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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/1420529
MD: Did your appearances on TV and as a TEDx speaker inspire your work on TikTok or was it the other way around? @astrokirsten: I was actually inspired to start TikTok by my boyfriend. During the beginning of 2020 when the COVID pandemic was beginning to shut everything down I wasn’t able to do science communication in the way I used to. I couldn’t speak at public events anymore and I couldn’t go to schools to speak to students! I needed to scratch my scicomm itch. So my boyfriend introduced me to TikTok as a rapidly growing platform and I decided to give it a go, to challenge myself with my science communication and try something new. And I’m so glad that I did! MD: Space is very big (obviously) and telescopes can only see a very small piece of it. Do you have any favorite neighborhoods to explore? @astrokirsten: My favorite parts of space to explore would have to be nebulae, the clouds of dust and gas in galaxies that can mark the birth of stars and the death of stars. The details in these cosmic clouds are mesmerizing, it takes me back to the moment that started it all, watching the Hubble documentary in High School and seeing an image of the Orion Nebula. That’s one of my favorite nebulae! MD: Many of us still hold onto the old Hollywood image of an astronomy peering into the eyepiece of a huge telescope in a freezing mountaintop observatory late at night. When you get to spend time on the powerful Anglo-Australian Telescope what’s it really like? @astrokirsten: Since starting my PhD, I’ve spent 30+ nights using the Anglo-Australian Telescope to collect data for multiple projects and yet, I’ve not physically been to the telescope in all that time! No cold nights on the mountain, instead toasty nights in my dressing gown at my desk at home collecting data remotely. It’s amazing what you can do with an internet connection! MD: Oh yeah, this is a computer magazine. We noticed a Mac or two in the background when you’re at work. What kind of roles do the systems play in your work as both an astrophysicist and an astronomer? @astrokirsten: My Mac laptops play a BIG role in my research. There isn’t a time when I’m not using my laptops for research, whether it’s reading papers or, more importantly, coding. I need a machine that will get the job done and work seamlessly and that’s exactly why I love my Mac machines!