tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27191068591994222732024-01-25T13:36:32.686+00:00Beautiful Stars"The strongest affection and utmost zeal should, I think, promote the studies concerned with the most beautiful objects. This is the discipline that deals with the universe's divine revolutions, the stars' motions, sizes, distances, risings and settings . . . for what is more beautiful than heaven?" - Nicolas CopernicusKaren Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.comBlogger169125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-45296406069513215232020-05-21T22:07:00.000+01:002020-05-21T22:07:25.207+01:00How Can I Learn About Astronomy this summer? I just had a wonderful conversation with a high school student from Michigan who would like to use the summer (as a rising senior) to explore her interest in astrophysics. <div><br /></div><div>There are summer research experiences out there for high schoolers. I'll add links to any I find here if I find any, but I couldn't think of any off the top of my head, and I am completely overwhelmed with undergraduate summer researchers this year. </div><div><br /></div><div>But I did have these ideas for how to do self directed astronomy useful stuff this summer, at an appropriate level (I think) for motivated and self-directed high schoolers/undergraduate - so I'm sharing them here in case it's useful to others: </div><div><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 12px;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><font face="helvetica" size="2">Learn python (any coding experience will be valuable)</font></span></li><li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><font face="helvetica" size="2">Learn python while learning astronomy (Sloan Digital Sky Surveys edition): <span class="s2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-kerning: none;"><a href="https://github.com/brittlundgren/SDSS-EPO">https://github.com/brittlundgren/SDSS-EPO</a></span></font></span></li><li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><font face="helvetica" size="2">Watch this quality Youtube series on Astro: “Crash Course Astronomy”: <span class="s2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-kerning: none;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rHUDWjR5gg">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rHUDWjR5gg</a> (I used this in my Astro101 class this semester). </span></font></li><li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><font face="helvetica" size="2">A "research experience" (which I used in Astro101) - not python based (uses Google Sheets), and it's really more a data analysis and developing research questions experience. <a href="https://classroom.zooniverse.org/#/astro-101-with-galaxy-zoo/educators/"><span class="s2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-kerning: none;">https://classroom.zooniverse.org/#/astro-101-with-galaxy-zoo/educators</span></a><span class="s4" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 238); color: #0000ee; font-kerning: none; text-decoration-line: underline;"> </span><span class="s3" style="font-kerning: none;">(you might want to start with the the Student instructions: <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kWmp_Om8GoS-u3s8h_23PGx1gr_ncM4ro4Hbbqf0sHY/edit"><span class="s2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-kerning: none;">https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kWmp_Om8GoS-u3s8h_23PGx1gr_ncM4ro4Hbbqf0sHY/edit</span></a></span><span class="s4" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-kerning: none; text-decoration-line: underline;">)</span><span class="s1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-kerning: none;"> it’s framed as a group project, but you should be OK doing it alone.</span></font></li><li><font face="helvetica" size="2"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 238);">Do a Sloan Digital Sky Survey "Voyage" </span></font><a href="https://voyages.sdss.org/">https://voyages.sdss.org/</a> - the Expeditions are longer, inquiry led experiences, which are supposed to be self guided. </li></ul><p></p></div>Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-61319085347921552722020-05-19T21:12:00.002+01:002020-05-19T21:14:17.596+01:00Off Screen Ideas for Kids Who Don't Like SportsBeing a full time college Professor and a Mum during pandemic stay home orders is rough at times. Just over a day ago, I tweeted in desperation "<a href="https://twitter.com/KarenLMasters/status/1262442953802485760">ISO solo off screen activities for my son (10) who says he's "different from other 4th graders and doesn't like sports". I thought my Twitter followers might have awesome suggestions.</a>" The response was so awesome it nudged me to write my first blog post in almost two years (oops! what can I say I've been busy).<br />
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In whatever random order it was Twitter showed these replies here's a list of seventeen different suggestions. Son has decided to go with Lego animation (which I count as number 18), and I added two more from some "IRL" friends to make a total of 20.<br />
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I might update these with tips/links as he does them (if he does them). Thanks all - you are amazing!<br />
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1. Photography<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGIPbC9xOnfoMcCKvnNnBsadcb1YoXgR0ClH9OJGXHTzJjLbYv8IxzrkLYRulWmGBw2P_Z42WHgJFvGDkW5keEcuR2AonS5NlfQ4yIMefMU8gw03YZKD0jnPS0u9zlv8m41Ko23y4Jimg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-19+at+16.04.08.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="304" data-original-width="1202" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGIPbC9xOnfoMcCKvnNnBsadcb1YoXgR0ClH9OJGXHTzJjLbYv8IxzrkLYRulWmGBw2P_Z42WHgJFvGDkW5keEcuR2AonS5NlfQ4yIMefMU8gw03YZKD0jnPS0u9zlv8m41Ko23y4Jimg/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-05-19+at+16.04.08.png" width="400" /></a></div>
2. Pottery<br />
3. Writing letters to nursing homes<br />
4. Kite making<br />
5. Pinata making (paper mache)<br />
6. Fire starting (with sticks only)<br />
7. Paint rocks with inspirational quotes<br />
8. Tie dying<br />
9. Puffy painting thrift store clothing<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4Aee-AB66TCryaOCw84UIweiRvidluALojVRdUb0EHvFnKQjdBVbfZnula_a_b05pTGDVje5Vbb0aVa9MU5Fz2K34ZGvbZSj6FEbotrCIo9zCpNhv_qJWM6pHFdh1zqLdnlK3lZVToI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-19+at+16.04.45.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="1204" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4Aee-AB66TCryaOCw84UIweiRvidluALojVRdUb0EHvFnKQjdBVbfZnula_a_b05pTGDVje5Vbb0aVa9MU5Fz2K34ZGvbZSj6FEbotrCIo9zCpNhv_qJWM6pHFdh1zqLdnlK3lZVToI/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-05-19+at+16.04.45.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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10. Learn to play guitar<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKkhY0iNP0Bw4xe3nJAUFCfuV-G2xHKWKqo7_zJe-87TO568tLqjAnFdFDyPZ7FIs29VcXtLZmN_Cai3KaoSaoXSftRFUVNXxtY_2uw3nzSElJ3yhW5QpfuKHyNe3vUn2dXTb7aCUIqg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-19+at+16.06.04.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1006" data-original-width="1202" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGKkhY0iNP0Bw4xe3nJAUFCfuV-G2xHKWKqo7_zJe-87TO568tLqjAnFdFDyPZ7FIs29VcXtLZmN_Cai3KaoSaoXSftRFUVNXxtY_2uw3nzSElJ3yhW5QpfuKHyNe3vUn2dXTb7aCUIqg/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-05-19+at+16.06.04.png" width="400" /></a></div>
11. Anything with Lego<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7C0Pt0h_vzoV_8OEb3JzPROk6PMgz3PK1MGsmW3skhRwvfwHbbiD8pOC8CACCMvOnzxbMkGKoe59VRsSJaYXhz28pNOz6uy8of-W7vQlsAEsEBlNaXo9AuZ-zJ4UAZR2_SJeRwlue7HQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-19+at+16.07.12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="1202" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7C0Pt0h_vzoV_8OEb3JzPROk6PMgz3PK1MGsmW3skhRwvfwHbbiD8pOC8CACCMvOnzxbMkGKoe59VRsSJaYXhz28pNOz6uy8of-W7vQlsAEsEBlNaXo9AuZ-zJ4UAZR2_SJeRwlue7HQ/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-05-19+at+16.07.12.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1fheGgOa1oP-3e5M43zNXlx4JLY2qpMzalxVAYoQcTW4KFy3Q6w0EFf_Fm_Ow7HVkYVa_JYUmJAwkASPYxAe0qZtTlyIxEgrUg3VYUBqRJKmirxbSF4QfHPc3Yyfq3qE0IHQQnRRbA_w/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-19+at+16.07.22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="1202" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1fheGgOa1oP-3e5M43zNXlx4JLY2qpMzalxVAYoQcTW4KFy3Q6w0EFf_Fm_Ow7HVkYVa_JYUmJAwkASPYxAe0qZtTlyIxEgrUg3VYUBqRJKmirxbSF4QfHPc3Yyfq3qE0IHQQnRRbA_w/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-05-19+at+16.07.22.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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12. Start a fish tank/ant colony</div>
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13. Electronics</div>
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14. Cooking</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz0Fyn2qua0QPJbVy15YWvYW47itJjEnHYMBARi89m-m0W8VxjQP4Ekg6cUQKHM8ulzQRwFbXxCNtKWpo5PqTgAkUouXXNHWILGxl-TuxyMooyd49DVM1O9_I11oJ1cW1Xf_8xkO9-eFE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-19+at+16.07.22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="1202" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz0Fyn2qua0QPJbVy15YWvYW47itJjEnHYMBARi89m-m0W8VxjQP4Ekg6cUQKHM8ulzQRwFbXxCNtKWpo5PqTgAkUouXXNHWILGxl-TuxyMooyd49DVM1O9_I11oJ1cW1Xf_8xkO9-eFE/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-05-19+at+16.07.22.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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15. Science experiments</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1v10j1taNODfInjEw2dD6Sm-vYI9B8zcOVN2tzg4mvpfcvTp60DLN6hLxYwMuJeBtsBhljqm3lRoI-um-qNkgJPCDv56w5HgRWl3kRqCXNb0nSI7pvgsRwlcb2C7Eff23MnqS_L5ZOo0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-19+at+16.08.42.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="876" data-original-width="1206" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1v10j1taNODfInjEw2dD6Sm-vYI9B8zcOVN2tzg4mvpfcvTp60DLN6hLxYwMuJeBtsBhljqm3lRoI-um-qNkgJPCDv56w5HgRWl3kRqCXNb0nSI7pvgsRwlcb2C7Eff23MnqS_L5ZOo0/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-05-19+at+16.08.42.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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16. Paintining minatures (e.g. Warhammer)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqSn88y2p1S8y-5ZLmEEtLNc9XUYj7FvM-g0isL9l2OzQY0f2OTdjfMaQcScAy1MumodRNR6eNDeAKdjayKkIzpgig5-YiMsJ6X1ToED4l4rjJcRh0pbRh9pznZ0Hdnj0iGnZneqkwxQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-05-19+at+16.09.00.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="1208" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqSn88y2p1S8y-5ZLmEEtLNc9XUYj7FvM-g0isL9l2OzQY0f2OTdjfMaQcScAy1MumodRNR6eNDeAKdjayKkIzpgig5-YiMsJ6X1ToED4l4rjJcRh0pbRh9pznZ0Hdnj0iGnZneqkwxQ/s400/Screen+Shot+2020-05-19+at+16.09.00.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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17. 3D printing</div>
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18. Make stop motion animations with Lego (what my son decided to start with). </div>
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Also to complete the set, my irl friends have so far suggested: </div>
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19. Plan and build a tree house</div>
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20. Take up skateboarding</div>
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<br />Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-44109297671201588302018-07-25T15:23:00.000+01:002018-07-25T15:23:35.912+01:00Gender ratios in physics students in the US and UK.... Why do <a href="http://thebeautifulstars.blogspot.com/2018/07/modelling-data-example-using-level.html">A-level physics gender ratios in the UK</a> and <a href="https://www.aip.org/statistics/data-graphics/percent-physics-bachelors-and-phds-earned-women-classes-1975-through-2016">BSc physics major gender ratios in the USA</a> show similar trends offset by 15 years....?<br />
<br />
