I had the pleasure of giving a public talk about exoplanet science at the Harvard Museum of Natural History last fall. The room was packed with curious minds ranging from six-year-olds to Harvard astronomy undergraduates to high school teachers and academics from disparate fields.
It was a deeply moving experience for me to realize that, not long ago, I was attending talks like these, and now, after years of passionate pursuit, I am the expert giving the talk. It's always satisfying to close a circle.
Sharing the fascinating quandaries of the universe that I've explored as a PhD student with the general public is one of my favorite roles as an academic. My favorite part of this day was unquestionably chatting with the nine-year-old aspiring astrophysicist after my talk. I just hope my talk was good enough for her.
One of the best things we can do for ourselves as adults is recall that nine-year-old curiosity; keep it alive. So if you want a broad overview of the current state of exoplanet (i.e. planets beyond our solar system) science and a teeny bit about what I do as a scientist, watch the video!
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