn't. What's the next fundamental change coming from software? I don't see a lot.

If I want to do something interesting, new, different... if I want to help create something that will significantly help someone... if I want to make someone's job significantly easier or make it possible to do something a person basically couldn't do before, then I shouldn't be in software.

(Well, not completely true. There are still some jobs left undone in that arena.)

What, then? Where should I be?

I have the advantage of intelligence and willingness to learn. I have the disadvantage of laziness, though I have the occasional cleverness to turn laziness into a plus. I am a logical thinker saddled with ethics and with a caring nature. Where should I be?

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There are some interesting things like creating a programing language which can be done. The persons who created python and tcl/tk did some pretty interesting things.

Perhaps a project like that might be more your style.

Mm, that's a thought. And some of the various "jobs left undone" might still appeal.

Hmmm... Are you young enough to apply for the astronaut program? In and of itself, it wouldn't fulfill all your goals, but being an astronaut would give you tremendous cachet and the ability to pretty much write your own ticket after you'd been in the program for 4 or 5 years.

That was a dream of mine when I was little, before I figured out I was a small girl with bad eyes. How old must one be to apply? Are they ok with imperfect eyesight and the very beginnings of cartilage degeneration in the knee? I vaguely remember imperfect eyesight might be okay for "Mission Specialist", but for that, an applicant wants a few disparate PhDs.

If that wouldn't do it for you, how about something like Industrial Engineering, where you study processes and find ways to make them better?

Yes. That's helpful and intellectually challenging, both. Also, something psychological, where I study people and find ways to make their interactions better... got a lot of learning to do on that one though.

Or maybe you could do the Kelly McGillis (really Catherine McGrady) thing from Top Gun and go teach the hotshots how to fly the edge of the envelope?

That'd be awesome. Flight instructor, mmm. Aerobatics instructor, extra mmm. Oh hey. Test pilot. (May want an aero/astro degree for that one.)

[Astronaut stuff]
How old must one be to apply?

There's no official age limit, but nobody over 39 has ever been selected. 32 or 33 seems optimal, but people have been selected at older ages in their 30's. Persistance seems to be rewarded, with many candidates being accepted on their 3rd or 4th or 5th year of trying.

Are they ok with imperfect eyesight

Yeah, up to 20/200 correctable is fine. Since you have your private pilots license you should be fine in that respect.

and the very beginnings of cartilage degeneration in the knee?

I don't know, but I know someone who could answer that. Give me a bit...

I vaguely remember imperfect eyesight might be okay for "Mission Specialist",

Yeah. The vision requirements for Mission Specialists and Payload Specialists (astronauts employed by contractors who fly with specific payloads such as Ron Paresce with the ASTRO package) are less stringent than for pilot astronauts. But you still have to fly T-38 trainers, which I just know you'd find so hard to bring yourself to do.

but for that, an applicant wants a few disparate PhDs.

While those would help, they're not necessary. I've known MS and BS level astronauts who happen to have useful on the job skills.

As far as the Operations Analysis gig teaching at the Top Gun school goes, my recollection is that Catherine McGrady is a physicist by education, not an aerospace engineer. Though I suspect that a lot of the other civilian instructors there are AE's.

I will be 35 in October... just barely young enough to apply several years running. Not sure if I'm 20/200 these days, but it IS correctable, and with some exercises I could get back under 20/200 if I'm not. Cool. I would eat up the T-38 training.

've known MS and BS level astronauts who happen to have useful on the job skills.

Therein lies trouble. The one thing that seems to be absolutely, completely useless here is computer programming. Would need to acquire some new skills fast.

I'd guess you could pull together a Masters in Applied Mathematics pretty quickly, given your software background. That would hit a wickett with the Astronaut office, and probably fill in some gaps in your knowledge that you've wondered about at times. Check with your local UC grad school for details. Comp Sci degrees used to be disallowed, but that changed while I was still an AssHo[1] back in the mid-90's. These days software savvy people are very welcome in the Astronaut office.

It used to be that the number one degree for Mission Specialists was MD, but that trend seems to have slacked off. If you have medical training, like an EMT certificate, it'd be a definite plus though.

[1] Astronaut Hopeful, aka a person who keeps applying every selection cycle.

Augh, I couldn't resist. If you're not yet familiar with my sense of humor... well...

Astronaut School

*laugh* Puts me in mind of some of the astronauts I've known.

Hugs to you, my friend.

And is it just me, or did you too think that you'd have all this "what am I gonna be when I grow up" stuff figured out by now? Here I am, 30 years old, still figuring out on a daily basis what I should be doing with my life.

Of course, you have to admit, that makes things a lot less boring than I thought adulthood would be ...

Calvin and Hobbes: "I wouldn't have been in such a rush to be a grownup if I knew so much of it would be ad-libbed." Either Dad or Mom says this, can't remember, probably Dad.

Nanotechnology. Though of course most of it will be used for mindless consumer products.

Biotech. The mating of bio/nano sounds real good to me about now, although the long lead times and long development times could get frustrating. Stuff in that range could REALLY be helpful to folks.

I have the advantage of intelligence and willingness to learn. I have the disadvantage of laziness, though I have the occasional cleverness to turn laziness into a plus. I am a logical thinker saddled with ethics and with a caring nature. Where should I be?

In politics. Please.

Um... er... um... *sigh*

(in other words, boy do I agree we need more logical thinkers who care, but yikes I'd hate that job.)

I'm reminded of Hitchhiker's Guide's president of the galaxy. "On no account should anyone who would want the job be allowed to have it."

What color IS my parachute?

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