Portrait of Martin Vaněk

About Me

Until Nov. 2024, I was the Head Organizer (Executive Director) of FYKOS – a group of ~60 students organizing major non-profit educational events in physics for high-school students – e.g., Fyziklani (~1200 participants from 21 countries in person in Prague), and Physics Brawl Online (over 6000 participants from 80 countries).
Leading FYKOS, I gained experience with leadership, (project) management, community building, running a non-profit, educating and lecturing, outreach, communication with high-ranking officials of companies and governments, etc.

I study theoretical physics at Charles University in Prague, although I am more excited about applying it to random non-physics things like autoencoders or birds flocking. I am also interested in machine learning and making artificial intelligence safer and more beneficial to humanity.

Sometimes, I do other things, like helping out at camps teaching applied rationality to highly talented young minds, or organizing events for promoting giving to effective charities.

I enjoy bouldering, reading educational non-fiction (Sapiens, The Power of Habit, 12 Rules for Life, etc.), trying to maximize my productivity (while not burning out), and the company of pink plushy octopi.