In the UK the trend flatlined (or began declining) around 1985. I the USA the flat line/decline starts around 2000. There should be an offset of about 4 years (the length of time it takes to get a degree in the USA), but I don't understand 15 years.... <br />
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<a href="https://www.aip.org/sites/default/files/statistics/data-graphics/Women-phys-bsandphd-75-16.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="759" data-original-width="800" height="303" src="https://www.aip.org/sites/default/files/statistics/data-graphics/Women-phys-bsandphd-75-16.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhieqSTkJHdQYMPq6WYM6mA7LraNe-2K6wiyFa0mQ4SiN7N7UC2TE-DyeXhHirWNB8h1Dj5CJ6_zLQpulWh_xn-1GVuFiw8VjaMf36gWqkSaJvS3tKbklCmM1PA5ejQUTT7fVrP9QMjjgIc/s1600/PlottedData4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="734" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhieqSTkJHdQYMPq6WYM6mA7LraNe-2K6wiyFa0mQ4SiN7N7UC2TE-DyeXhHirWNB8h1Dj5CJ6_zLQpulWh_xn-1GVuFiw8VjaMf36gWqkSaJvS3tKbklCmM1PA5ejQUTT7fVrP9QMjjgIc/s320/PlottedData4.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-10961721903684492942018-07-25T15:05:00.002+01:002018-07-25T15:31:29.504+01:00Modelling Data - Example using A-level Physics Gender TrendsLove this blog post: "<a href="http://improbablematter.blogspot.com/2016/12/brent-and-levenberg-marquardt-bread-and.html">Brent and Levenberg-Marquardt: the bread and butter algorithms for postgrads</a>" which uses data I collected as an example for modelling trends.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Y3SI68VWJ1Z3NZQCa3MPMvJKrBlKJFZqc8jy3fGWhU0QNJJmOg5Y27ClHW56z8DH3phAZakM0PVqrtyQZ7LAVlD_fkvp5Q37avk_TGiXzYiBm6wXXMxcE9_V7yODPFaHWX0r8iNZbs5W/s1600/RawData.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="584" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Y3SI68VWJ1Z3NZQCa3MPMvJKrBlKJFZqc8jy3fGWhU0QNJJmOg5Y27ClHW56z8DH3phAZakM0PVqrtyQZ7LAVlD_fkvp5Q37avk_TGiXzYiBm6wXXMxcE9_V7yODPFaHWX0r8iNZbs5W/s640/RawData.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
I collected these data to include in an article I was invited to write for Astronomy&Geophysics on "<a href="https://academic.oup.com/astrogeo/article/57/6/6.19/2698951">Women of the future in the RAS</a>". In that article I conclude: "Fitting a straight line to this 60-year trend and dangerously
extrapolating the poor linear fit into the future, we find that we can't
expect gender equality in physics A-level until 2163."<br />
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The data is not cheerful, and a linear increase model does not fit it well. In fact according <span class="post-author vcard"><span class="fn" itemprop="author" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><a class="g-profile" data-gapiattached="true" data-gapiscan="true" data-onload="true" href="https://plus.google.com/112623673075724906519" rel="author" title="author profile"><span itemprop="name">Val Aslanyan</span></a></span></span><span class="post-timestamp"></span>'s best fit model, recent years show a decline in the fraction of A-level physicsists who are women. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhieqSTkJHdQYMPq6WYM6mA7LraNe-2K6wiyFa0mQ4SiN7N7UC2TE-DyeXhHirWNB8h1Dj5CJ6_zLQpulWh_xn-1GVuFiw8VjaMf36gWqkSaJvS3tKbklCmM1PA5ejQUTT7fVrP9QMjjgIc/s1600/PlottedData4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="734" height="553" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhieqSTkJHdQYMPq6WYM6mA7LraNe-2K6wiyFa0mQ4SiN7N7UC2TE-DyeXhHirWNB8h1Dj5CJ6_zLQpulWh_xn-1GVuFiw8VjaMf36gWqkSaJvS3tKbklCmM1PA5ejQUTT7fVrP9QMjjgIc/s640/PlottedData4.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit to Val Aslanyan (http://improbablematter.blogspot.com/2016/12/brent-and-levenberg-marquardt-bread-and.html) for this version of this plot. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-2056994265879133042018-07-25T14:34:00.001+01:002018-07-25T14:36:20.578+01:00What to Call your Professor?Nice infographic which may help with the age old question - why do so many people call me Mrs. Masters? (PS. That's my Mother, or my Nanna, but never me, my patriarchal married name would be different.....)<br />
<a href="https://infogram.com/what-to-call-your-professor-1h7g6ke1zlgj6oy"><span style="font-size: small;"><span data-offset-key="1cgfj-0-0" style="color: #464646; font-family: "roboto"; font-weight: bold; line-height: 48px;"><span data-text="true">So, you're taking a class... What do you call your professor?</span></span></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span data-offset-key="1cgfj-0-0" style="color: #464646; font-family: "roboto"; font-weight: bold; line-height: 48px;"><span data-text="true"> </span></span></span>
<br />
<div class="infogram-embed" data-id="ced15fd1-b302-4e0b-b574-fda080849ede" data-title="What to call your professor" data-type="interactive">
</div>
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<a href="https://infogram.com/ced15fd1-b302-4e0b-b574-fda080849ede" style="color: #989898!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank">What to call your professor</a><br />
<a href="https://infogram.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #989898!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank">Infogram</a></div>
Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-41284250013358011242018-07-24T14:20:00.000+01:002018-07-24T14:20:03.021+01:00Tech Support for Finding StarsHere's an article by Benji Jones for <a href="https://gizmodo.com/">Gizmodo</a> in which I was interviewed about helping people find stars they have "bought".<br />
<br />
<h1 class="headline hover-highlight entry-title js_entry-title">
<a data-id="" href="https://gizmodo.com/people-cant-find-the-stars-they-paid-to-name-and-theyre-1827589525">People Can't Find the Stars They Paid to Name—and They're Calling Astronomers for Tech Support</a></h1>
<br />
<br />
The main points:<br />
<ul>
<li> There is nothing official about buying a star - you're just buying a nice certificate.</li>
<li>Many of the stars cannot be seen without substantial amateur size telescopes</li>
<li>You can see them online fairly easilly. </li>
</ul>
I had previously (like over a decade ago!) written about this for the <a href="http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/">Curious about Astronomy? Ask an Astronomer</a> website.: <a href="http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/111-observational-astronomy/stargazing/general-questions/681-how-can-i-find-the-star-i-have-bought-beginner?highlight=WyJmaW5kaW5nIiwic3RhcnMiLCJzdGFycyciLCJmaW5kaW5nIHN0YXJzIl0=">"How can I find the star that I bought?"</a><br />
<br />
<br />Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-75628132319830192722018-06-06T21:30:00.000+01:002018-06-06T21:30:05.001+01:00My Advice for Summer Research Placement ApplicationsSummer research experiences for undergraduates have been common in the US for years, and more recently have been growing in availability in the UK (where they are sometimes called "summer research placements"). They are one of the best ways to help obtain a PhD position where demonstrating your experience and ability in the research environment really helps. <br />
<br />
As an undergraduate at Oxford I benefited from summer placements in two summer breaks. I spent the summer between my first and second years working at the <a href="http://www.mdsci.org/planetarium/">Davis Planetarium at the Maryland Science Center</a> (as part of the <a href="http://www.bunac.org/">British University's North America Club, BUNAC</a> exchange scheme), and in the summer between my second and third year I spent 10 weeks working with Duncan Forbes, then an academic at Birmingham University (which happens to be relatively close to where I grew up), on a project which resulted in my first ever published paper: "<a href="http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2000A%26A...358..471F">The elliptical galaxy formerly known as the Local Group: merging the globular cluster systems</a>", Forbes, Masters, Minniti & Barmby 2000, A&A 358, 471.<br />
<br />
I have also previously been in charge of organizing a summer research placement scheme (<a href="http://icg.port.ac.uk/research-experience/">Summer Research Placements at the ICG, Portsmouth</a>), and it has been a real pleasure to be able to help the current generation of undergraduates access different schemes.<br />
<br />
Here are my top tips for summer placement applications, as well as making the most of a short talk/poster presentation which may follow:<br />
<br />
Application Tips (many of these I assume apply to more than just summer placements):<br />
<ul>
<li>Tailor your cover letter (at least a bit). A form letter is easy to spot, and probably worthless</li>
<li>Spell check.</li>
<li>Be open to different project possibilities, but honest about subject areas/placements that don't interest you.</li>
<li>Spell check. </li>
<li>It's extremely helpful if you include details of your results in different units. This helps us figure out which project may be most suitable for you.</li>
<li>Spell check.</li>
<li>Don't assume the person you are sending the application to is admin staff (especially if they are female).</li>
<li>Spell check.</li>
<li>Don't assume the person you are sending the application to is male (especially if they are female).</li>
<li>Spell check. </li>
<li>In fact just address the letter to "Dear Prof/Dr. A. Non". Don't go with "Ms. A. Non", "Mr. A. Non", "Amy", "Andrew" or "Dear Sir".... No-one was ever offended by you being more formal than you needed to be, and I suggest you spend 5 minutes looking up who you are writing to (or if if you can't work it out go with "Dear Sir/Madam", or "Dear Summer Placement Organizer"). </li>
<li>Spell check. </li>
<li>Send your CV as a pdf, with a filename which includes your surname. </li>
<li>don't use a personal email - your University should have provided you with an email you can use. </li>
<li>list references up front, rather than list them as "on request". </li>
<li>Oh did I mention you should use the spell check on your computer (honestly I'm bad about this too, hence mentioning it so much. Correct spelling demonstrates you care about your application). </li>
</ul>
<br />
Poster Tips:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Go for visual impression. It's likely your poster will be in a room with many posters, so you need to attract attention</li>
<li>Include some photos of what you did.</li>
<li>Don't put too much text - just the main points.</li>
<li>Make sure you can read all text if you print the poster A4 size - then it's about right for printing full size to go on the wall (and you can make handouts easilly if you want to). </li>
<li>Include your email/photo/full name. </li>
</ul>
<br />
Presentation Tips:<br />
<ul>
<li>Say your FULL NAME, and the University you study at. </li>
<li>Say the FULL NAME of the location of your placement, what they do, and what your project was</li>
<li>Describe your main result and/or something you enjoyed about the placement. Describe the implications of what you found (these may not be obvious). </li>
<li>End with "If you'd like to know [more or something specific] come and see my poster, number XX".</li>
</ul>
Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-52829169070800008372017-08-16T15:57:00.001+01:002017-08-16T15:58:23.776+01:00Women of the Future Awards for 2017<i><a href="http://awards.womenofthefuture.co.uk/nominate/">Nominations are now open</a> for the 2017 Women of the Future Awards, so please see below for an updated version of a <a href="http://thebeautifulstars.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/women-of-future-2016-nominations-now.html">post I first wrote this time last year</a>. </i><br />
<br />
<i>The deadline for nominations this year is 8th September 2017. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i></i><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
The Women of the Future Awards are the platform for successful young
women in Britain. These awards are aimed at unearthing and recognising
the inspirational stars of tomorrow across diverse sectors. I was
honoured to <a href="http://awards.womenofthefuture.co.uk/our-alumni/">win the Science category of this award in 2014</a>, and I am
keen to encourage more engagement with the awards from women in STEM.
