About
My name is Richard Chi. I am curious about how possibilities emerge, from 0 to 1. My neuroscience research with Allan Snyder was featured in the Wall Street Journal, Scientific American and Through the Wormhole narrated by Morgan Freeman.
To me, the Universe seems like a multi-dimensional generator of possibilities. In the beginning there was darkness. But Bang. Light emerged. For mysterious reasons, seemingly unrelated elements have been connected to create something new. This seems to be the case whether it’s in the history of inventions or how life has evolved on Earth. Our Universe is surprising. So are our human lives!
My journey to the stars
Following what feels interesting, I’ve had an adventurous career that defies expectations. From my first job out of university in option trading at Optiver, to neuroscience at the Centre for the Mind / Harvard, to astronomy guiding at the world’s largest dark sky reserve.
In 2016, facing with the reality that our tech startup wasn’t financially sustainable, after a multi-million dollar funding agreement fell through, I took some time off in New Zealand. There, I reconnected with my childhood love for astronomy and our human tradition of being in awe of the infinite at night. And it felt like I was granted a new life. There’s really nothing like immersing in countless stars in inspiring a sense of serenity.
Since then, I’ve enjoyed working as an astronomy educator at Sydney Observatory. With a particular interest in comparative cultural astronomy, I’ve delivered special themed, culturally relevant astronomy events, including at the 2018 Sydney Science Festival and the 2019 Sydney Design Festival. I’d love to see a revival of the stargazing culture, where our memories are connected with the night sky once again.
Re-connecting the dots
During the 2020 COVID lockdown, I fell in love with playing the piano again, after many years away. Treasuring such simple, pure pleasures in life, I didn’t expect it would lead to anything. But since March 2021, I’ve been performing under the stars and running astronomy tours at the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.
Let’s work together
I'm always open for possibilities for creative collaboration, especially any astronomy themed projects whether it’s music, yoga, astrophotography or creative campaigns. There is magic in unique combinations of perspectives. Let’s connect.