First up, do you have a telescope?
I do! An 8-inch [20-centimetre] reflector, but I鈥檝e had it for over a decade and it needs a good clean.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
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A vet, then a chef, then finally an astronomer.
Explain what you do in one easy paragraph.
I study how we can use machine learning to find and classify galaxies in large imaging surveys, and how we can apply the same algorithms to industry, like in SONAR imaging or aerial photography.
What does a typical day involve?
Usually a lot of coding and reading. A big focus right now is trying to extract individual galaxy images from the Abell Clusters, using data from the . I am using a machine-learning technique that relies on unsupervised learning, which means it isn鈥檛 using any training data. This involves a lot of fine-tuning of code parameters and input data.
What do you love most about what you do? And what鈥檚 the worst part?
I love talking to people about science. This year, I got to present at the in London, where I spoke about my research to a room full of LGBT+ scientists. The worst part is probably waiting for code to run: I have simulations that can take days to finish.
Sum up your life in a one-sentence elevator pitch鈥�
Queer scientist, internet denizen, cosmic babe and doer of many things.
What鈥檚 the most exciting thing you鈥檙e working on right now?
This week at the National Astronomy Meeting at Lancaster University, I gave a . I was excited to talk about how people can use their influence in society to further equality and diversity.
Were you good at science at school?
I was! It was always my favourite subject, but I was also really into drama and media studies.
If you could send a message back to yourself as a kid, what would you say?
鈥淕irl, you have no idea what is coming, and yes I called you girl.鈥�
What鈥檚 the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you?
Be recklessly optimistic.
If you could have a long conversation with any scientist, living or dead, who would it be?
Ada Lovelace. She led such an interesting life, and I would be very into what she has to say about modern computing.
Do you have an unusual hobby, and if so, please will you tell us about it?
I occasionally make chain and scale mail armour. I am hoping to make a full set I can take LARPing (live-action role-playing). I have a set of shoulder guards that took about 50 hours to complete.
What鈥檚 the best thing you鈥檝e read or seen in the past 12 months?
Love, Simon, which is a beautiful film about a teenage boy who explores his sexuality through a pen-pal relationship, and the fallout when he is outed to his school. I watched it on an 11-hour flight after a week-long convention. I cried a lot.
Tell us something that will blow our minds鈥�
Somehow humans managed to build hundreds of monuments that still accurately align with the solar calendar, even after thousands of years.
OK, one last thing: how useful will your skills be after the apocalypse?
I think that depends on the apocalypse, but I don鈥檛 like my chances.
