2020 MITx Philosophy Award Winners

Congratulations to the two winners of the MITx Philosophy Award.

Vlad Oles

Course: 24.118x Paradox and Infinity

After studying mathematics at Washington State University, Vlad is now a postdoc at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. His research interests are network theory, metric geometry, and algebraic topology, as well as their applications to data analysis. Vlad likes open science, techno music, and pondering the Fermi paradox. His inspirations include Emily Riehl, Yuval Noah Harari, Robert Sapolsky, Richard Dawkins, Stephen Hawking, and other advocates for reason and enlightenment.

Vlad Oles

Course: 24.118x Paradox and Infinity

After studying mathematics at Washington State University, Vlad is now a postdoc at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. His research interests are network theory, metric geometry, and algebraic topology, as well as their applications to data analysis. Vlad likes open science, techno music, and pondering the Fermi paradox. His inspirations include Emily Riehl, Yuval Noah Harari, Robert Sapolsky, Richard Dawkins, Stephen Hawking, and other advocates for reason and enlightenment.

Saran Sankar

Course: 24.118x Paradox and Infinity

I live in Kerala, a state in southern India. I am now about to complete my bachelors degree. I love to think about the nature of reality, reason and life. Appreciation of art, literature and music is an important part of my life. Anything to which it is possible to attribute meaning and is beautiful interests me, and it has always been hard for me to choose between them when I had to. However I have made it my decision to make mathematics and theoretical physics my primary focus since what I really want to see is a convincing theory of quantum gravity, and I want to contribute to the amazing community that is working towards it with whatever I can give.

Saran Sankar

Course: 24.118x Paradox and Infinity

I live in Kerala, a state in southern India. I am now about to complete my bachelors degree. I love to think about the nature of reality, reason and life. Appreciation of art, literature and music is an important part of my life. Anything to which it is possible to attribute meaning and is beautiful interests me, and it has always been hard for me to choose between them when I had to. However I have made it my decision to make mathematics and theoretical physics my primary focus since what I really want to see is a convincing theory of quantum gravity, and I want to contribute to the amazing community that is working towards it with whatever I can give.