Please feel free to contact me directly (karen.masters@port.ac.uk) if
you have any questions/concerns about what these awards are all about. <br />
<br />
I
personally view participation with this organisation as a great way to
engage in outreach about STEM subjects with women in general. The low
numbers of women in science means that we are often in a minority in a
group of scientists, but also within a group of women. The young people
who attend events organised via the Women of the Future: Ambassadors
Programme (at which Award winners and shortlisted candidates are
invited) are not seeking out discussion of STEM subjects as careers
specifically, so this can be a great way to get outside the group of
already engaged. And the Women of the Future Network provides the
opportunity to network with successful professional women in the UK
across all sectors (which is inspiring and interesting, as well as
potentially useful). This has led to interesting opportunities - for
example I ended up as one of the BBC 100 Women for 2015, was invited to discuss the issues of women in STEM at the
House of Lords, I've talked about in on the BBC News Channel, and more. <br />
<br />
The Awards are open to all
women aged 35 or under (this year candidates must be aged 35 or under on December
31, 2017) living or working in the United Kingdom (Mentor of the Year
and Young Star Awards have different eligibility, see below). <br />
<br />
Award Categories which I think would of Interest to Women in STEM: <br />
<br />
<b>Science</b><br />
This
category recognises a group of truly remarkable young female
scientists, forging new ground in research and scientific achievement.
Within this category, WoF are also seeking nominees with a career in the
sciences who can demonstrate a track record of academic excellence in
the field of science; and are showing signs of success in pushing
through scientific developments to commercial application.<br />
<br />
<b>Recent winners: </b><br />
2016: Dr Maria Bruna, Junior Research Fellow in Mathematics, St John's College<br />
2015: Dr. Tessa Baker, Postdoctoral Fellow in Cosmology at All Souls, University of Oxford <br />
2014: Dr. Karen Masters, Senior Lecturer in Astronomy, Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth<br />
2013: Dr Janice Turner, technical project manager, Roke Manor Research<br />
<br />
<b>Technology and Digital</b><br />
This category recognises talented, ground-breaking young women from the worlds of digital and technology.<br />
<br />
<b>Recent winners: </b><br />
2016: Maxine Mackintosh, Chair, Healthtech Women <br />
2015: Dr. Laura Toogood, Managing Director of Private Clients, Digitalis Reputation<br />
2014: Brie Rogers Lowery, UK Director, Change.org<br />
2013: Kathryn Parsons, founder, Decoded<br />
<br />
<b>Mentor of the Year</b><br />
This
award, recognises active mentors behind the success of younger women in
British life. Many successful women pay tribute to role models and
supporters who have enabled them to flourish in business, professional
life, science or whatever their chosen field. This award pays tribute to
some of the most influential and unsung heroes and heroines in British
life.<br />
The award is open to <b>men and women of all ages.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Recent winners: </b><br />
2016: Tamara Box, Managing Partner EME, Reed Smith <br />
2015: Alex Peace-Gadsby, Director, Musto Limited<br />
2014: Dr Vanessa Ogden, Head Teacher, Mulberry School<br />
2013: Helen Milford, south regional director, Asda<br />
<br />
<b>Young Star</b><br />
This
award acknowledges high achievers aged 16-21. It is for teenage girls
showing exceptional promise within their industry, university or school.<br />
<br />
<b>Recent winners: </b><br />
2016: Nusrath Hassan, Alumna, Mulberry School for Girls<br />
2015: Phoebe Gormley, Managing Director, Gormley & Gamble<br />
2014: Suzanne Birney, Apprentice CAD Technologist, Doosan Babcock<br />
2013: Eliza Rebeiro, founder, Lives not Knives<br />
<br />
<b>Entry deadline: September 8th 2016<br />Judging Day (central London): October 9th 2016<br />Awards Night (London Hilton on Park Lane - note that shortlisted candidates get a complimentary ticket): 15th November 2016</b><br />
There are two ways to nominate (self nominations are welcome): <br />
1.
Complete the <a href="https://womenofthefuture.wufoo.eu/forms/rj6wfk31la72yf/">application form </a>
- self nominations are welcomed.<br />
2. Email candidate suggestions
to info@womenofthefuture.co.uk (they will then be contacted and invited
to fill in the application form). <br />
<br />
For more details see the <a href="http://awards.womenofthefuture.co.uk/">Women of the Future Website</a>, or contact me at karen.masters@port.ac.uk. <br />
<br />
Please pass this message on to any Women in STEM groups you are part of. Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-63813282751024401692016-11-07T18:54:00.001+00:002016-11-08T01:48:43.762+00:00What is a Supermoon?The astronomical news this month is all about the "Supermoon" happening on the night of 14th November 2016. But what is a Supermoon, and why is it different to any other Full Moon?<br />
<br />
Let's start simple, with what it means to have a Full Moon. All this means is that the Moon is in the point of its orbit around the Earth which puts it directly opposite the Sun in the sky. As a result the side of the Moon we see is fully illuminated by the Sun, and the Moon rises at sunset (and sets at sunrise) making it visible all night. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Lunar_phase_diagram.png/1200px-Lunar_phase_diagram.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Lunar_phase_diagram.png/1200px-Lunar_phase_diagram.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diagram illustrating how the phase of the Moon depends on its position in its orbit around the Earth relative to the location of the Sun. In this diagram the Sun is not shown, but it is to the right, directly above the point on the Earth labelled "Noon". Credit: Wikimedia, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Splette" title="User:Splette">Thomas Splettstoesser</a>. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So obviously, the Full Moon happens once in every lunar orbit around the Earth (well technically slightly less, because meanwhile the Earth is also orbiting the Sun, but let's not worry about that). Now the orbit of the Moon isn't perfectly circular. It's very slightly oval shaped, with a point (which is called the "perigee") when the Moon is at its closest to the Earth, and a point (called "apogee") when it is at its furthest. <br />
<span class="_Tgc"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/55/Apogee_(PSF).svg/852px-Apogee_(PSF).svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/55/Apogee_(PSF).svg/852px-Apogee_(PSF).svg.png" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<br />
This difference is very small - much smaller than shown in the diagram above. If I drew an oval with the right proportions you couldn't tell it wasn't a circle! The mean distance to the Moon is <span class="_Tgc">384,400
km, the closest approach is just 21,296 km closer than this. That might sound a lot, but it's just 5% closer than the average (an apogee is 5% more
distant than average). </span><br />
<span class="_Tgc"><br /></span>
<span class="_Tgc">A Supermoon is just the name we give for a Full Moon which happens when the Moon is at or close to perigee (i.e. it's closest point to the Earth). Being 5% closer than average makes the Moon look a barely noticeable 5% larger, however the impact on its brightness is more significant, making Supermoons the spectacle that gets attention. A Supermoon will be 30% brighter than a Full Moon at apogee. High and low tides will also be more extreme when the Moon is closer.</span><br />
<span class="_Tgc"><br /></span>
<span class="_Tgc"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Supermoon_comparison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Supermoon_comparison.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Supermoon of 19th March 2011 (right) compared to an average full Moon (left). Credit: Wikimedia, Marco Langbroek. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<span class="_Tgc">Now how close the Supermoon is to the exact point of perigee determines the exact distance to the Full Moon and how super the Supermoon is. The upcoming Full Moon happens at 3pm GMT, Monday 14th November 2016, when the Moon is within 1.5 hours of passing through perigee, making it a "super Supermoon". </span><br />
<br />
<span class="_Tgc"> What's more, the <a href="http://lunarplanner.com/LunarPerigee/index.html">distance of lunar perigee also varies slightly</a> (caused by the gravity of other planets in the Solar System and various resonances). The November 14th perigee happens to be a close one. This means that 14th November is really a super-dooper Supermoon; a lunar perigee hasn't happened so close to the Earth since </span>January 26, 1948, and the next Full Moon which is so close will be November 25, 2034.<br />
<br />
While these are relatively rare events, the noticeable difference in the Moon is quite small. The Full Moon is well worth catching every month, even if the nights of 13th/14th November 2016 ti will be slightly brighter and larger than average.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://xkcd.com/1394/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/superm_n.png" height="320" width="242" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://xkcd.com/1394/">xkcd comic explaining the Supermoon. </a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
And be aware that Supermoons are getting gradually less super. The Moon is very slowly <a href="http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/about-us/37-our-solar-system/the-moon/the-moon-and-the-earth/111-is-the-moon-moving-away-from-the-earth-when-was-this-discovered-intermediate">moving away from the Earth</a>. However as it's moving away at just 3.8cm each year, it'll be a while (a few billion years) before this makes any noticeable difference. <br />
<span class="_Tgc"><br /></span>
<span class="_Tgc"><br /></span>Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-65747548457440158992016-08-09T10:51:00.002+01:002016-08-09T10:51:55.555+01:00Once in a Blue Moon Last week was full of interesting Moon news. “Moon Express” has become the first commercial company approved to try to land on the Moon, on the same day that the Chinese Moon Rover, “Jade Rabbit”, said goodbye (tweeting “This time it really is goodnight/ There are still many questions I would like answers to, but I'm the rabbit that has seen the most stars." on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter), after surviving for more than 18 months longer than its planned 3 month mission.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbWWexTq7tkgCL5hR7F0FZIUwEC-2EzDvZQS619eV0u8KELphW36ENrAScV6ZH8DlH4spgbVSRBD5wNh4gWSaR1nnKG8_C9DXx5nIbT8liQ6XdEazgg-QGrD-Itr07Qc-vGyAw-CBHYk/s1600/December_2009_partrial_lunar_eclipse-cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbWWexTq7tkgCL5hR7F0FZIUwEC-2EzDvZQS619eV0u8KELphW36ENrAScV6ZH8DlH4spgbVSRBD5wNh4gWSaR1nnKG8_C9DXx5nIbT8liQ6XdEazgg-QGrD-Itr07Qc-vGyAw-CBHYk/s320/December_2009_partrial_lunar_eclipse-cropped.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_moon">Blue Moon</a> of December 2009. Credit: Codybird, Wikimedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<br />
