S18, Ep9 Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock: one of Britain's foremost space scientists on belonging and the meaning of life

How To Fail With Elizabeth Day

Sony Music

Society & Culture

4.7 • 9.6K Ratings

🗓️ 25 October 2023

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

CW: miscarriage Maggie Aderin Pocock MBE is a space scientist, educator and broadcaster - and quite possibly the first How To Fail guest who has her own Barbie doll. Fascinated with space from an early age, she even built her own telescope as a teenager. Nowadays, she's the co-presenter of the long-running TV programme The Sky at Night, as well as being Chancellor of the University of Leicester and the first Black woman ever to win a gold medal in the Physics News Award. Her achievements are all the more admirable when you consider her upbringing: the child of divorced parents who found herself at the centre of a difficult custody battle, she changed schools 13 times in 14 years and struggled with lessons because of undiagnosed dyslexia. From an early age, she found refuge in the night sky, viewed from the rooftop of her council flat. She joins me to talk about her extraordinary life, as well as her failures in tidiness and punctuality - and what being a mother in her 40s has taught her. Plus: how difficult is it really to build a telescope? -- The Art of Stargazing by Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, is published on 2nd Novemer and is available to order here. -- I'm going on tour! To AUSTRALIA, mate! You can now purchase tickets to see me live at Sydney Opera House on 26th February 2024 or the Arts Centre Melbourne on 28th February 2024. -- How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com -- Social Media: Elizabeth Day @elizabday How To Fail @howtofailpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you by AirBnB.
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0:22.0	This episode is supported by the Great British Bake Off on Channel 4.
0:26.4	The Great British Bake Off is airing right now, and you do not want to miss this week's episode
0:31.0	because it's all to do with botanicals.
0:33.4	By that, I mean herbs and florals, and it's must watch television,
0:37.9	but then every single episode always is.
0:40.0	This week, the bakers faced a sweat-inducing spicy signature.
0:44.9	We saw who was a big deal in the herb-based technical challenge,
0:48.9	and there was a floral dessert show stopper.
0:51.6	You can watch to find out who bloomed and who was a wall flower.
0:56.2	I just love Bake Off.
0:57.2	There's something about the classical music refrain at the start of every episode
1:00.9	that makes me feel like I'm clambering into the television equivalent of a warm bath.
1:06.6	The Great British Bake Off has everything.
1:08.8	It has the camaraderie between the contestants.
1:11.4	It has soggy bottoms.
1:13.2	It has cakes rising.
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	...

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