Brain Bites
In my postdoc lab, paper wasn’t just folded, it was cut, stretched, and turned into clever mechanical designs. This cut-and-fold cousin of origami inspired much of the work around me. What is it called?
Kirigami
During graduate school, I made one of my longest road trips three times, driving back and forth from Houston in my 2006 Nissan Sentra to this historic East Coast city known for universities, seafood, and the Freedom Trail. What city was it?
Boston
One of my secret talents is baking this classic Italian dessert so well that my wife never wants to buy it from a store again.
Tiramisu
When I want comfort entertainment, I secretly love movies full of meet-cutes, awkward romance, dramatic misunderstandings, and happy endings. What movie genre is my guilty pleasure?
Rom-com
In one of the most famous and controversial moments in World Cup history, Diego Maradona scored a goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal using his hand, a goal that was allowed because the officials did not see the handball. What nickname did this goal become known by?
The Hand of God
What were the last words of the drowning number theorist?
log...log...loglog
For my first U.S. travel adventure, I went almost as far south as you can go in the continental U.S. to this Florida island city known for beaches, sunsets, and the famous Southernmost Point buoy. Where did I go?
Key West
This Texas city is known for an amazingly diverse food scene, including Tex-Mex, barbecue and Vietnamese food and it’s also where I spent my graduate school years. What city is it?
Houston
In my binge-watching moments, I have watched the intense blackhole scene from this movie over and over again. What movie is it?
Interstellar
Before hosting the 2026 World Cup, the United States hosted a FIFA World Cup for the first time in this year. What year was it?
1994
This mathematician’s work is central to all of my research in variational mechanics because it connects finite-dimensional continuous symmetries to conservation laws. The mathematician had to audit math classes unofficially because they were not allowed to enroll as a regular student.
Emmy Noether
The furthest west city I have ever visited is this city, famous for the Alamo, River Walk, and a rich blend of Spanish, Mexican, and American history. What city is it?
San Antonio, Texas
This creamy italian dish is so loved by my 6-year old son that we had to make it three times a week
Pasta alfredo
I’m currently binge-watching this sitcom about a group of nerdy friends, their science-filled lives, and their funny social adventures. What show is it?
The Big Bang Theory
This stadium, located in about 20 minutes from my house, will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final on July 19, 2026. During the tournament, FIFA refers to it as New York New Jersey Stadium. What stadium is it?
MetLife Stadium
My favorite opening paragraph to a textbook is about this famous physicist, known for his work in statistical mechanics, died by suicide; his student carried on his work in the field and also later died by suicide.
Ludwig Boltzmann was the famous physicist known for his foundational work in statistical mechanics who died by suicide.
His student, Paul Ehrenfest, continued work in statistical mechanics and also later died by suicide.
Textbook: States of the matter
I came all the way from the Middle East, only to discover this classic Middle Eastern dip for the first time after moving to US.
Hummus
In movies and TV, the majestic bald eagle often gets a dramatic sound upgrade. Because producers thought the eagle’s real call sounded too weak, they often replaced it with the sharper, more powerful cry of this bird. What bird’s sound is commonly used?
red-tailed hawk.
This legendary guitarist from my favorite rock band is not only famous for creating some of rock’s most iconic sounds, but also has a PhD in astrophysics. Who is he?
Brian May
My favorite soccer player of all time ended his legendary World Cup career in one of the most unforgettable ways: receiving a red card in the 2006 World Cup Final after headbutting an Italian player. Who was this football icon?
Zinedine Zidane
The topic of my first research article in graduate school was the mechanics of this immortal human cancer cell line, derived from Henrietta Lacks in 1951, which has since been grown in enormous quantities around the world.
HeLa cells. They have been reportedly grown to millions of tons.
One of my favorite Christmas memories is traveling to this beautiful French-speaking city, where the streets felt lively and full of holiday spirit even on a cold Christmas Day. Known for its European charm, historic old town, and winter atmosphere, what city was it?
Quebec City
This pastry inspired one of my baking experiments in graduate school. I even sent a picture of what I baked to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences for their journal cover?
Donut.
Sadly it was rejected!!!
My favorite finance-related movie is about the 2008 financial crisis and follows investors who saw the housing market collapse coming before almost everyone else. What is the movie?
The Big Short
One of my earliest memories in life is sitting in front of the TV watching the 1990 FIFA World Cup Final, where Argentina faced this country who eventually won the world cup.
West Germany defeated Argentina 1–0 in the final, with Andreas Brehme scoring the winning goal from a penalty kick. This was also West Germany’s last World Cup title before German reunification.
And yes! That's how old I am :(