About Me
I’m Charlie.
I’m infinitely curious about how the universe works. I spend most of my time trying to turn math equations and physics principles into something I can see.
At twelve, I stumbled upon an image of a hydrogen atom's atomic orbital.
The colorful shapes looked nothing like the simple Bohr model I had learned in school. How could an electron make those shapes? Next to that image was an equation. I plugged it into Desmos (a graphing calculator), but only got errors. That failure sparked a bigger question: How do you turn equations into visualizations of reality?
My search pulled me into stranger and stranger tools - harmonics of shapes I couldn't imagine, polynomials with French names I’d never heard of, and the concept of probability instead of certainty. Slowly, I began to understand that the orbitals were plots of where an electron could be, not where it is. Each answer led to more questions.
Five years later, deeper than ever down this rabbit hole, I’m asking whether string theory could be the glue that joins quantum mechanics and relativity. I’m exploring that hypothesis by building graphs and models to help me, and to help others, understand if the idea is possible.
I built my own physics course
I make it my goal to help others understand and as such, I create spaces for curiosity to thrive.
I designed and taught a theoretical physics course at my school because one didn't exist. I also tutor and lead study sessions for my classmates. In these experiences, I explain principles through relatable concepts and simulations to demonstrate how equations work.
It's rewarding to see my classmates finally understand how letters and numbers translate into a shape or into motion. It’s even more rewarding when their questions make me think harder.
Desmos is my art studio
Some people draw. I graph. I’ve used Desmos to model black hole accretion disks, simulate electron orbitals, and test mathematical ideas just to see what they look like. It’s where I turn equations into pictures and physics into motion.
I once turned a salad spinner into a centrifuge
It didn’t really work, but that’s ok.
I love experimenting just to see what happens, whether that’s building an erosion model in Minecraft, or doing eight different versions of a black hole simulation that all failed before I got to the ninth version that worked.
Curiosity drives me more than arriving at an answer.
A budding physicist with a story to tell
I’m not actually from California, but I like the surprise it gives people when they learn I was born in Brooklyn.
Outside of physics, I love family camping trips, tennis, playing the guitar & piano, and listening to 80s and 90s rock.
My Values
Curiosity
Every question is a doorway to another one. I like asking “why” until I run out of answers.
Persistence
Sometimes the math doesn’t work, or the simulation crashes. I’ve learned that progress usually starts right after failure number five.
Clarity
I believe if you can’t explain something simply, you don’t understand it yet. Teaching others helps me test what I really know.
Creativity
Whether I’m modeling black holes, sketching graphs, or finding music that fits a mood, I like finding unexpected ways to connect ideas.
Community
The best discoveries happen together. I love the moment when someone who thought they “weren’t good at math” starts asking their own questions.
Humility
There’s always more to learn — from professors, classmates, or even a bad experiment. That’s what keeps science, and me, moving forward.