My intellectual interests have spanned a broad spectrum throughout my life reaching beyond physics, although always with some connecting threads. In case we meet in person, I could speak for hours about the following list of topics, but this is not an exhaustive list and I will continue adding subjects that I have considered, or currently consider important.
Consciousness: the problem of the nature of consciousness has been in my mind since a very early age. The sudden realization of the end of life, and about what was there before we were born, has sparked my interest in several related areas, such as psychology. During my bachelor's degree studies I have undertaken a minor in psychology where I took courses such as psychoanalysis, cognitive-behavioral psychology, etc, and I try to stay in touch with readings about psychology and research in consciousness.
Environment and technology: these are inseparable concepts, as every technological step has had its impact in nature, and nature itself has pushed humans for development of technology since the early days of agriculture. I have followed technological progress since those early days when internet didn't existed, and the vertiginous rate at which technology advances makes it unpredictable to foresee how life will look in 20 years more, even for the finest futurists.
Philosophy: I was raised in the Catholic church during my infancy, but the feeling of guilt for doubting god's existence made me realize at the end of adolescence that I was mostly atheist/agnostic. However, I feel a deep sense of what could be deemed as spirituality when I'm in touch with nature and when I study it through mathematics.
Social and politics: Although my political inclination is towards center-left, I am highly skeptical of the ability of humans to rule countries free of an unbiased approach. I believe that research must be done and that technology could come to the rescue. For instance, it has captured my attention the concept of decentralized autonomous organizations, and its potential to reform our outdated concepts of how we think about social organizations. I'm mostly a pacifist and my thoughts on war are greatly influenced by Buddhism and the weapon-breaker monk: "Whatever happens, no acts of violence, which can only provoke an escalation of repression" (The monk and the philosopher, Revel & Ricard 1999, page 160). I am exactly the opposite of a patriot or nationalist, and do not justify wars in the name of the economic interests of a few, neither justify the worse atrocities in the name of an ideology. My opinion goes along with Einstein's one:
“This topic brings me to that worst outcrop of the herd nature, the military system, which I abhor. That a man can take pleasure in marching in formation to the strains of a band is enough to make me despise him. He has only been given his big brain by mistake; a backbone was all he needed. This plague-spot of civilization ought to be abolished with all possible speed. Heroism by order, senseless violence, and all the pestilent nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism—how I hate them! War seems to me a mean, contemptible thing: I would rather be hacked in pieces than take part in such an abominable business. And yet so high, in spite of everything, is my opinion of the human race that I believe this bogey would have disappeared long ago, had the sound sense of the nations not been systematically corrupted by commercial and political interests acting through the schools and the Press.”
Travel: I was born in 🇨🇱 and so far I've been, in this order, in: 🇧🇷 🇦🇷 🇵🇾 🇨🇴 🇺🇾 🇮🇹 🇸🇮 🇪🇪 🇬🇧 🇪🇸 🇷🇺 🇫🇮 🇬🇷 🇪🇬 🇺🇸 🇱🇻 🇦🇹 🇫🇷 🇹🇷 🇵🇱 🇦🇪 🇶🇦 🇩🇪 🇩🇰 🇸🇪 🇵🇹 🇬🇪 🇹🇭 🇨🇳 🇲🇪
Longevity: We may be living in the generation where life expectancy will be dramatically increased, if not pushed forward indeterminately. Although for some the prospect of living forever (or as long as we want) can be terrifying either by religious or moral reasons, I believe there is so much to know and to explore in the Universe, that this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity really excites me and I fully embrace. After living my early 20's in a poor lifestyle due to cultural environment and low economic income, I've been able to progressively increase my quality of life through exercise, healthy eating and mental health care. Nowadays I just follow cheap and basic guidelines that can promote longevity: no smoking, sleep consistently 6-8 hours every day, walking as much as possible, going by bike to work and not owning a car, stretching and strength training three times a week, running or swimming whenever possible, I voluntarily fast for 12-14 hours every day and follow mostly a vegan diet (although with exceptions). I take utmost care of my mental health too by avoiding work overload, even if it means reduced productivity. I also keep a personal written journal, practice self-compassion, stay away from addictions, negative self-talk, toxic people, and stay in touch with family and friends. I hope to increase these so-called Level 1 interventions for longevity in a near future to higher levels.