After discovering that a Women Rise community member is sending her Women Rise NFTs to the Moon, we couldn’t resist finding out more! Here, Qissa speaks to scientist Monika Ali Khan, to find out more about this history-making mission.
Growing up in Communist Poland, Monika Ali Khan had a tough start to life but, around age 12, she read an article in the newspaper about Polish scientists in America working on new drugs to treat people and that was the start of Monika’s career in science! Deciding to focus on chemistry, she achieved a Masters in Poland and graduated with honours.
Monika planned to complete her PhD research in Poland, but when her supervisor sadly began to lose his sight due to diabetes, Monika couldn’t imagine completing the PhD in Poland without him. With just a small suitcase and £200 in her pocket, she arrived in the UK to begin her research. She left behind a fully-paid scholarship in her home country and took a risk to start from scratch in a country where she wasn’t fluent in the language, but, with her hard-work and determination, she was accepted into the University of Bath with a scholarship and was able to gain her PhD qualification in the UK.
This in and of itself would be a huge achievement. There is no taking away from that. But Monika also managed to complete her PhD with various impediments. She had a young son at the time who she would drop off at nursery on the way into university - picking him up on the way home - and she also suffers from dyslexia, something that was only diagnosed later in life, after completing her PhD degree. Despite this Monika worked incredibly hard and was able to pay for private education for her son, saying she wanted to ‘give him a better start in life’.
Education has always been incredibly important to Monika and that is why she connected with Women Rise. Hearing about the education organisations that Maliha Abidi and the team were supporting was a massive selling point for her - as was the fact that Women Rise is founded by a woman. However, her first NFT wasn’t actually a Women Rise one - it was one she created herself! Always keen to explore new technologies, as soon as she heard about the Blockchain she wanted to see how it worked. She created an artwork of a chemistry structure and minted it on Opensea. Having found a new passion, she soon began collecting. It was through a friend that she first learned of Women Rise, but she didn’t purchase straight away:
‘I was waiting for the science background and the woman in the lab coat so I was watching and waiting for months and months and as soon as I saw one pop up for sale, I didn’t hesitate.’
Having explored the world of Blockchain and NFTs, she then switched her focus to Artificial Intelligence, but not just as a mere observer. Earlier this year she published a book on the subject that, within one day, had become a bestseller in the AI category! It also ranked number one in two other categories: Computer Science and AI & Semantics. Now, Monika is looking for her next area of expertise, and she thinks she’s found it! After coming across Space Entrepreneur and Philanthropist (and fellow Pole) Eva Blaisdell aka Lady Rocket on Clubhouse during the Covid lockdowns, her interest in space grew. When she heard about the opportunity to send items to the Moon, she knew she had to be involved!
Copernic Space offers passports that allow owners to buy space within a SpaceX flight. In November this year, Monika will be sending some of her own digital assets to the Moon on the SpaceX Falcon 9! To honour Maliha’s work and as a Copernic Space passport holder, she decided to send three of her Women Rise NFTs (all featuring alien buddies). These will be digitally stored in an encapsulated box, which will be dropped onto the Moon’s surface to stay for eternity (or until it’s picked up by actual alien buddies!). Alongside her Women Rise NFTs, Monika is paying tribute to Maria Skłodowska-Curie and her groundbreaking discoveries in radioactivity, including of radium and polonium. Her digital image will land on the Moon. Monika is also sending photographs of her mother and grandmother. Her mother was always told not to aim for the Moon - growing up in a farming community in Communist Poland she didn’t have the opportunity to be ambitious herself - but now, with Monika’s passport, she will finally get her chance to go to the Moon.
Monika hopes to attend the launch at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida in person. It’s a big expense but a truly once in a lifetime event! And speaking of once in a lifetime events, this year Monika was also chosen as a UN Women UK delegate for the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations 2024. As a group, they discussed the impact of technology and how to accelerate gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Next up, Monika plans to be an astronaut. For anyone else, this might seem like a pipe-dream, but Monika clearly has a way of getting things done! When asked for her words of advice, Monika said: ‘Always reach for the stars’. But for Monika, it seems like she’s already there.
