Who am I?
I'm Anoushrayan Deysarkar, an Undergraduate student at IIT Madras.
I'm majoring in Biological Sciences, and I have a keen interest in digital electronics. I love reading, writing, coding, and acting. I also like debates. I know three languages - English, Hindi and Bangla. I enjoy video games, particularly Minecraft and Age of Empires.
I'm also a beginner-level martial artist.
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My interest in biology began with dinosaurs - when I was young, I had a lot of encyclopedias on paleontology and extinct animals, and Jurassic Park was (and still is!) one of my favourite movies.
My interest soon turned to genetics - particularly, genetic engineering.
I learnt more from my dad's copies of National Geographic magazine. By the time I was in Grade 5, I was convinced I wanted to be a genetic engineer - a dream I still have today.
As I grew, I learnt more about the field, and I found a couple of things which really interested me.
The first, was the biochemistry of macromolecules like proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, enzymes, etc.
The second was biomimicry - the possibility of engineering technology with inspiration from nature.
The third was something out of sci-fi. I have long wondered if it wouldn't be possible to have living technology - technology produced by editing the genome of simple living organisms (like plants, microbes or fungi), to create sub-sentient organisms that could perform simple functions, while repairing and maintaining themselves.
Combining these three fields is my dream - to manipulate the fundamental elements of nature, in order to build devices that do good for humanity.
Recently, I also developed an interest in digital electronics - the fundamental principles behind the working of computers and all electronic devices.
My goal is to eventually achieve a Doctorate in Biology, and work on living technology - I truly believe it could be a field that revolutionizes human life as we know it.
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I was a very early reader - I could read English fluently even as a preschooler, and I loved reading anything I could get my hands on - books, magazines, encyclopedias, even bottle labels!
I grew to prefer reading fiction - particularly sci-fi, fantasy and detective novels. I love romances, adventures, and thrillers.
At the age of 11, I read the entire - unabridged - Lord of the Rings trilogy, and finished the Harry Potter series.
I've also read all of Rick Riordan's works - starting with Percy Jackson, of course.
I have a complete collection of every Hercule Poirot story, and I've read them all. Agatha Christie is my inspiration for mystery-writing of all kinds.
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An interest in stories also brought me to movies - where I quickly grew some favourites. My parents showed me the entire Lord of the Rings movies and the Star Wars series, both of which remain my most favourite movies. I've rewatched both series more times than I can count. In Bangla, Satyajit Ray's Sonar Kella and Joi Baba Felunath remain family favourites - the movies' feel-good factor is indescribable.
Harry Potter, The Matrix, Inception, Jurassic Park - I've watched and loved them all.
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Reading - and movies - brought me to writing - I loved putting myself inside the stories. That turned into building my own imaginary worlds, and putting the worlds down on paper was incredibly fun.
My interest in the sciences translated into an interest in sci-fi worldbuilding. I've always liked stories which logically justify themselves, and coming up with ways in which popular sci-fi tropes could be justified was endlessly entertaining.
I found the world of fanfiction a few years back, and became hooked. Reading other people's additions and thoughts about my favourite stories is incredibly exciting, and being able to delve deeper into a world I love is amazing.
Recently, I've started writing full-length novels of my own - one sci-fi, and another fantasy. Meanwhile, I'll keep writing short stories and posting them - I can't turn off my ideas, after all!
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When I was 11, I began learning how to code, from Khan Academy.
I started with Javascript, and then moved to HTML, CSS and SQL. I went on to learn Python and Java from my school.
When I was 15, I was introduced to the world of Unity by Sebastian Lague - an incredible programmer and content creator on Youtube. His ecosystem simulation inspired one of my own, and his explanations of digital electronics and neural networks were the first to make sense to me. I attribute my current interest in digital electronics mainly to him.
I currently code primarily in C#, as I work in Unity to make natural simulations. I'll try to post my discoveries and projects here, too!
My current project is an evolution simulation, involving simulated animals possessing rudimentary Neural networks. I aim to keep tinkering with it and improving it, until I have something approximating reality.
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I've always loved participating in school plays, and intend to participate in college competitions, too. I'm a pretty good actor, and I really enjoy putting myself inside a character's head. I firmly believe that unless you understand the character - what makes them tick - you can't portray them well. I have good voice control, and I'm still working on portraying different emotions well. I recently took part in a mime, as part of a program at my college - which ended up a huge success.
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I've participated in a few debates and MUNs in my time at school, and intend to participate in more in college. Arguing for one side or the other, coming up with rebuttals and counter-arguments to the opposition - all of these are very exciting for me. I enjoy the process of working out the best way to present an opinion, and get others to see my point of view.
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My mom and dad introduced me to the Age of Empires series - which remains one of my favourite video game series of all time. Age of Empire 1 and 2 are both incredibly detailed games, and also very educational - every campaign is based off of a real historical scenario, and playing through them teaches you a lot, even as you manage economies and handle exciting battles.
On recommendation, I tried Stellaris - a sci-fi flavoured Empire-building game along the same lines. I loved it immediately, and I still enjoy playing it from time to time.
Minecraft is another favourite - the infinite world and endless potential brings me back to it, again and again. Whether I'm playing alone or with friends, Minecraft is always amazing.
Some of my favourite Youtubers are Minecrafters - Mumbo Jumbo and Grian are my top favourites, and I sometimes take inspiration from their builds to make my own. Redstone engineering is something that holds a lot of allure for me - I find engineering of all kinds very interesting!
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In college, I've started learning Hapkido - a Korean martial art. I originally took it primarily for fitness, but I've grown to love the art. I hope to one day achieve mastery of the art - but that day is far off. I've only just gained an yellow stripe on my white belt!
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Lastly, but most definitely not the least - my dogs! I have two dogs - both male Shih Tzus. They're 6 years old, and still full of vigour - and mischief! Playing with them always brings a smile to my face. The black-and-white one is Zhauwu - after the creature from the movie series Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The white-brown one is Dogmatix, named after Obelix's dog from the comic series Asterix and Obelix.
