In this week’s Six Questions, we would like to introduce you to WaPo Labs’ tech lead for Washington Post Social Reader, Charles Covey-Brandt, who reveals his daydreams of sailboats and LEGOs.
Charles Covey-Brandt
When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A scientist – I loved my little science experiment kits. Plus, no one told me that I could be a professional LEGO builder.
What’s one thing that few people know about you?
I was accepted to university as a music performance major for viola, got a scholarship, then deferred for a year and switched to Art and Design. It was like a student version of bait-and-switch – it was all planned. I still feel mischievous for doing it.
What animal are you most like?
When I was a kid, my friends and I would play a guessing game that involved coming up with representative animals for each of us. One time, I got labeled as a peacock. Unfortunately, it stuck.
What superpower would you most like to have?
I think that the idea behind the perspective gun from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is pretty cool: when fired, the target of the gun suddenly understands things from the wielder’s perspective. My superpower would let me instill understanding between opposing factions.
If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would buy?
A workshop/studio stocked for custom sailboat building.
You’re stranded on a desert island with one book, one album, and one object of your choosing. What items do you have?
Book: A big fat sketchbook to draw in would be nice.
Album: I can barely remember what an album is.
Other: A telescope – I bet stargazing from a deserted island is spectacular.