Does anyone know an astrophysicist?

Serious question. My daughter wants to become one, but is not 100% sure so it would be nice if she could meet and chat to a proper egghead rather than her Dad who just googles stuff.

As it happens, yes I do 🙂 a few actually, but one who is currently being a scientist at some kind of university of Lancashire in Preston. Would you like me to see if he is interested in helping someone with career choice?

I know a little about their world having known many quite well.

You would be good to speak to anyone working in research in a physical science as the route will be the same. Degree -> MSc -> PD postdoc #1 -> postdoc #2 e.t.c. The specifics of astrophysics will be relatively minor.

Does anyone know an astrophysicist?

No, but I have a mate who is a philosopher – research and lecturer in Hull…

molgrips I would greatly appreciate it if you could ask. She is very bright but a little unsure.

How old is your daughter? Starting point would be A levels in physics and maths (and, ideally, further maths) before doing a physics degree. Specifics for astrophysics would come later.

15 and she has exactly that mapped out.

Has she tried watching TV?

DavidB, is he the chap who lives on a yacht in Preston dock? Martin??? if he is the same, he lectured me and is quite a character. looks like a pirate, i kid you not. We also know two who live in Italy but their work takes them all over the world.

samuri every single bloody episode (I can’t stand it)

Yes. My best friend for many years, spoken twice since he tried to break up my marriage nearly 20 years ago. But he’s at the Cavendish in Cambridge & has a good academic track record. I can pass on his details if you want. I’m sure that he’s respond well if you mention my nickname to him.
😀

(I can’t stand it)

You are dead to me now.

Yes, my partner employs about 6 of them. They all work in oil/ gas exploration.

Moses – all contacts gratefully received..although that one sounds dubious with a young girl?

I know two. My brother in law and his wife. He studied at Cranford then moved to LA to further his career where he met his wife – both work for Northrop Grumond.

Not sure if that helps the OP though …

DavidB – he’d be very helpful towards a young girl, I’m sure.

My (non-bitter) suggestion is to find the nearest biggish university with an astrophysics dept. Look at their website & pick a lecturer. Call them out of the blue! Often you can find someone who has published something newsworthy, on a local if not international scale.
Caveat: I’m a salesman, & I’m used to calling people like that. Many hate it.

DavidB, where abouts In the country are you? I am an example of the other career option – lapsed physicist (not exactly astrophysics, but physics and astronomy).
Loved the subject, but got lured away by more terrestrial technical fields. Happy to talk, and also put your daughter in touch with a friend and colleague who is a female engineer, and STEM ambassador with a passion for encouraging girls into science.
West Country/West Midlands area.

It’s a lot drier than you think, as a kid. We had loads join on our course, expecting it to be all space and wonder, but it’s actually a lot of heavy maths and simulations of star formation etc. It’s very specific, very heavy going, and all rather abstract.

I did normal Physics and I found it much cooler and more varied. At our uni at least the first couple of years you could switch between the two.

dogtiredandwired – we are based in Swindon, Wiltshire but spend a lot of time in Devon as well. Your contact lady sounds perfect!

Have you tried the Institute of Physics? They should be able to find someone who is suitably qualified and used to talking to prospective physicists/astrophysicists. http://www.iop.org

I have a degree in Astrophysics but would be better placed to advise on (or should that be against) a career in IT. In fact of the people I’m still in touch with from my degree most work in IT and none work in Astrophysics 😐

I have a degree in astrophysics – well, physics and astronomy. It is very, very mathematical. I suppose my main warning is that, although it’s a fantastic thing to study, there aren’t all that many jobs going.

Wow I’m in awe of you guys. I got my ass kicked in A Level physics! I love the subject but my brain doesn’t.

I have a degree in Astrophysics but would be better placed to advise on (or should that be against) a career in IT. In fact of the people I’m still in touch with from my degree most work in IT and none work in Astrophysics

My cousin was considering this a while back, I put him in touch with a friend’s brother who finished up well in his class at Oxford, but is now teaching secondary school aged kids after a few years of not being able to find a job which was utilising his degree. His advice was, IIRC, do astrophysics if it interests you, but do something else if you want a degree you can use for a job.

The IoP website should have details of events designed to give an insight into degree courses and local uni will probably have a contact who can give advice.

I know a few astrophysicist’s, I find they fall broadly into two camps.
First there are the incapable nerds, academically brilliant, but largely unable to dress themselves in the morning or tie their own shoelaces.
Second are the nordic death rockers, which is rather self explanatory.

Frankly they all smell a bit funny 😕

a friend’s brother who finished up well in his class at Oxford, but is now teaching secondary school aged kids after a few years of not being able to find a job which was utilising his degree. His advice was, IIRC, do astrophysics if it interests you, but do something else if you want a degree you can use for a job.

A few people from my course are now teachers, primary, secondary and at least one deputy head. I’d agree to do it if it interests you. That was my motivation, as at 18 I didn’t have a clue about my career aspirations (still not sure I do). In hindsight a degree focused on a more specific and widely available career might have been a better choice. But I did enjoy it at the time. Most oppertunities for using the degree with be through continuted university reaseach post / employment.

First there are the incapable nerds, academically brilliant, but largely unable to dress themselves in the morning or tie their own shoelaces.
Second are the nordic death rockers, which is rather self explanatory.

I recognise both those groups from my course. I’m worried I’m not into Nordic death rock 😯

A career as a professional Theoretical Physicist (Cosmology – My PhD supervisor was unfairly denied this year’s Nobel Prize), followed by a switch to Mathematical Biology and now Clinical Pharmacology.

Astrophysics is a very broad subject ranging from instrumentation design through to sitting with a pencil and paper working through a theory. It can take you anywhere from the top of a mountain in Tenerife to a bank in the city. Physics is a superb training.

Email in profile

My girlfriend at uni was studying undergrad astrophysics, following in her brother’s footsteps, who is an astrophysicist who gets to travel to Hawaii and places like that, but she found it just too heavy going and changed course in third year.

A mate from school was also studying astrophysics and he changed to mech engineering after a few years and far preferred that.

Out of the people I knew who did Astro, one is now in research, the others are in normal commercial jobs. They say you can get jobs in the City doing mathematical stuff, but I’ve never seen that happen. And the City isn’t very many people’s cup of tea either to be honest.

I’ve not found Physics to be superb training in the eyes of employers! I’ve only got a decent job because I was also heavily into computers. And not via my course either – the programming component of my degree was useless from a commercial point of view.

And you do get to go to Hawaii or Tenerife, but you do seem to spend the whole time sat on top of a desolate mountain looking at computers, rather than having a great time on a beach.

Molgrips, mathematicians and more mathematical physicists can easily get jobs as financial analysts in the city, earning very big wages. But it rarely happens to enthusiastic scientists.
One of my junior colleagues took that route. Hated it, and now works for my company as an algorithm developer to be more technical and work under less pressure. He is still pretty driven though, which would be what got him the job with Lehmans in the first place.