I believe most people start their lives with a very open mind about which fields they want to be part of, and in what capacity. As we age and become wiser, we tend to focus and narrow on what we want our career to look like. In my case, things didn't work out this way. When I was six or so, I began to acquire some understanding of what electronics were, what circuits are, etc. Soon after I pledged to become an electrical engineer when I grew up. I could not imagine anything else, until a couple of years later I discovered the world of programming and shifted my ambition to becoming a software engineer. Either way, it was clear to me that I would go into tech, which was largely how I maneuvered my childhood years in school. It was only much later, in the senior year of my science degree, that I began taking a serious interest in fields outside of tech and professions outside of engineering. But the passion for tech remains very strong.

I was one of the last kids in my class to get a real computer, even though I begged for one for what seemed like ages. It finally came when I was eight. This was a used Sinclair ZX Spectrum, a primitive home computer that you would connect to your TV. The only way to use it was through the BASIC programming language, which I was made to learn. By the time we got it from a family friend, it was already antiquated and inferior to anything my friends had (x86 PCs), but I could not be happier. I remember working with my father for hours trying to set it up the first time. It must have been thrown in some attic before, because it had a serious graphics malfunction that blackened most of the screen. I remember my dad telling me that he was very sorry, but it looked broken beyond repair. Only one corner of the screen lit up. I implored him to open it up and what followed felt like a miracle. With nothing more than common sense, duct tape and a few toothpicks, my dad found a short circuit and fixed it. It then came to life! What followed must have been a year of pure bliss, until it suddenly succumbed one day, and that was it.

I am a big believer in the scientific method. I like to form hypotheses and test them, hoping to identify certain patterns or hidden causes. I've found that one of the most effective ways to do this is to keep asking "Why?", until you get to a point where you've reached some assumption that can be changed. Then you work to change this property, and assess what happens the next time. I strive to employ it at work and in my personal life whenever something goes wrong.

The list is long, but the overarching theme is understanding what is going on in our world, how we got here, and how our societies and economies work. In turn, this translates into numerous activities, which involve a lot of reading, conversations with smarter people, and travelling around the world. I'm also very much into personal development, acquiring new skills, health, and longevity.

I don't believe in superpowers. Our species has accomplished great things despite our very limited powers and our ongoing self-inflicted harm. I am utterly fascinated by the thought of what more we can achieve through collaboration, questioning, and accepting of different viewpoints.

I grew up in a family that moved often until I was twelve or so. We mostly lived in cities throughout Israel, and finally settled in Jerusalem. My strongest memory was at nine years old. I was in Los Angeles for a period of time and put in a summer camp with American kids. I had no idea what to expect. As much as I was used to new environments, the shock of a new language and a new culture were a bit too much for me to bear at that point. I spent the entire first day crying. Nobody understood why, and neither did I. There was no reason other than pure shock. Fortunately I got over it rather quickly and before long managed to speak some broken English and fit in. I am still ambivalent about this parental experiment, but I don't regret going through it.