I'm Alan Alda and this is clear and vivid conversations about connecting and communicating. It was not only difficult, but it was actually impossible to find a telescope in Afghanistan under those conditions and then I made my own telescope.

It worked. I was able to see the moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn.

I saw the distinct stars of Pleiades and I definitely saw

thousands and thousands even millions of stars in the Milky Way galaxy.

That's Abraham Amiri.

His unquenchable passion for astronomy

began when he was a child gazing up at the stars

from a rooftop in Pakistan.

That passion has taken him from yearning to be an astronaut

to setting up a nationwide program in astronomy in Afghanistan and he now has a

kavli scholarship at UCLA,

having escaped the wrath of the Taliban for the sin of teaching young women about the

universe.

It's a story of curiosity and courage that I find kind of inspiring.

This is so good to be talking with you because you have such an important story.

You followed your passion against incredible odds.

It's a story that's inspiring to me.

Welcome to the show.

Thank you very much, Alan.

I am honestly very much honored that you invited me as your guest I was I would probably

never imagine that's in my life well I have all my heroes on if I can.

And you're one.

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