To date, just three nations have landed on the Moon. The Jade Rabbit rover, named after the pet rabbit (YuTu) of the Chinese Moon goddess, Change’e, joined over 80 different US and Russian probes on the surface, as well as the remnants of the Apollo missions which saw 10 American men walk on the Moon’s surface in the 1960s and 1970s. <br /><br />The success of the Chinese rover is exciting enough, but the news from Moon Express could be a signal of the start of a new era of Moon exploration. Moon Express is just one of sixteen groups aiming for the Google Lunar X-Prize. This competition, launched in 2007, calls for a privately funded rover to land on the Moon drive at least 500m and transmit back HD video and images before the end of 2017. The first group to do this can claim a $20m prize, as well as a place in space history. <br /><br />This week is significant as Moon Express has passed on of the big unknowns in the mission. The Outer Space Treaty, made in 1967, sets out the rules about what National space programmes can and cannot do in space, and also states that the activities of non-governmental entities in outer space, requires authorisation and supervision by one of the State Parties to the Treaty. This meant that, unlike the many companies who are now launching into low Earth orbit, governmental permission is needed for any commercially planned Moon landing. This is the first time that permission has been sought, and is would have been a complete unknown who among the various US bodies needed to give permission to the Californian based company. <br /><br /> In the end a cabal of federal agencies were involved, from the Federal Aviation Authority, NASA of course, and even the White House, taking almost 4 months to assess the application. Permission has been granted for a single mission only, and Moon Express has a launch date scheduled towards the end of 2017 which if it manages to meet will not only win it the X-prize, but also make it the first commercial enterprise to make it into outer space. <br /><br /> Meanwhile other nations are looking Moonward. Both South and North Korea have stated ambitions to land a robotic mission on the Moon within the next decade, and Russia, ESA, NASA and Japan currently have plans to send people to the Moon. The first of these missions could see Americans return to the Moon in preparation for Mars missions as soon as 2023; development and construction of the new Orion Spacecraft is ongoing at NASA, and the first planned test mission of this deep space vessel will see it go into lunar orbit. <br /><br /> The Moon is seen as a safe stepping stone to longer missions. A place to learn about how to live and work long term in space just a few days away from Earth rather than the months it would take to get to Mars. Commercially the Moon provides a potential mining resource (especially for high value elements rarely found on Eart), and astronomers like myself are excited about the potential for Moon based observatories, perhaps radio telescopes on the far side of the Moon shielded from the human radio noise. <br /><br /> After decades of inaction, it seems the time is ripe to return to the Moon.<br />
<br />
If you want to see the Moon tonight look for the crescent Moon lingering after sunset in the evening skies; you can see the first full Moon of August (which rises as the Sun sets) on August 18th. The next Blue Moon (defined as a rare second full Moon in single month) will occur on 31st Jan 2018. Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-25064576462715916512016-06-17T21:11:00.005+01:002016-08-09T10:52:09.631+01:00Women of the Future 2016 Nominations now openThe Women of the Future Awards are the platform for successful young women in Britain. These awards are aimed at unearthing and recognising the inspirational stars of tomorrow across diverse sectors. I was honoured to win the Science category of this award in 2014, and I am keen to encourage more engagement with the awards from women in STEM. Please feel free to contact me directly (karen.masters@port.ac.uk) if you have any questions/concerns about what these awards are all about. <br />
<br />
I personally view participation with this organisation as a great way to engage in outreach about STEM subjects with women in general. The low numbers of women in science means that we are often in a minority in a group of scientists, but also within a group of women. The young people who attend events organised via the Women of the Future: Ambassadors Programme (at which Award winners and shortlisted candidates are invited) are not seeking out discussion of STEM subjects as careers specifically, so this can be a great way to get outside the group of already engaged. And the Women of the Future Network provides the opportunity to network with successful professional women in the UK across all sectors (which is inspiring and interesting, as well as potentially useful). This has led to interesting opportunities - for example I was invited to discuss the issues of women in STEM at the House of Lords this year. <br />
<br />
The Awards are open to all women aged 35 or under (candidates must be aged 35 or under on December 31, 2016) living or working in the United Kingdom (Mentor of the Year and Young Star Awards have different eligibility, see below). <br />
<br />
Award Categories which I think would of Interest to Women in STEM: <br />
<br />
<b>Science</b><br />
This category recognises a group of truly remarkable young female scientists, forging new ground in research and scientific achievement. Within this category, WoF are also seeking nominees with a career in the sciences who can demonstrate a track record of academic excellence in the field of science; and are showing signs of success in pushing through scientific developments to commercial application.<br />
<br />
<b>Recent winners: </b><br />
2015: Dr. Tessa Baker, Postdoctoral Fellow at All Souls, University of Oxford <br />
2014: Dr. Karen Masters, Senior Lecturer in Astronomy, Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth<br />
2013: Dr Janice Turner, technical project manager, Roke Manor Research<br />
<br />
<b>Technology and Digital</b><br />
This category recognises talented, ground-breaking young women from the worlds of digital and technology.<br />
<br />
<b>Recent winners: </b><br />
2015: Dr. Laura Toogood, Managing Director of Private Clients, Digitalis Reputation<br />
2014: Brie Rogers Lowery, UK Director, Change.org<br />
2013: Kathryn Parsons, founder, Decoded<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Mentor of the Year</b><br />
This award, recognises active mentors behind the success of younger women in British life. Many successful women pay tribute to role models and supporters who have enabled them to flourish in business, professional life, science or whatever their chosen field. This award pays tribute to some of the most influential and unsung heroes and heroines in British life.<br />
The award is open to <b>men and women of all ages.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Recent winners: </b><br />
2015: Alex Peace-Gadsby, Director, Musto Limited<br />
2014: Dr Vanessa Ogden, Head Teacher, Mulberry School<br />
2013: Helen Milford, south regional director, Asda<br />
<br />
<b>Young Star</b><br />
This award acknowledges high achievers aged 16-21. It is for teenage girls showing exceptional promise within their industry, university or school.<br />
<br />
<b>Recent winners: </b><br />
2015: Phoebe Gormley, Managing Director, Gormley & Gamble<br />
2014: Suzanne Birney, Apprentice CAD Technologist, Doosan Babcock<br />
2013: Eliza Rebeiro, founder, Lives not Knives<br />
<br />
<b>Entry deadline: September 12th 2016<br />Judging Day (central London): October 14th 2016<br />Awards Night (London Hilton on Park Lane - shortlisted candidates get a complimentary ticket): 16th November 2016</b><br />
There are two ways to nominate (self nominations are welcome): <br />
1. Complete the application form (https://womenofthefuture.wufoo.eu/forms/women-of-the-future-2016-nomination-form/) - self nominations are welcomed.<br />
2. Email candidate suggestions to info@womenofthefuture.co.uk (they will then be contacted and invited to fill in the application form). <br />
<br />
For more details: http://awards.womenofthefuture.co.uk, or contact me at karen.masters@port.ac.uk. <br />
<br />
Please pass this message on to any Women in STEM groups you are part of. Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-1787137250713757662016-03-04T10:33:00.001+00:002016-03-04T10:33:13.447+00:00My Advice for PhD ApplicantsSo you want to do a PhD in astronomy/astrophysics/cosmology? Here is some random advice from me (note these are my personal opinions, and not representative of any official policy anywhere I have worked, or currently work).<br />
<br />
<b>Preparatory work: </b><br />
<ul>
<li>Try to do one or more summer research projects to demonstrate your interests/abilities in research.</li>
<li>If you are on a 1 year taught Masters </li>
<ul>
<li>get to know your lecturer immediately so they can write a good reference. </li>
<li>start your project early. If the course structure has the project late do a summer project, or start your project early (even if they say not to). </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br /><b>Application materials: </b><br />
<ul>
<li>Write a cover letter, or a description of why you want to do a PhD, and what your subject interests are. This is your chance to show passion for your subject. Do some research on what is available at the department you are applying to first (e.g. don't write about how much you love exoplanets, if no-one in that department studies them....). </li>
<li>If you can remain somewhat open to the details of a project/supervisor (you'll be easier to place). Not all faculty will be recruiting PhD students every year, but you can still potentially work with them as a co-supervisor. </li>
<li>Don't leave gaps in your CV. If you are currently working and want to come back to study do not hide it. This is often viewed positively - use your experience to hi-light the skills you have gained in the workplace which should place you above undergraduates still at University. </li>
<li>Be very clear about your nationality - especially if you are British applying for PhDs in Britain. This shouldn't matter, but it seems to. </li>
</ul>
<br /><b>Interview: </b><br />
<ul>
<li>Dress up for the interview (at least a bit - you offend no-one by being over dressed, if you show up in tracksuit bottoms you may send a message that you don't care to some).</li>
<li>Show an interest in the department. Stay for lunch if invited. It's not really optional (even if presented as such). Ask the current graduate students if there are any evening plans you can tag along to. </li>
<li>Ask questions about the training, help given to find jobs etc. </li>
<li>Talk to everyone - especially current students. If you think you're getting a sales pitch press harder for the real story.</li>
<li>Make extra sure you talk to current students of any faculty you think you might want to work with. Ask about their working style. Are they too hands off - are they too pushy - do they take credit for student's work - do they promote their students outside the University. </li>
<li>Be careful you don't assume women you meet are admin staff - assume everyone you meet is a scientist and potentially a future supervisor. Do not address anyone as Miss or Ms or Mr (just in case). </li>
<li>Be polite to everyone you meet. The interview panel might seek input from anyone in the department (including the admin staff). </li>
</ul>
There's loads of other good advice online about this already, so don't just read this. <a href="http://www.astrobetter.com/wiki/Graduate+School">Astrobetter has a fantastic set of resources</a> (sometimes with an American angle, but many things apply to any PhD programme). <br /><br />Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-76174207949982124822016-01-25T09:11:00.000+00:002016-01-25T09:11:12.132+00:00Thoughts on the 9th Planet
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The internet was abuzz last week with news of a possible 9th
planet in our Solar System, as well as an opportunity to view all five planets
visible to the naked eye in the sky at the same time for the first time in more
than a decade. Coming on the heels of the BBC StargazingLIVE show,
and ongoing coverage of Tim Peake's mission oboard the International Space Station)
it feels like space and astronomy has never been more at the front of the UK
public’s consciousness. </div>
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The possibility of the discovery of a new planet so close to
us might seem to make a mockery of how much we claim to know about the vast
expanse of space. You might ask how we can claim we understand the structure of
galaxies in the distant Universe when we have potentially missed an entire
planet in our own solar system for so long. But this planet, if it turns out to
be real, will be very dark indeed. The predictions suggest it orbits the Sun,
20 times further out that Neptune (which in turn is 30 times further out than
the Earth). At this distance the planet would take 10,000-20,000 years to orbit
the Sun, moving incredibly slowly against the background stars. And the
illumination from the Sun would be over 300,000 times less than it is here at
Earth, making it both a very cold and dark place, as well as an incredibly hard
thing to spot with a telescope. Astronomers all over the world will now be
searching for this tiny speck of light, in an interesting parallel of several
previous searches which have happened following earlier predictions of missing
planets (these earlier searches led to the discover of Neptune, as well as
Ceres and Pluto – two objects we now consider dwarf planets, but which we
