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| August 4, 2006
Planets-R-Us BY CAROL INKELLIS
No need to lock up the kids, though. Silen, executive director of PlanetQuest, is not looking to kidnap your children and send them up into space on this mission. Instead, PlanetQuest is seeking home computers—and their attendant users—to take part in the search for extrasolar planets. The interest in and search for extraterrestrial life is by no means new. Technology, however, now makes discovery a real possibility. And to hear Brad Silen tell it, PlanetQuest is just the project to do it—employing distributed computing. Utilizing the power of millions of desktop computers will allow PlanetQuest to create a “super network”—and build the world’s largest astronomical observatory. In very simple terms, distributed computing can be likened to the old-fashioned notion “if we all put our heads together...” Considering the success of SETI@home—the scientific program that allows individuals to participate in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) by running a free program that downloads and analyzes radio telescope data—a lot of us non-scientist types are quite interested in what might be going on out in space. Silen, who is neither an astronomer nor a scientist, was involved with the software development for SETI@home. As became apparent in that project, his abilities extend far beyond software design; he was asked to bring his “meta-thinking” skills to run PlanetQuest. According to Silen, PlanetQuest’s survey speculates that there is one planet out there for every 10,000 stars. Silen says that if 40,000 kids are part of the Collaboratory, at least four of them will “discover” a planet. How does it work? Essentially, the program, downloaded and installed on one’s computer, goes into action when it detects that the computer is not in use. It retrieves a small segment of imaging data from the central server, then works on analyzing it. The small set of data comes from remote telescopes, including the gigantic telescope at the Arecibo Observatory (www.naic.edu in Puerto Rico. Transit detection is the method PlanetQuest uses for finding planets around stars. It involves measuring light curves and brightness. All of this, and much more, including how to become a participant, is explained in detail on the project’s Web site, www.planetquest.org. It’s an exciting possibility; although, if you’re a discoverer, you receive recognition, but not naming rights. (Those belong to the International Astronomical Union.) PlanetQuest is only one of the business technologist’s 10 or so current projects. Silen (and his company Quality Process) is developing project-management tools that deal with the highly dynamic contemporary work environment. He notes that traditional project management frameworks were developed 50 to 100 years ago, in a workplace far removed from today’s 24/7 office. He’s excited about the process as well as the outcome of everything he’s working on, and jumps from one project discussion to another without missing a beat. Silen says he learns a great deal by going “deep” into any given topic. Working side-by-side with astronomers, he has received a college-level astronomy education—in a much shorter time and a far more interesting manner. He has a great many interests and finds that going beneath the surface of an issue is a “joyous way to engage with people.” This innovative thinker grew up in Kentfield in a creative household with an artist mother and visionary father. (How visionary? Harold (Hal) Silen was co-founder of BASS ticket outlet. Coincidentally, he was featured in a Pacific Sun article in July 1985.) He has lived and worked in Australia and London, among other places, but is happy to be back “home” in Marin. Silen holds degrees in philosophy and electrical engineering (with a minor in ballet). He says his unique background has helped him “create a toolbox of skills in thinking and seeing the world.” As a “meta-thinker,” Silen thinks about thinking, actively taking on other people’s ways of thinking and putting them in his “toolbox.” He savors engaging in an experience, experimenting, finding the “magic,” and “believes that [he’s] practiced and grown [his] ability to see the world in different ways.” Silen notes that this type of thinking requires a positive environment, where one can dare to be wrong. “You can’t be so close to the edge...that you can’t take risks.” PHOTO BY ROBERT VENTE: Let’s be perfectly clear: Brad Silen, above, is ‘not looking to kidnap your children and send them into space.’ |
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If Brad Silen is right—and after spending time talking to him, you can’t help but believe the man knows what he’s talking about—over the next few years millions of children (and adults) will take part in the search for and probable discovery of planets outside our solar system. |
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