Cosmos: How
can such a simple word contain so much magnitude, elegance and mystery? As far
as I can remember I have been a curious child, in a constant quest to discover
the function and the origin of the universe. My enthusiasm in wondering led me
to delve into cosmology, which has had a significant influence on my life
progress. My interest in Physics and Math upsurged at high school, where I met
more complex concepts and finally, curiosity turned into passion. Given the
above, physics is something more than an academic endeavor or a career path for
me. It is a profound need to understand in depth the role of, and reason for
existence. The pursuit of understanding the Cosmos has become a life goal.
Much of my free time is occupied by science. I
participated in a three day Physics event held in Athens by the "Greek
Physics Union" where eminent scientists organized lectures and interactive
lab sessions. We were also linked to the CERN institute via internet. I gained
some great knowledge there and I appreciated what it is like to be a scientist.
I also participated in the Researchers' Night 2013 event held in Democritos
Research Center, where -among other things, I saw the latest innovations in
scientific research in my country and visited the biggest particle accelerator
in Greece, learned how it functions and what experiments are conducted there. I
was also able to observe through telescopes some star clusters and learn some
interesting things about them. It was a wonderful experience and I learned many
new things. I was also amazed by my visit to the National Observatory of
Athens.
I am fascinated as well, by attending
lectures, reading books and watching documentaries on a wide variety of
scientific topics. Some of my favorite books are "A Briefer History of
Time", "The Universe in a Nutshell" and "Chaos: Making a
New Science" to name a few. What intrigued me most was the vast gap
between reality described by Quantum Electrodynamics and M-theory, and the
universe we can experience daily. The strange properties of wave-particles, the
peculiar nature of multidimensional curved space time and some chaotic
phenomena have had a significant impact on the way I experience the world. My
favorite documentary is the 'Through the Wormhole' series, though the ideas
presented are difficult concepts to fully understand. The TED event
"Stephen Hawking: Questioning the Universe", also played a
significant role in my path decision. I enjoy keeping up with the latest
scientific innovations and breakthroughs through a variety of websites and
Facebook pages.
I did summer work, where I was an employee at
a cafe for two months. I learned how to be consistent in my life and the
importance of teamwork. I have also gone to Asimakopoulou summer camp three
times, where I learned how to live away from my home and my family, and to
adapt to different environments with lots of new people. As for sports, I
played basketball for four years and now I am planning to become a Les Mills
class fitness instructor.
Michio Kaku, one of the contributors to string
theory and presenter of many favorite documentaries such as "A vision for
the future" and "Sci Fi Science", is an inspiration for me.
Regarding my career in physics, my objectives are to complete a Master's degree
in Physics and then proceed to a Ph.D. Then I would like to continue with
research at an institute or a University, and have a career with it. I would be
more than pleased if I could somehow contribute to the scientific progress and
the comprehension of the cosmos. I wish to study at a university with high quality
of education, as it will be the foundation for my career. Lastly, I would like
to quote something Neils Bohr said, which I have embraced: "Not only is
the universe stranger than we think, it is stranger than we can think."