initially called planets).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Of course the last time the number of planets in our Solar
System was in the news we all had to come to terms with losing a planet. Pluto
is still exactly where it always was, but in 2006 was reclassified as a dwarf
planet following the discovery of potentially hundreds of Pluto like objects in
the outer solar system. As an astronomer it never fails to surprise me how much
this reclassification, which you might dismiss as an obscure technical discussion,
captures the public imagination. This has recently been back in the news
following the amazing pictures of Pluto sent back by the New Horizons Mission. While I’m often surprised at the interest this generates,
I’m also pleased for the opportunity it gives to remind us all that science
isn’t a fixed and static thing. We reclassify planets on the basis of new
information, and we can still have the opportunity to discover massive new
planets in our own backyard. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6QLuOssMVNekIcFYQiUKdPBFqSkvK7_7PTajyjgt6fgOufw0Zumy5Atxd8qxugNGqjV4yB66jLJzhLWZ8dmcjr3VzTrETB4HA5hL7re93sWarL-r_Nyo9-NIw6fKKFxPwbuk1Dermx1M/s1600/pluto-best-image-new-horizons-e1436876696310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6QLuOssMVNekIcFYQiUKdPBFqSkvK7_7PTajyjgt6fgOufw0Zumy5Atxd8qxugNGqjV4yB66jLJzhLWZ8dmcjr3VzTrETB4HA5hL7re93sWarL-r_Nyo9-NIw6fKKFxPwbuk1Dermx1M/s320/pluto-best-image-new-horizons-e1436876696310.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The already iconic view of Pluto from the NASA New Horizon's Mission.</td></tr>
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If you want to see all six planets visible to the naked eye
at once (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn) you can get up early
on any clear morning over the next month or so. Venus and Jupiter will be the two
brightest points of light you can find in the sky – Jupiter is to the West, and
Venus to the East. In a rough line between them will be the noticeably orange
tinged Saturn and Mars. Mercury is a challenge as it’ll be a small point of
light fading into the dawn light as the Sun rises – of course Earth you can see
all the time (just look down). </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMdcw7Za9zY7ksrf3X8QDxnFzSxT847SlYwSEUNfvULzP1T5IrA3_GXO-tJ2r6u01g2A-U6E72luMYw06OclrkA_tk8bshPmT0v7KZakW6tCKwBrHa7Ygpg8iIijaUYxNouK40N_2eIQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-01-25+at+09.08.42.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMdcw7Za9zY7ksrf3X8QDxnFzSxT847SlYwSEUNfvULzP1T5IrA3_GXO-tJ2r6u01g2A-U6E72luMYw06OclrkA_tk8bshPmT0v7KZakW6tCKwBrHa7Ygpg8iIijaUYxNouK40N_2eIQ/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-01-25+at+09.08.42.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A screenshot from the free planetarium software <a href="http://www.stellarium.org/">Stellarium</a> showing all 5 visible planets together in the sky at 6.50am on Tue 26th Jan 2016</td></tr>
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To see the International Space Station and wave at Tim Peake
as he passes by, you can look for <a href="http://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=25544">notifications of the next visible ISS passesonline</a>. The next ones visible from where I live (in the UK) are Feb 2nd and 3rd in the evening. The ISS looks like a steadily moving constant point of light
to the naked eye, and you see the reflected sunlight off its solar panels. </div>
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Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-79581265385800978112016-01-25T09:00:00.001+00:002016-01-25T09:13:04.009+00:00A real picture of Stargazer Lottie in Space<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This weekend Tim Peake posted this actual picture of his Stargazer Lottie doll on board the ISS! </div>
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Now don't get me wrong, I've been loving the #lottieinspace illustrations created by ESA and explaining what life is like in space, but they were also obviously faked, and I've had to explain several times already that that doesn't mean Lottie isn't up there, just that those images are faked. Now we have an actual real picture, that explanation got a whole lot easier. :)<br />
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If there's any kids in your life, they can Ask Lottie all their space questions. She's waiting by her computer! <br />
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<span id="goog_2045402806"></span><span id="goog_2045402807"></span><br />Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-22345344725154013012015-12-27T16:49:00.000+00:002015-12-27T16:50:01.407+00:00Toys in SpaceMy involvement with <a href="http://thebeautifulstars.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/stargazer-lottie-in-space.html">Stargazer Lottie</a>, and the fact that she's gone to space with <a href="http://blogs.esa.int/tim-peake/">Tim Peake</a>, has made me really curious about other toys which have flown to space. <br />
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It's amazing what you can find with a bit of digging on <a href="https://www.wikipedia.org/">Wikipedia</a> and beyond...<br />
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In 1985 there was a Space Shuttle Mission (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-51-D">STS-51-D</a>) which among many other things, flew an experiment called "<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/microgravity/home/toys-in-space.html#.VoAKrfHqf0g">Toys in Space</a>". The idea was to create an accessible way for children to learn about microgravity, by comparing how the toys acted in space, to how they would behave in their own classroom. According to the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/microgravity/home/toys-in-space.html#.VoAKrfHqf0g">NASA Website about Toys in Space</a>, this experiment was repeated on the shuttle in 1993 and 1998 (on STS-54 and STS-77 respectively), while in 2002, Expedition 5 to the International Space Station, also took back some of the same toys.<br />
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There are a series of videos available showing the toys being used in space, which you can watch below.<br />
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The toys included commonly available toys, such as a spinning top, yo-yo, skipping rope (or jump rope), marbles and a football (soccer ball), as well as some toys which could be build by children (an origami flipper, simple card boomerang). NASA also created a <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/International_Toys_In_Space.html#.VoAMTvHqf0g">set of resources</a> for suggestions of how to use the videos to complement classroom experiments with the same toys. There's even a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Toys-Space-Exploring-Science-Astronauts/dp/0070694893">book about the experiments</a> (and other playful activities in space). <br />
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Fast forward to 2008, and the Toy Story action figure, Buzz Lightyear flew into space on Shuttle mission STS as part of an educational collaboration between Disney and NASA. Again <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Buzz_Lightyear_Toys_in_Space.html#.VoANDfHqf0g">NASA created a set of activities and videos</a> for children to use the behaviour of Buzz Lightyear in space to learn about microgravity.<br />
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You can see some of the videos of Buzz Lightyear's Mission Log (which are also available to buy on DVD) on Youtube, including the one below.<br />
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Meanwhile, sending toys to the edge of space (usually using modified weather balloons) has become quite a thing as a <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=sending+toys+to+the+edge+of+space&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8">quick Google</a> will show you.<br />
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This story of a <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5945476/sending-your-sons-favorite-train-to-space-is-probably-the-coolest-thing-a-dad-can-do">dad sending his son's toy train to the edge of space</a> gets a lot of hits.<br />
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I also like this story, of <a href="http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/09/seattle_sisters_10_and_8_launc.html">two little girls from Seattle who sent a picture of their cat and a lego R2D2 </a>figure to the edge of space.<br />
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<a href="http://www.themarysue.com/hello-kitty-space/">Hello Kitty has been to the edge of space</a>, as has a <a href="http://metro.co.uk/2012/03/07/a30-space-shuttle-made-of-lego-sent-35km-to-the-edge-of-space-344014/">Lego Space Shuttle</a>, along with lots of other <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/11255895/The-10-most-bizarre-things-sent-into-space.html">odd things</a>. <br />
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This is all very cool (especially that you can do it for yourself with a bit of effort), but orbiting is much more challenging.<br />
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Of course astronauts get to take some small items of their own choice into space. It should be no surprise that the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/sep/01/lego-space-mission-denmark-first-astronaut-andreas-mogensen-toys-company">first Danish astronaut took Lego figures with him to space</a> (just back in September 2015). These specially designed Lego figures were then to be used as prizes in a competion for Danish school children after he returned from his 10 day mission.<br />
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For more Lego fun in space, <a href="http://www.space.com/14675-lego-space-station-astronaut-toys.html">Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa made a model lego ISS on board the ISS in 2012</a>. He then used this in a series of videos for Japanese children. <br />
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And in 2013, <a href="http://www.space.com/22988-astronaut-sews-dinosaur-toy-space.html">astronaut Karen Nyberg made a toy dinosaur onboard the ISS</a>. She found materials on board to make the toy which she gave to her son on her return home.<br />
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There's been loads of <a href="http://www.space.com/22247-mars-barbie-doll-nasa-mattel.html">space related Barbie Dolls</a> over the years, but I can find no evidence any of them have actually flown into space... so I think Lottie might actually be safe with her claim to be the <a href="http://www.lottie.com/blogs/blog/81771651-lottie-first-doll-in-space-designed-by-6-year-old-abigail">first doll in space</a>. <br />
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(I'm not the only one to have this idea, you can read this <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5990749/these-are-the-most-famous-toys-in-space">Gizmodo article "25 Famous Toys we Blasted into Space"</a> from 2013 - and they got most of the same ones as me!). Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-40017797717772118692015-12-27T15:45:00.000+00:002015-12-27T15:53:23.258+00:00Stargazer Lottie in SpaceOne thing I’ve spent a little bit of time on over the last few years is consulting on the development of <a href="http://uk.lottie.com/collections/new-products/products/stargazer-lottie">Stargazer Lottie</a>. I first heard about her when Lucie Follett from <a href="http://www.lottie.com/pages/about-arklu">Arklu</a> contacted me in August 2013 to discuss their plans to develop a stargazer doll. I’ve talked with the developers on and off ever since, providing suggestions on the clothing Lottie wears to go Stargazing (making sure she was wrapped up warm), and what kind of telescope she might be able to have (her telescope looks a bit like a <a href="http://galileoscope.org/">Galileoscope</a>, which is an inexpensive, but optically accurate telescope developed by astronomers). I also helped with some of the information on the box (making sure the planets were in the right order), and checked over the handout which comes with Lottie about women in astronomy. I also suggested the company contact <a href="http://www.unawe.org/updates/unawe-update-1532/">UNAWE for links to kids activities</a> (which did work out!).<br />
