When I hold a camera and point it at the sky, I forget I'm standing on Earth. It's the best feeling I know. There's something about waiting for a long exposure to complete — the anticipation, the silence, and then seeing what the camera captured that your eyes never could.
I've photographed from rooftops in Tehran, mountain sites outside the city, and clear skies wherever I've found them. Deep-sky objects take patience, but the results make it worthwhile every time.
Nature gives me the most peace. Most of my weekends end up on a trail somewhere. There's a particular clarity that comes with altitude — problems that seemed complicated at sea level tend to simplify themselves on a mountain.
Growing up near the Alborz range in Iran gave me early access to serious terrain. Now, living in Munich, the Alps are never far. I try to get out whenever the weather and the calendar allow.
Still learning. Currently sitting around a 1200 rating — enjoying the process more than the wins. Chess teaches you to be wrong gracefully, which turns out to be a useful skill in research too.
I play mostly online these days, fitting in games between other things. The openings and tactics are slowly coming together.
A beginner who plays for the love of it. No audience needed, no performance pressure. The piano and the setar — one Western, one Persian — represent two different ways of thinking about sound, and I find the contrast interesting.
Music, like physics, rewards patience. I'm not in a hurry with either instrument.
I used to compete actively in freestyle wrestling. These days I follow the matches more than I wrestle, but the discipline stays with you. There's a particular kind of focus that combat sports develop — present-moment awareness that's hard to replicate anywhere else.
During my undergraduate years at Amirkabir University of Technology, I was involved in several student organizations — the student council of the Faculty of Physics and Energy Engineering, the Physics and Astronomy Scientific Association, and the Astronomy Club, where I served as secretary.
These roles shaped how I think about community and collective effort. Science doesn't happen in isolation, and neither does a good university experience.