Hey, so, I'm Domenic (as if the large banner at the top hadn't clued you in). I've got a website, with lots of pretty random stuff on it. But, of course, people aren't websites. Well, they're not long blocks of text either (even long blocks of text conveniently separated by headings!), but usually that comes a bit closer.

What Drives Me?

This rather deep question has a seemingly simple answer: I want to enjoy life, and I hold that I myself am the only one responsible for making this happen (in true existentialist style).

One way this manifests is my constant personal development. I like improving myself—gaining knowledge, acquiring new life skills, broadening my outlook, and meeting new people. I'm constantly trying various “brain hacks,” like modifying my sleep schedule, dreaming lucidly, practicing meditation, using techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy, or even simple things like changing my diet and exercise routine in search of what works best. (Currently vegan, with 3 days of strength training per week and HIIT on the other days.) In general, I strive hard to look both inward, for ways in which I can improve my own functioning, and outward, to improve my interactions with the world at large.

This also means I live in the moment. We only get one “now”: the winning strategy, then, seems to be making the most of it. What's the sense of driving oneself into unhappiness over imagined future gains, or dwelling on mistakes long past? So I haven't plotted out my life to the last detail; I don't know what the future holds, but I know it will be fun when I get there. And I'm not concerned with who I was in the past; instead, I reinvent myself as I go along.

Finally, such a philosophy means that I am dedicated to building for myself a fulfilling life. This is why I so enjoy math and physics: one unlocks the deepest structures of abstract thought, while the other holds the key to the fundamental secrets of the universe. But it also affects how I interact with others, seeking fulfilling friendships and relationships. Fortunately, I've found that most people are looking for the same.

What Do I Like?

Well, I really like pure math and theoretical physics; as a student at Caltech, I study them both, and then do research in the unholy union of the two. While this takes up a lot of my time, it's also really awesome, so things work out well.

Otherwise, I just like having fun, in pretty normal ways. I hang out and play games with my friends—computer games, Dungeons & Dragons, chess, and go are the standouts. I go out to parties and clubs every once in a while—my favorite Hollywood club so far is Avalon, for the record. I program lots of random things, both for fun and for profit: websites for organizations and people, little programs for myself to make tasks easier, etc. I read lots of books—these days, primarily physics and math textbooks, but I'm always reading any new Star Wars Expanded Universe book soon after it appears, and comic books are a lot of fun too.