about this blog

This is the blog of Xander Skyrien (me), where I write and post about topics spanning a range of content. Consequently, much content may be highly opinionated, debatable, or otherwise contentious to some. Alternatively, it may not even apply to you, the passing internet citizen.

Regardless, I write because I feel an obligation to; that of taking necessary to effort to document and share life and the opportunity for musing that occasionally is useful. Mostly, I write for fun and to structure thoughts and opinions I (may) have in real life. I try to write here at least once a month, but historically, I post when time and inspiration permits.

Accompanying this blog is SkyrienWiki, the knowledge base companion to my stream of consciousness rantings here. Read more about this blog: here, from SkyrienWiki.

about me

I am Skyrien. – Skyrien

Skyrien isn’t something you’re going to find in a dictionary (yet), but most certainly, you’ll find a few instances on an internet search. I coined the name in the 1990s while growing up in Korea and took it as my internet handle. I wanted a name that I could use universally, and so far, I’ve succeeded. 🙂

In real life, I’m Alexander Joo. I had long considered myself a Midwesterner (having grown up mostly in and around the Chicago), but lived in Seattle from 2008-2015, and realized now I’m far more at home here, in the Pacific Northwest!

UPDATE: From 2015-2017, I decided to check out the Valley, and moved down to Santa Clara county in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was nice, but I missed Seattle enough that I moved back in late 2017.

My academic background is in electrical engineering, computer science, and biomedical engineering at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign Class of 2008.

I also have a presence in the fediverse on Mastodon.

life

I’d like to think that I’m forward-thinking in my views and opinions and I hold as a life goal of maximizing my positive contribution to others and the world during my limited time (like everyone) here on earth. As individuals and as a society we should embrace the drive to always improve and face key challenges head on.

I’m a passionate believer in technology’s ability to bring positive impact and lasting development to our lives and our world, and I dedicate my abilities in both my personal and professional life to such causes. I care a lot about the fate of humanity and the world around me, and over the last few years have been spending my volunteering time toward marine conservation causes in the Pacific Northwest, US.

I’ve been pursuing the following topics recently as I expect to be able to make an impact on these fields through my professional life:

• Sustainable development and global ecosystem conservation. I hold the UN Millennium Development Goals and now the UN Sustainable Development Goals as key indicators of the global consensus on these very important issues for humanity.
• 3d printing, and hobbyist hacking (physical / software)
• Autonomous drones (civilian use), and AR via sight interfaces on embedded devices (Raspberry Pi)
• Trends in human space science, currently focused on asteroid mining and Mars colonization.
• Non-invasive brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and applications for human-human/computer/group for long-distance wireless communication via thought
• The implementation of I-502 in Washington state, producer/processor/retailer relations, experimental product design
• Social psychology, and human interactions. Personality type theory, group dynamics.
• International relations, especially US and Asia-Pacific. Politics on the Korean peninsula.

contact me

If you have any thoughts, or suggestions, or just want to say hello, I’m not hard to find online, like here: @skyrien