Guest EditorialI would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in The SETI League for presenting me with this year's Giordano Bruno Memorial Award. No one was more surprised as I was to receive this award. At our last European Radio Astronomy Congress in Heppenheim Germany, executive director H. Paul Shuch casually invited me to come to the very first SETI League Technical Symposium, as a return match, so to speak, which exited me a lot. Due to very tight finances, however, I did not have much hope of coming. But to paraphrase JBS Haldane, the plan was not only thicker than I imagined, it was thicker than I could imagine. Paul had spoken to my wife Geli, to get me over with certainty so as to receive my Bruno.
Last Christmas, I opened my presents under the tree and found a plane ticket to Philadelphia, which was a great surprise indeed. And so it happened that I came over to SETIcon01. I thought to hold a lecture, and present a slide show at the banquet. Everything went very well indeed, and I think everyone enjoyed my slide visit to some of the large Radio Telescopes in Europe. At the end I was re-sorting my slides when the announcement was made of me being awarded this year's Bruno. I was taken totally and utterly by surprise! Paul and my wife had kept this a secret, and to be perfectly honest I was caught on the wrong foot. Thanks, everyone; I am really honoured, as being a "strictly non-sport person," this becomes the very first trophy I have ever received. It is also the most important trophy I think I will ever receive. Thank you all for the nomination.
I realize that now, belonging to an exclusive club of people having received the Bruno award, this will bind me to respect its ideals, and to direct my activities in support of the future of SETI throughout Europe.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in editorials are those of the individual authors, and do not necessarily reflect the position of The SETI League, Inc., its Trustees, officers, Advisory Board, members, donors, or commercial sponsors.
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