The Life Scientific - Conny Aerts

Discovery

BBC

Science, Technology

4.3 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 21 October 2024

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Many of us have heard of seismology, the study of earthquakes; but what about asteroseismology, focusing on vibrations in stars?

Conny Aerts is a Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Leuven in Belgium - and a champion of this information-rich field of celestial research. Her work has broken new ground in helping to improve our understanding of stars and their structures.

It hasn’t been an easy path: Conny describes herself as always being “something of an outlier” and she had to fight to follow her dream of working in astronomy. But that determination has paid off - today, Conny is involved in numerous interstellar studies collecting data from thousands of stars, and taking asteroseismology to a whole new level.

In an epsiode recorded at the 2024 Cheltenham Science Festival, Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to the pioneering Belgian astrophysicist about her lifelong passion for stars, supporting the next generation of scientists, and her determination to tread her own path.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Before you listen to this BBC podcast I'd like to tell you why I love
0:03.7	podcasting I'm Natasha Aronson I'm an assistant commissioner for the BBC and I work on
0:09.4	making podcasts my real passion is discovering unbelievable unheard stories and working with the biggest
0:16.9	stars who can really bring those stories to life.
0:20.0	I love the whole process of making podcasts from the spark of an idea to hearing the final edit.
0:26.0	There's nothing like it.
0:28.0	What makes BBC podcast special is that we're working for you.
0:31.0	So whatever we commission has to reflect the things that you care
0:34.2	about and love wherever you are in the UK. So if you like this BBC podcast there's so
0:38.9	much more to discover have a listen on BBC sounds.
0:42.0	Hello and welcome to the Life Scientific.
0:45.0	Today I'm at the 2024 Cheltenham Science Festival and more specifically I'm on stage at the
0:51.0	Parabola Arts Centre in front of a very friendly looking audience.
0:55.0	So you might be familiar with seismology, the study of earthquakes.
0:59.0	But what about astro seismology, which looks at vibrations in stars.
1:04.4	Well that's the vast information-rich field of celestial research championed by my guest today.
1:10.6	Connie Arts is professor of astrophysics at the University of Lervyn in Belgium.
1:15.0	Her work has broken new ground helping to improve our understanding of stars and their structures.
1:20.0	It hasn't been an easy path.
1:22.0	Connie describes herself as always being something of an outlier, but being a rebel seems to have paid off.
1:28.0	Today, with the veritable galaxy of awards under her belt,
1:32.0	Connie's involved in
	...

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