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I’ve been delighted by the reaction to Lottie Stargazer, since she was <a href="http://www.port.ac.uk/uopnews/2015/03/19/portsmouth-cosmologist-helps-create-pro-girl-stargazer-doll/">released back in March 2015</a> and my own daughter (who is now 8, exactly the age Lottie is supposed to be) is a big fan of her (my son who’s 5 is a bit keener on Finn, but does like Lottie too)!<br />
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I've been hearing rumours for a while that Stargazer Lottie might go into <a href="http://blogs.esa.int/tim-peake/">space with Tim Peake</a>. The company worked with <a href="https://www.esa.int/esaKIDSen/index.html">ESA Kids</a> in some of the promotion of the doll, and this wonderful idea came up a while ago, but was obviously kept well under wraps until it was decided if it could actually happen. So I was super excited when I found out it was going to work out, and <a href="http://www.port.ac.uk/uopnews/2015/12/15/stargazing-doll-travels-to-space/">Stargazer Lottie is now on the ISS with Tim Peake and his crewmates</a>.<br />
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You should watch this adorable video about the little girl, Abigail, who first suggested to Arklu that there should be a Stargazer Lottie.<br />
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I also love this series of photos of Lottie on the ISS that ESA have made. Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/lottie_dolls">@lottie_dolls on Twitter</a> for more.<br />
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Many congratulations to Lucie and her colleagues at Arklu for making this happen, and providing this inspirational doll to little girls everywhere. I'm really proud of the tiny contributions I've made to this project.<br />
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Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-26958385420301739482015-10-22T09:15:00.000+01:002015-10-22T09:15:19.441+01:00Brighton Cafe ScientifiqueI spoke at Brighton Cafe Sci last night. Making this post mostly to keep a record of the <a href="http://www.meetup.com/Brighton-Cafe-Scientifique/events/225339663/">link to the page about my talk</a>, which has some feedback (as below).<br />
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<br />Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-55119176267166582302015-10-21T11:44:00.001+01:002015-10-21T11:44:13.065+01:00Opening Doors - Gender in EducationYesterday I attended the <a href="https://www.eventsforce.net/iop/frontend/reg/thome.csp?pageID=381182&eventID=771&traceRedir=2&eventID=771">Opening Doors Conference</a>, run by the Institute of Physics. Here are some of my notes on the conference. One headline - the plan is that this will be the first of an annual series of conferences, and I would certainly encourage people to attend in the future as it was a very interesting day. <br /><br />The main theme of the conference was opening up gender non-conforming opportunities to post-16 children (e.g. girls doing traditionally "male" subjects as well as boys doing traditionally "female" subjects). The Institute of Physics have just published a report "Opening Doors" (<a href="http://www.iop.org/education/teacher/support/girls_physics/opening-doors/page_63803.html">download here</a>) which follows a series of reports on the status of physics education at post-16 in the UK. <br /><br /> Peter Main from the Institute of Physics kicked off the programming presenting the new report and the background research which led to it. He motivated this by pointing out the different trends seen in Maths and Physics A-level participation since 1985. Maths A-level has had a monotonic increase from 30% of the cohort being female in 1985 to 40% today, while Physics A-level has remained at around the 20% female mark across 30 years of tracking (actually 22% of Physics students were female in 1985 and 21% in 2015). <br /><br />This trend promoted IoP to recognise that doing the "usual stuff" clearly wasn't working and do a survey in 2012 of girls attitudes to Physics ("<a href="http://www.iop.org/education/teacher/support/girls_physics/different/page_61620.html">It's Different for Girls</a>"). This revealed that school culture seemed to play a big part in participation choices - in fact girls out perform boys at both GCSE and A-level physics (on average), so it's not anything to do with ability to do the subjects. But there are big differences in participation of girls in physics between schools (with single sex and independent schools tending to have a lot more girls continuing from GCSE to A-level than state schools). <br /><br />This lead the IoP to work on a broader study of A-level Choices across a range of subjects demonstrating different gender balance (<a href="http://www.iop.org/education/teacher/support/girls_physics/closing-doors/page_62076.html">"Closing Doors"</a>, published in December 2013). The subjects they chose to investigate were Physics (roughly 20% girls), Economics (30% girls), Maths (40% girls), Biology (55% girls), English (70% girls) and Psychology (70% girls). The study looked at the progression from GCSE to A-level across a wide range of schools in the UK, and demonstrated that 81% of schools either maintain or worsen gender stereotypes at this transition point. <br /><br />Perhaps unsurprisingly, schools which do better at balancing gender in all subjects, also do better at balancing gender in Physics (this seems obvious once you recognize there's a fixed pool of students, so relatively more girls in physics mean relatively fewer girls elsewhere in more "female" subjects - evening out the gender balance more broadly than just in physics).<br /><br />The new "Opening Doors" report is the follow on from this, based on site visits to 10 schools. Interestingly, 3 of the schools are in the Portsmouth area (Bay House in Gosport, Cams Hill in Fareham and Oaklands in Waterlooville). The report lists best practice and suggestions for how schools can improve progression from GCSE to A-levels in gender non-conforming subjects (ie. girls doing physics, boys doing English) including zero tolerance on sexist language (no matter how "harmless"), senior leadership being committed to gender equality, using the school environment to promote gender equality, and making sure that physics and maths are not presented as more difficult than other subjects. <br /><br /> There was a discussion of the poor state of careers advice in schools, that parents, teachers and students need support to understand what a Physics A-level can lead to. This also led to comments that the gendered views of parents should be challenged. <br /><br /> There was a comment that one-off visits from role models don't work - only sustained programmes can make a difference. <br /><br /> Finally the IoP is considering initiating an Athena SWAN like programme for schools to recognise those with good gender equality practices. <br /><br /> We then had a series of three lectures from specialists in gender differences and the links to education. These were from Prof. Louise Archer (Kings College, London) with a sociological perspective, Dr Stephanie Burnett Heyes (Birmingham) talking about what's known about gender differences and the brain, and Dr. Gijsbert Stoet (Glasgow) on the psychology of choices and how this related to gender imbalance in education. <br /><br /> I was very impressed with the first two of these talks, less so with the third (see below). <br /><br /> Prof. Archer talked about the social construction of physics as a masculine subject, and how that fits into peoples individual perceptions of who they are. She showed <a href="http://www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/departments/education/research/aspires/index.aspx">ASPIRES research</a> demonstrating there's no lack of interest in science subject, or any sense that they are not important, just that few girls aspire to be scientists.<br /><br /> Prof. Archer also addressed the typical profile of British girls who do choose physics (they tend on average to be "proud to be different", competitive, academically competent, encouraged by their family, and come from supportive schools), and the challenges they face to deal with the social pressure against their subject choice (e.g. the often constant need to defend it to friends and family and strangers). Dr Archer suggested we need to put less emphasis on changing girls to fit into physics, and think more about changing the culture of physics to be more welcoming to girls. <br /><br /> Dr. Burnett Heyes (Birmingham Neuroscientist) demonstrated fairly conclusively that there almost no evidence of significant differences in the brains of men and women (particularly pointing out that the range of results within each gender is much larger than any difference between average properties of gender in almost every study), and also that even if differences are seen that is hard to interpret. This was a really fascinating talk about neuroscience, although it was hard to draw any general conclusions from it. <br /><br /> Dr. Stoet I thought spent too much time presenting his own views in the subject, and not enough on an overview of the state of his field. He initiated some significant discussion, partly because as a lot of what he presented contradicted the previous two talks, what many in the room had previously experience of (and even at times his own slides from earlier in the talk). He appeared to want to argue that differences in the gender make-up of different subjects are innate, based mostly on biologically pre-programmed interest in certain topics (this contradicted the research Prof. Archer had shown demonstrating it's not a lack of interest in science which is turning off girls) and therefore was not worth challenging. In fact he was <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10961555/Give-up-on-gender-equality-in-the-sciences-at-school.html">quoted in the Telegraph saying as much in July 2014</a>. <br /><br /> The panel discussion following these three talks was quite lively as you might imagine. Specific conclusions seemed to be: <br /><br />* we need to work with families of primary school age children to help both parents and children understand that science is for everyone, that studying science is important even if you don't want to be a scientist. <br />* children in the UK are pushed to narrow subject choices too early (when they perhaps are not mature enough to understand the significance). There were quite a lot of calls to scrap triple science/double science choice at GCSE, broaden/change A-levels to be less focused. <br />* We should worry about the future choices of boys in a changing world. Part of this re-balancing needs to consider how we can make traditionally female roles be more attractive to boys (e.g more male nursery and primary school teachers, more male carers etc). <br /><br /> I'm not quite sure what the take home should be for work to improve the gender balance of students studying Physics at undergraduate level, except that I was rather struck by Prof. Archers comments on the resources girls who study physics have to expend to defend their choice to be female physicists. I was also stuck by her finding that girls who choose physics tend to be academically very strong. I'm now curious look into the gender make up of A-level students with different results in Physics, and wonder about the impact that has on the make up of those continuing to study physics beyond A-level. <br />Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-67851047826984837642015-10-21T11:37:00.003+01:002015-10-21T11:37:59.741+01:00Ada Lovelace Day 2015 - More Passion for Science This year for Ada Lovelace Day I'm delighted to announce that my essay on Mary Somerville, now titled "Mary Somerville and the Mechanism of the Heaven's" has finally been published, as part of a new eBook, "<a href="http://findingada.com/book/more-passion-for-science-journeys-into-the-unknown/">More Passion for Science: Journeys into the Unknown</a>", edited by Suw Charman-Anderson. It's available for <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B016IPLS4M">£1.99 (in support of the work of Finding Ada) from Amazon</a>.<br />
