User:Infiniteawe

My name is Josh Smith, and I'm currently an graduate student at San Francisco State University in the Department of Philosophy..



Early work
I worked at the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art in Malibu, CA, where I participated in the Los Angeles-wide exhibition of glass artist Dale Chihuly. I am a former contributor to and editor of the arts, literature, and science blog 3 Quarks Daily. I have also self-published a book of poetry, entitled Try To Write The Wrongs.

Due to a profound interest in various fields of science, I have worked in multiple roles as a researcher and theoretician. As a guest researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, MD, I worked in Building and Fire Research Laboratories, contributing to the paper "Collision Dynamics of A Liquid Fire Suppressant Upon A Heated Wax Surface." I also worked for the corporation Westat, in their Pediatric Aids and Clinical Trials Group. I have been working for several years now on a draft dissertation concerning infinity and the possibility of a Theory of Everything.

Education
I graduated from Seneca Valley High School in Germantown, MD in June, 2004. I was awarded a congressional nomination from Chris Van Hollen to attend the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Although I had spent my entire high school career preparing for the Academy, a brush with death in my Junior year of high school led me to reconsider that chosen path.

Personal
In what little personal free time I have these days, I spend it doing a variety of things. I try to get as much use out of Washington, DC as I possibly can, going to independent films at Landmark's E Street Theatre, visiting galleries including the Hirshhorn Museum, and seeing concerts at the Kennedy Center or The Black Cat (nightclub).

I also love the outdoors. My family has two Golden Retrievers back in Germantown, whom I try to see as much as possible, taking them on hikes at Great Falls. I'm a former wilderness survival instructor, which I taught in the Boy Scouts of America, and am a trip leader for Maryland's Terrapin Trail Club.

I try to fit in as much reading as possible. Particularly important to me is poetry. I have a keen interest in post-war Polish poetry, with writers as varied as Czeslaw Milosz, Adam Zagajewski, and Tadeusz Borowski. I am in profound disagreement with Theodor Adorno, who said, "to write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric." Instead, Alicia Ostriker presciently writes, "it has always seemed to me that to fall silent in the face of the Holocaust is to surrender to it. Dmitri Shostakovich, composing his Thirteenth Symphony based on Yevtoshenko's 'Babi Yar,' commented, 'People knew about Babi Yar before Yevtoshenko's poem, but they were silent. And when they read the poem, the silence was broken. Art destroys silence.'"

To that end, it is my belief that art and life are the highest, most complementary pursuits. My life is devoted to both.

Wikipedia
I am relatively new to Wikipedia, but look forward to my ability to contribute. I will probably limit myself at first to articles in which I have some academic experience, but certainly will not hesitate to participate in articles that I feel could benefit from my input.

Due to my eclectic tastes and interest, I may well end up posting on a wide number of articles. Hopefully I have a lot to contribute to this wonderful project.

Art

 * WikiProject Arts
 * WikiProject Contemporary Art
 * WikiProject Visual arts

Philosophy

 * WikiProject Philosophy
 * WikiProject Aesthetics
 * WikiProject Philosophy of Mind

Articles I Started

 * Pierre Bayard — Notable enough to deserve the humble beginnings of an article; not sure whether it is better suited as a stub.

Articles of Concern

 * Anti-Democratic Thought — This article deserves some serious revision. Despite my newness to Wikipedia, I feel the need to be bold here and start the article from scratch.
 * Contemporary art — Somewhat displeased with generalizations and inaccuracies. Have not yet contributed.
 * Elitism – This article is listed under the WikiProject Discrimination: this move seems to violate neutral point of view. The article itself also leans heavily to anti-elitism, suggesting that the neutral point of view problem is a fundamental concern.
 * Neuroaesthetics — Limited in its discussion of an extremely interesting theory. Decent references to Semir Zeki, but almost none to V.S. Ramachandran.

Expert Review
Articles in which I've given an expert review.


 * Asbjørn Lønvig – Found it as non-notable per WP:N. Placed PROD tag. See talk.

Contact
Feel free to talk to me on or off of Wikipedia. I'm generally a pretty friendly person and am always willing to expand my social circle. Don't hesitate to contact me via email or AOL Instant Messenger. Be aware, however, that I am usually very busy and will do my best to get back you as soon as possible.