Hi everyone! It’s wonderful to see what you all are up to with your lives. Thanks to those that made this group. I don’t have my yearbook with me in San Francisco, but I’d recommend anyone that does to flip through it and try to find people on FB and add them to this group.
I’m not surprised at all what happens to the majority of students that graduate from Sioux Falls, SD — they stay in Sioux Falls, SD. My job is to open up more minds to leave SD to explore the world — because I got lucky that it happened to me and I want to help others see that this path is viable and not as difficult as the mind makes it out to be. If any single variable was tweaked along my journey, I could have stayed in SD or MN, or left to go travel the world for that matter, but I was luckily influenced through entrepreneurship to move to San Francisco 5 years ago and it is by far the best decision of my life.
I host & produce a science comedy show called Eureka! where I bring together prominent scientists and comedians for evenings of laughter and learning. I’ve done almost 50 shows since I started it last year and we’ve worked with NASA, StarTalk, and Singularity University, to name a few of our collaborations.
I am also a host & producer for Worlds Fair future festivals with our next one coming up in Brooklyn Sept 16–17. Over two days, 12,000+ people come to get inspired by the future — think AR/VR, drones, electric skateboards, cloned animals, genetically modified foods, 3D printed pancakes, flying cars, etc. I curate our 700 seat speaker stage and will be cohosting StarTalk All-Stars on both evenings.
Lastly, I mentor entrepreneurs across the world and present profoundly enlightening talks at universities and corporations on subjects like: Spacetime, Evolution, Consciousness, Machine Intelligence, and Simulation Theory. I’m writing three books, one of them — Mars Race — is almost complete and I am aiming to publish before I turn 25.
I’ve just been lucky AF. Moving out here and wanting to surround myself with people smarter than me has connected me to some of the leading scientists in their industries across extremely important fields like Astrophysics, Biotech, AI, and Neuroscience, to name a few. It has also led me to a beautiful woman (inside and out) named Alexa Herasimchuk who I’m lucky to call my girlfriend of just over 2.5 years. Her love, and the love of my incredible Mother and Uncle, have greatly catalyzed my success.
In addition to the intelligence, diversity, and motivation to make the world a better place, people who live in California are blessed with some of the most beautiful geography and climate in the world. I absolutely think it’s a good idea to drop living in Sioux Falls, SD and move here to accelerate your influence on building the future of civilization. I’ve impacted about a half dozen people to make the move so far and they’ve told me it has also been the best choice of their lives.
I know nothing. I know the true extent of my ignorance and it’s massive. There is just too much that I don’t know about atoms, molecules, star systems, bacteria, DNA, the human body, the human mind, computer science.. this list is endless.. at least until we connect our brains to the cloud ;)
And I’m OK saying I don’t know. I think more people should feel OK saying I don’t know. But what you should aim to know is yourself. What gets you up every morning and lights the fire under your butt to kick ass each day and aim to make the world a better place. I got lucky and found what that is for me, and it will likely slightly mold over time, but I challenge you all to find what that is for you.
This post could go on for days as you know my big mouth has a lot to share, but I’ve also managed to find meditation in my life which has enabled me to tune inward deeper than ever before, giving me immense wisdom that I’m sure I could not have found elsewhere. Especially equanimity, love, compassion, good will, peace, and harmony. May all beings be liberated from their misery.
Much love, per aspera ad astra,
Allen Saakyan
Allen Saakyan is a polymath, empath, and science communicator. He hosts and produces Eureka! Science Comedy shows and Worlds Fair future festivals. Allen also mentors entrepreneurs around the world and presents profoundly enlightening talks at universities and corporations across topics like: Spacetime, Evolution, Consciousness, Machine Intelligence, and Simulation Theory.
“Be very grateful for this wet rock orbiting our star at just the perfect distance to foster life. Live harmoniously with the biosphere. Seek and share truth. Maximize human potential and sustainable interstellar progress.”
— Allen Saakyan