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I also wrote an accompanying <a href="https://www.digital-science.com/blog/guest/mary-somerville-and-the-mechanism-of-the-heavens-mystemrolemodel/">blog post for the Digital Science Blog</a> talking about why I picked Mary Somerville to write about. <br /><br />I was delighted to attend Ada Lovelace Day Live in London and enjoy the science cabaret. I'm completely biased, but I thought Jen Gupta's set on astronomical spectroscopy and Margaret Huggins was the best. For more on that see this ICG News Item: <a href="http://www.icg.port.ac.uk/2015/10/icg-celebrates-ada-lovelace-day-2015/">ICG Celebrates Ada Lovelace Day 2015</a>.<br /><br />Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-31653828124055117512015-10-19T09:14:00.003+01:002015-10-19T09:14:52.897+01:00Women and Scientific InnovationOn Friday 2nd October, I was a guest panelist for an event hosted by the Mulberry School for Girls. More than 100 secondary school girls participated in a day of discussion on the theme of women in science, technology and finance. I participated in the third and final panel discussion of the day on the topic of innovation. The panel was Chaired by Kirsten Bodley, CEO of STEMNET UK, and the other panelists were Dr Dominique Allwood, a medical Doctor and Expert in Public Health and Miranda Lowe, Senior Curator at the Natural History Museum. <br />
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We were given the questions to think about in advance and here are my notes made in preparation. <br />
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<i>What is innovation? </i><br />
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I think of innovation as new solutions to old problems. It's looking at the world in a different way. It's something where having a diverse group of people is really important - we need a diversity of perceptions and life experience to develop the best innovative solutions. <i> </i><br />
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<i>Is it true that women working in science face more obstacles to success than men - and if so, what are these obstacles, how did they come to exist, and what can we do to tackle them? </i><br />
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I think this can be true, but actually a lot of the obstacles may be internal. Or at least internalised messages of who scientists are and what makes a good scientist which are ubiquitous in our culture and which children (girls and boys) pick up before they're even in secondary school.<br />
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Once women have made a choice to be scientists or study science there's little evidence any more of the kind of deliberate obstacles that were common even 50 years ago. But it really has only been a short time that that is true. In fact women on average slightly out perform men in some metrics - the hypothesis is that that is because as a group they have already self selected to be only the best, most committed scientists. While men with relatively weak ability in science might still decide to try, that's not as true of women.<br />
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<i>Do female scientists work differently to male scientists? </i><br />
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I'm not a fan of that kind of generalisation. People are different from each other - some are more collaborative, some prefer to work alone. Some have bigger egos than others. We need a diversity of people to get the full benefit of scientific progress.<br />
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There may be a slight trend for men and women to prefer different ways of working, but I'm not aware of a study which looked specifically at women scientists compared to male scientists, instead of men and women in general. Women who currently decide to be scientists, against societal expectations may be different to women in general….<br />
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<i>What should the priorities be for scientific research in today's world?</i><br />
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We see a lot of emphasis these days coming from the government and funding agency to encourage scientists to do research which has immediate and obvious economic impact. This sounds like a great idea, and I can also see the viewpoint that we should be researching the big problems facing the modern world - clean energy, global warming, the cure for cancer etc. The problem that I see though is that research in it's nature isn't linear. You don't know where you're going before you get there. <br />
Take my field of astronomy and the impact it's had on smart phones. Without astronomers and astronomical research, which at the time it was happening seemed very obscure, even "pie in the sky", your smart phone would be very different. Astronomers improved CCD technology to take better images of the night sky - now those improvements help a CCD chip fit in your phone so you can take selfless. Astronomers developed algorithms to disentangle multiple radio signals - now in your phone heaping to make your wifi work. Astronomers noticed that the theory of gravity which works so well on Earth is subtly wrong in some places (e.g. the obit of Mercury) - leading to the development of general relativity. You might not know this, but your phone uses general relatively to work out where it (and you) are from the GPS satellite signals. Without those corrections it'd quickly be metres off and you couldn't use your phone to find your way.<br />
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None of that was targeted research aimed at finding those solutions, which is why I think it's so important to fund research which might seem useless today.<br />
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<i>How can we encourage more girls to take science-related degree subjects, and pursue careers in scientific innovation?</i><br />
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I'm often asked this, and as a former girl who did choose to study science I wonder if I'm the right person to come up with an answer. Shouldn't this be asked of those who didn't chose it? I chose physics because I found it fascinating, and I wanted to study the stars. I also have always enjoyed surprising people and going against societal expectations.<br />
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My colleague Prof. Averil MacDonald, the lead of Diversity for the South East Physics Network (which Portsmouth is part of), points out it's actually not STEM in general which has a problem. Overall more girls choose to study STEM subjects, and they out perform boys in those subjects. It's only physics that fails to attract girls at post-16. In her report for the WISE campaign "Not for People Like Me", Prof. MacDonald argues that effective interventions are helping parents (particularly mothers) understand that their daughters could be happy in a physics or engineering career, and helping young women to understand that STEM subjects (including physics) offer interesting careers for people like them. We can do this by talking more about the diverse range of roles that physicists have, from explorers, to communicators, educators, engineers and entrepreneurs.<br />
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In Portsmouth one thing we're trying is a physics degree with more of an emphasis on applications. The idea is that girls may be more attracted to this as they can learn how to use physics to make a difference. We also recently launched Physics with Astrophysics which is traditionally more popular with girls. And both of these have relatively low entrance requirements - this is a recognition that you don't have to be a genius to study physics, if you a willing to work hard and persevere anyone can do it.<br />
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It was a really interesting event to be part of and I very much enjoyed being a part of it.<br />
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<br />Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-44978285301965228062015-09-29T15:43:00.001+01:002015-09-29T15:43:38.265+01:00My Aurora Journey<a href="http://www.apexwoman.com/my-aurora-journey-dr-karen-masters/">My Aurora Journey</a> - an editorial by me for <a href="http://www.apexwoman.com/">APEX Women</a> (a new outlet for "ambitious women") reflecting on my experiences attending the <a href="http://www.lfhe.ac.uk/en/programmes-events/you/aurora/">Leadership Foundation's Aurora Training</a> in 2014/2015. Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-6645230383372816402015-07-07T19:53:00.003+01:002015-07-07T19:53:56.696+01:00Women of the Future 2015 Nominations now open<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
The Women of the Future Awards are the platform for successful young women in Britain. Now in their tenth year, the awards continue to unearth and recognise the inspirational stars of tomorrow across diverse sectors. I was honoured to win the Science category of this award in 2014, and I am keen to encourage more engagement with the awards from women in STEM. Please feel free to contact me directly (karen.masters@port.ac.uk) if you have any questions/concerns about what these awards are all about. </div>
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I personally view participation with this organisation as a great way to engage in outreach about STEM subjects with women in general. The low numbers of women in science means that we are often in a minority in a group of scientists, but also within a group of women. The young people who attend events organised via the Women of the Future: Ambassadors Programme (at which Award winners and shortlisted candidates are invited) are not seeking out discussion of STEM subjects as careers specifically, so this can be a great way to get outside the group of already engaged. <span style="color: #232323; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And the Women of the Future Network provides the opportunity to network with successful professional women in the UK across all sectors (which is inspiring and interesting, as well as potentially useful). </span></div>
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The Awards are open to all women aged 35 or under (candidates must be aged 35 or under on December 31, 2015) living or working in the United Kingdom (Mentor of the Year and Young Star Awards have different eligibility, see below). </div>
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Award Categories which I think would of Interest to Women in STEM: </div>
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<b>Technology and Digital</b></div>
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This category recognises talented, ground-breaking young women from the worlds of digital and technology.</div>
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<b>Science</b></div>
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This category recognises a group of truly remarkable young female scientists, forging new ground in research and scientific achievement. Within this category, WoF are also seeking nominees with a career in the sciences who can demonstrate a track record of academic excellence in the field of science; and are showing signs of success in pushing through scientific developments to commercial application.</div>
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<b>Mentor of the Year</b></div>
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This award, recognises active mentors behind the success of younger women in British life. Many successful women pay tribute to role models and supporters who have enabled them to flourish in business, professional life, science or whatever their chosen field. This award pays tribute to some of the most influential and unsung heroes and heroines in British life.</div>
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The award is open to <b>men and women of all ages</b>.</div>
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<b>Young Star</b></div>
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This award acknowledges high achievers aged 16-21. It is for teenage girls showing exceptional promise within their industry, university or school.</div>
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<b>Entry deadline September 4th 2015</b></div>
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<b>Judging Day (central London): September 25th 2015</b></div>
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<b>Awards Night (London Hilton on Park Lane): 27th October 2015</b></div>
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There are two ways to nominate (self nominations are welcome): </div>
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1. Complete the application form (<a href="https://womenofthefuture.wufoo.eu/forms/women-of-the-future-2015-nomination-form/">https://womenofthefuture.wufoo.eu/forms/women-of-the-future-2015-nomination-form/</a>) - self nominations are welcomed.</div>
