When I first made my Facebook account and for a very long time afterwards, I was receiving a lot of friend requests from people’s in Nepal. Once friended, the topic of conversation would always come around to space and our universe. This went on for a couple years.

I loved it! Why? Because one of my hobbies is studying our planet, the heavens and our universe. I was learning a lot from this new group of friends.

It wasn’t until I became friends with a young Nepaly man who fervently asked if he could send his work to me. He wanted me to check his theories, give my opinion, and if it wasn’t to much to ask, the opinions of any colleagues.

Keep in mind, this was back when they were just finishing the building of the Firmi Lab here in the United States. It was that long ago.

I was, to say the least, honored. I truly looked up to this young man. At the same time, I was starting to wonder why he and others thought I was capable of understanding the questions they had for me.

At this time I chose not to say anything on the subject. My greedy little mind wanted to see what this young man had come up with and was so excited about.

So, I gave him my email and waited eagerly for the reply.

I was caught totally of guard. I received a pdf filled with a theorem and pages of equations far beyond my capabilities of understanding. It took me days of reading and rereading to even partially understand.

His inquiries as to what I thought, were coming at me hourly. At this point, I decided enough was enough. I had to know why he thought I or any of my colleagues could help him.

“You are a cosmologist! And all the groups you belong to! I assume you know others and because are older than me, more accomplished.”

What a compliment! I asked him how he had come to this conclusion.

“It says so on your Facebook page in your job description.”

I looked at my private “viewable by friends only” page from the settings. It let me see what others who weren’t friends could see.

I felt terrible as I couldn’t help but laugh (just a little) at the misunderstanding.

Somewhere in translation, he had taken the word “cosmotologist” for the word “cosmologist”.

I felt terrible. I wrote a reply to him explaining the mistake and exactly what I did for a living.

I didn’t here from him for days. I emailed him a couple times explaining that I had forwarded his pdf to our local colleges, Saint Mary’s and The University of Kansas. I reassured him that my intent was not malicious, and that it was hopefully being read by the correct department heads. That I hoped he would get a response and that we could still be friends.

Good news! We are to this day. And that young man is the president of the Nepalese chapter of NASO and a couple other very respectable programs.

We still joke about it every once in awhile. And tho he is a very busy man, says that should he ever come to America, he will make sure to come and visit me. That, “We can look at the stars together! Of course, after a haircut.”