The Sky at Night presenter on science, school and Star Trek
Born in London in 1968 to Nigerian parents, Maggie Aderin-Pocock is a scientist and presenter of The Sky at Night. She trained as a physicist – graduating from Imperial College London with a PhD in 1994, and working for the Ministry of Defence on landmine detection and missile warning systems. She has since designed a host of space instruments, become the first Black woman to win a gold medal in the Physics News Award and in 2013 took over from Patrick Moore as a co-host of the BBC’s long-running astronomy show. Aderin-Pocock is one of the panellists for the National Trust’s Time + Space Award, a new initiative to give 16- to 25-year-olds the resources to explore ideas.
This was my Nigerian passport photo. I was quite excited to have my picture taken and my sister was, too. We were wearing Ladybird dresses from Woolworths. Mine was green with a collar and hers was red. I remember I was quite envious of hers.
About Author
More Stories
Microsoft unveils chip it says could bring quantum computing within years
If the best defence against AI is more AI, this could be tech’s Oppenheimer moment
Virologist Wendy Barclay: ‘Wild avian viruses are mixing up their genetics all the time. It’s like viral sex on steroids’