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2. Email candidate suggestions to info@womenofthefuture.co.uk (they will then be contacted and invited to fill in the application form). </div>
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For more details: <a href="http://awards.womenofthefuture.co.uk/">http://awards.womenofthefuture.co.uk</a>, or contact me at karen.masters@port.ac.uk. </div>
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Please pass this message on to any Women in STEM groups you are part of. </div>
Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-46294027567980550412015-02-20T10:43:00.002+00:002015-02-20T10:43:47.073+00:00What does a "Women of the Future" do? Back in October last year I was honoured to win the <a href="http://womenofthefuture.co.uk/awards/">Women of the Future</a> 2014 Award for Science.<br />
<a href="http://womenofthefuture.co.uk/">Women of the Future</a> is an organisation which aims to provide a platform, and inspiration for young women in Britain. As well as the Women of the Future Awards they run a Asian Women of Achievment Award, a Women of the Future Network (to which all shortlisted and winning candidates belong from the now 10 years this has been running) and a Women of the Future Ambassadors Programme (connecting sixth formers with the award winning women).<br />
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I was delighted to win the award, obviously on a personal level, but also I hope because of how I can use the opportunities it gives me to talk about science as an excellent career choice for any young person. Since I won the award people often ask me what I get from it….. well - the quickest answer is that I got a shiny metallic monolith to put in my office:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing off the shiny award, right after I won in October 2014!</td></tr>
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But much more importantly, I also get lots of opportunities and invitations, and I get to meet lots of other amazing young women at all of them! <div>
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My first opportunity in many ways was the acceptance speech I gave in front of the ~400 amazing women and supporters at the gala award ceremony. I tried to speak about the importance of science being seen as an important thing for women to do - that a female scientist is a minority not only in an average group of scientists, but also an average group of women, and that it's important we see science as part of our culture (for both women and men). <div>
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The opportunities keep rolling in…. A couple of weeks ago, coincidently on two consecutive days I got invited with other "Women of the Future" to attend the Open of the London Stock Exchange, and to have tea with the Speaker of the House of Commons. </div>
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Getting to London for the opening of the stock exchange meant a very early (and snowy) morning start from Portsmouth, but it was worth it to arrive (still in the semi dark you note) and see the Women of the Future logo on full display. </div>
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The branding was very evidence inside too for the short (and very dramatic) ceremony. </div>
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The was followed by speeches from the CEO of the London Stock Exchange, who took the opportunity to announce the launch of their own "Women's Network", and the commitment they have to equality and diversity. </div>
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Then we had an unabashedly feminist speech from The Right Honorable Andrea Leadson, MP, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_Secretary_to_the_Treasury">Economic Secretary to the Treasury</a> (who actually opened the stock exchange this morning - we just all watched). </div>
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More branding, and then me with it to prove I was there I guess! </div>
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See if you can spot my ear in the official picture! </div>
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Then the next day it was back to London (albeit at a more respectable hour) to visit Speakers House for a tea to be attended by the Speaker of the House of Commons (The Right Honourable John Bercow). </div>
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The Speakers House is in the medieval part of the Palace of Westminster - it's obviously a stunning building, and full of UK history.</div>
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We got served very nice tea, and then waited quite a long time while the Speaker was delayed in Parliament. This was actually great as it gave us tons of time to network with all the other women in the group.<br />
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Oddly one of the rooms we had access to had this giant four poster bed in it. </div>
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Pinky Liliani took this picture of me enjoying tea with one of the shortlisted candidates from the Technolog<span style="font-family: inherit;">y Category (<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;">Jo York, Co-founder, <a href="http://reframed.tv/">Reframed.tv</a></span>, a video tagging service<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;">)</span></span></div>
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Pinky then tweeted the picture, so I got a bit meta and tweeted a picture of her tweeting. </div>
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The Speaker arrived, and was very apologetic about the delay, and then gave a speech were he called me out by name (he had handed me my award at the ceremony). </div>
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We had a group shot, and then some more networking time. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's a shot on the way out - again with Jo York, and also FenFen Huang (shortlisted for Arts and Culture, and <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;">Director of <a href="http://www.china-pearl.co.uk/">China Pearl</a> - a company offering Chinese cultural experiences in the UK). </span></span></div>
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More shots on the way out - it was really an amazing location to be invited too.<br />
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The next event is even more important in my view - March 16th is the networking evening with sixth formers from across London.<br />
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Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-48128899148031934902015-01-29T09:29:00.003+00:002015-01-29T09:29:59.396+00:00Visiting My Old SchoolLast week I did a school visit that I hope might have a bit more impact that the average. I spent the day visit my old school in Coleshill, North Warwickshire (near Birmingham). I took my "Rainbow View of Andromeda" short talk, an IR camera (always fun) and templates to make CD spectroscopes.<br />
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Here's the <a href="http://www.thecoleshillschool.org.uk/Stop-Scientist-Visits-The-Coleshill-School">report the school did</a>.<br />
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<br />Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719106859199422273.post-29189039178504032762014-12-05T16:10:00.000+00:002014-12-19T11:47:35.298+00:00Who Asks Questions at Research Talks in the UK Astronomy Community? This past summer I was on the Local Organising Committee for the UK National Astronomy Meeting, held in Portsmouth.<br />
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In the run up to that I heard about this interesting project lead by James Davenport, tracking the <a href="http://www.ifweassume.com/2014/03/report-gender-in-aas-talks.html">gender of astronomers who asked questions at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Jan 2014</a>.<br />
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I ended up discussing this via a Twitter conversation with Jonathan Pritchard (<a href="http://www.twitter.com/jr_pritchard">@jr_pritchard</a>) and we decided running the same experiment at NAM would be really interesting. After getting permission from the LOC, RAS and some help from James Davenport setting up the data collection web form we were ready to go.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.nam2014.org/science-programme/hack-day/">first ever NAM Hack Day</a> gave the project a kick start and collected some other co-authors. I'm delighted to be able to say that the results it was <a href="http://astrogeo.oxfordjournals.org/content/55/6/6.8.full">published in A&G this month</a> (<strike>we plan to get it on the arxiv soon, and for now you can download the pdf here </strike> <a href="http://arxiv.org/abs/1412.4571">download from the arxiv</a> here).<br />
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As you'll see we got a great response to the call for data collection at NAM - we were able to collect data on questions asked in about 70% of the talks at the conference which was absolutely fantastic.<br />
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We did find a clear gender difference in the rate of asking questions, and below I reproduce my favourite plot from the paper, showing how particularly in the first question, men were much more likely to ask, but by the fourth question the questions came from men and women in proportion to their representation at the conference.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemkfrKif6kgQIlmwe5wkt8eutSVG6mlvCkcm-W7VOZqfPNg6cAgzuS4Wiv7gM6NbINJH0qkgwU3LNujBnd-SEL4TKuRDtWfg4kSh-wmJWrEe8otzta6OwoMLqa5FmW95Uf8K5DKCutrA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-12-05+at+16.01.58.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemkfrKif6kgQIlmwe5wkt8eutSVG6mlvCkcm-W7VOZqfPNg6cAgzuS4Wiv7gM6NbINJH0qkgwU3LNujBnd-SEL4TKuRDtWfg4kSh-wmJWrEe8otzta6OwoMLqa5FmW95Uf8K5DKCutrA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-12-05+at+16.01.58.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plot from <a href="http://astrogeo.oxfordjournals.org/content/55/6/6.8.full">Pritchard et al.</a> 2014, A&G</td></tr>
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When you read the report you'll see we found similarities, but also subtle differences with the results from the AAS (allowing us to quote Winston Churchill "we are two nations divided by a common language").<br />
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I also really enjoyed the research we did placing out result in the context of wider social science research into the psychology of asking questions, and also that we decided to end with a set of concrete suggestions to help improve the gender balance of those asking questions at astronomy conferences.<br />
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Our suggestions were:<br />
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<li><span style="color: #231f20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Younger scientists should be explicitly encouraged to ask questions (i.e. this should be stated
in introductory remarks by the chair), and
favoured if there is a choice of questioners.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #231f20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If there is a choice between male and female
questioners for the first question, a question
from a woman should be given priority.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #231f20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Questioners should be asked to identify themselves by name.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #231f20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If possible, Q&A sessions should not be cut
short before at least four questions have been
asked (if they need to be ended early). To enable
this, session organizers should schedule enough
time for questions and speakers should not be
allowed to run over time. </span></span></li>
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In my view we also implicitly leave an action for male astronomers - especially those who typically ask a lot of questions, and ask those questions early. Perhaps if they were willing to give just a small pause - a wait to see if others might have questions before jumping in, they could help open up the scientific debate in our community to be representative of those within it…..<br />
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<br />Karen Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941003369342300418noreply@blogger.com0