Is Your Purpose Written in the Stars? How the Universe Can Guide You | Dame Maggie Aderin
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Who is Dame Maggie Aderin and what inspired her journey?
There are billions upon billions of galaxies, so why would life just occur here?
What sparked Maggie’s passion for science and exploration?
We often build these telescopes and look into the heart of our galaxy. What did you see?
How does Maggie simplify complex scientific concepts for children?
Goosebumps. Absolutely mind-blowing. Dame Maggie O'Darren, you are a teacher of all things mysterious in the universe.
What life lessons can we learn from the moon and our dreams?
I'm a space scientist, but when I was growing up, we definitely saw the outside world is hostile, and almost they're out to get you. No blacks, no dogs, no Irish. Publicly, in windows, And also, you were the only black girl in your school and you wanted to do science. What was that like? That was my childhood.
What does Ikigai teach us about finding purpose and balance?
It was why I got the space bug. Really? It's funny. We first went into space because people were trying to bomb each other. Like, who owns space?
How do telescopes enhance our understanding of the universe?
What do you mean, who owns space? It's like an atom in my foot saying, I own this body. We are on a tiny planet going around a fairly insignificant star. But we're looking up and trying to be part of this amazing cosmos.
Could there be life beyond Earth according to current science?
I think that's what's so exciting, the great unknown. The ultimate exploration.
What challenges and opportunities lie ahead for space exploration?
And also, as humans, we don't want to be alone. I want to talk to you about the likelihood of there being life out there. Sometimes I get nervous and I think, OK, am I nervous or am I excited? So I am here with Maggie Adarin and I am, let's just in fact say it properly, Dame Maggie Adarin, I can't wait to talk to you about that, who is an incredible space scientist but also such a passionate educator and positive energy and promoter of sciences for children and a teacher of space and all things mysterious in the universe. She's an absolute legend and an icon, and I'm very proud to be talking to her today. Maggie. Hello. Hi. That was quite a build-up. I'm nervous now. Don't be nervous at all. It's you.
You are it. So what inspired you to start looking at science? Because it really wasn't... You know, when I was growing up, we weren't kind of encouraged to do science as girls at school, really. No, no. And in fact, when I mentioned sort of science to people, they'd look at me, also sort of quite a chopped up education. So sort of all over the place and then undiagnosed dyslexia. And so when I said, oh, science, why don't you go into nursing? Because it's sort of, you know, it's sort of scientific, but, you know, it's not so hard. That's the sort of level you should be aiming for. But I got the space bug before time I can remember. And how? I think partly the moon landings. Because I was born in 1968. Moon landings happened in 69.
And so I was just brought up in that buzz of activity. People telling me that taxi drivers are saying, yeah, we're going to do an EVA, an extra vehicle activity. Because when they're taking the detour. Because it was just part of the psyche. And because I think I was brought up in that. And my father loved the moon because it was his friend when he was in Nigeria because it helped him when he was cycling across the savannah on unlit roads. Oh, wow. It lit the way for him. Yes.
Is that why he loved the moon? I think so, yes. I love that.
Yeah, but the thing is, and also growing up in London, because we were sort of growing up in inner city London, so you can't see many stars and stuff like that. But you see the moon shining through. Last night, just moved to a new house and it was quite cloudy. But I just saw sort of a patch of moonlight. So I ran up and looked out the window and there it is shining. And it just lifts my heart. And so, yeah, even if you can't see the stars, you can see the moon. And the idea that people had gone there as well. Yes. Yes, it is mad, isn't it? The other night, there was a meteor shower, wasn't there? And they said, look north. Go outside and look north and you might be able to see it. And Michael and I went outside.
We looked north. We saw five shooting stars. Five? Yes. In an hour? Yes. It was unreal. We're out of town with no streetlights or anything. It was, look, goosebumps. Absolutely mind blowing. So was it your dad then that gave you the kind of moon bug? I think so. So my dad was sort of mentioning this. And also because I'm an insomniac.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Who is Dame Maggie Aderin and what inspired her journey?
0:00–0:04
2
What sparked Maggie’s passion for science and exploration?
0:04–0:08
3
How does Maggie simplify complex scientific concepts for children?
0:08–0:17
4
What life lessons can we learn from the moon and our dreams?
0:17–0:34
5
What does Ikigai teach us about finding purpose and balance?
0:34–0:42
6
How do telescopes enhance our understanding of the universe?
0:42–0:53
7
Could there be life beyond Earth according to current science?
0:53–0:58
8
What challenges and opportunities lie ahead for space exploration?
0:58–1:03:47
Speakers
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