After my research and emailing of different scientists. I have finally found a scientists that responded to my email and interview questions her name is Michelle Thaller who is an Astronomer Scientist. The reason I have selected her during my research is because the science she studied seemed to be very interesting and I wanted to know what was like to work in her field of work. And during reading her responses to the interview questions I have learned more about her and her field of work. During this post so will you !!!!!!!!
1- What are your hobbies?
As you saw on the NOVA website, I love to study history, historical clothes, and dance. I've performed at Renaissance Faires and museums. I also do a lot of art; I like to paint watercolors and I also take ceramics classes at a local college. I'm getting fairly good at throwing pots on the wheel. I collect Japanese antiques, mostly antique dolls. I'm a member of a kayaking club, and I like to hike and swim. I also try to travel as much as I can. I love exploring new places. Food is certainly another hobby of mine. I enjoy cooking, and I also love trying out new restaurants.
2-Why did you pick this career?
I've been interested in astronomy since I was a very small child. I honestly can not remember a time when I wasn't fascinated by space and space exploration. My Mom says that pretty much as soon as I learned to walk, I was asking to go outside to see the stars at night. She could never figure out why I was so interested in little lights in the sky; it must have been something intrinsic to my mind. I've just always loved astronomy. As I got older, I watched my Dad teach –he was a professor at a small college in Wisconsin (Carroll College), and I thought I might like to do that. I went to Space Camp when I was 13, and wondered if I'd like to be an astronaut (I turned out to be afraid of flying –not great for an astronaut!). In the end, there were many factors that helped me settle on this particular job. I wanted a job involving astronomy that paid fairly well (that pretty much killed the idea of going into teaching), offered a chance to travel, was not terribly stressful, let me work with interesting, happy people, and gave me some flexibility with my schedule. Working at NASA was a great fit for all those things.
3- Who inspired you to pursue your career?
Both my parents were very supportive of me, although they didn't specifically push me to go into science. I just got the idea from each of them that education and curiosity were very important, and as long as I was following my interests (as well as being financially independent), they would be proud of me no matter what. When I expressed an interest in astronomy, my Dad would take me to planetariums and science museums to learn more. My Mom would take me to concerts and art shows. I got exposed to a lot of wonderful, weird, ideas. While I really loved many of my teachers, no one stands out as a huge influence for me. Someone, I was often ignored in my science classes.
I was also inspired by a man named Carl Sagan, who was a famous public spokesperson for science and had a show about astronomy called Cosmos that aired in 1980 (I was ten at that time). I LOVED the TV show and watched it over and over again. Carl Sagan was a very appealing figure to me –so full of eloquence, reason, and wonder. He became the idea of what a scientist is to me.
4- Would you recommended your career to someone else?
Absolutely. It's given me a very rewarding life. Even if science is not your main interest, the whole career of academic study is very appealing to me. I need a life where I'm constantly learning new things. It's also a way to make a good salary without working too hard. I certainly work hard, but I also have a balanced life of work, family, and hobbies.
5- What college did you attend?
I went to Harvard University for my undergraduate degree (bachelor of arts, 1993), and then to Georgia State University for my doctorate (1998). I then went to the California Institute of Technology for a "postdoctoral research fellowship."
6- Is there any advice that you have for someone who is interested in you field of work?
I guess you'd have to narrow down that question. Advice about what? For what part of your career? For a high-school age student thinking about studying science, I would say the following:
Obviously, take all the math and science classes you can in high school, but also pay a lot of attention to writing and public speaking. I joined the debate club in high school, which was extremely useful in later life. So much of science involved writing proposals and trying to win money for your projects. The ability to write a well-organized argument as to why you should win money or time on a telescope is the real core of a career in science. I've also found it useful to speak other languages. I've used Spanish and German in my science career, and I wish I knew more French. In the future, Chinese will be very useful as well.
7- Were there other things you were interested in studying?
I was tempted to study "folklore and mythology" in college. I love the study of cultural myths and religions. I was also briefly interested in studying law.
8- What do you enjoy most about being a scientist?
I love the fact that you're never done learning. Just today, before I sat down to answer these questions, I was at a seminar in our building about the more recent observations of Saturn. We were using a spacecraft called Cassini to take pictures of giant storms that were forming in the atmosphere of Saturn and trying to find out what that told us about how Saturn's atmosphere works. There is always something wonderful to learn. I find my colleagues to be enthusiastic, passionate people. While we make a comfortable living, none of us is going to get rich doing science. We do it because we love it, and that 's what's makes the best jobs of all.
9- What do you enjoy least?
NASA is a huge organization and there are LOT of long, boring meetings where you have to get people to agree on things or just report what's going on. Boredom management is very important in this line of work. Sometimes I rip my fingernails just to feel some pain to keep myself sane in these meetings. They can go on for days sometimes.
10- How does your field of work impact your life outside of work?
You tend to make friends with (and marry) people you meet at work, and I'm no exception to that. I spend a lot of time with other scientists outside of work, and my husband is also an astronomer. We talk about the latest discoveries over dinner, and I enjoy having a husband that really relates to what I do. Being a scientist changes the way you do almost everything. You're trained to solve problems, be creative, even be a bit antiauthoritarian. Everything I do is influenced by this training. You're also trained to be aggressive and try to win arguments. My husband and I almost never argue, but with some friends, I feel I can get too argumentative if I'm not paying attention to that. I always want to run in and solve problems, and some people can find that pushy.
11- What challenges did you face during the process of your career?
I also seem to be battling a lack of confidence. I just don't feel very smart from the inside. This can really get in your way. Sometimes I don't speak up in meetings, or push to get recognition I might deserve. All through my education, I was sure I was going to fail. I was too scared in classes to ask questions, and I always felt so lost. Some of that had to do with where I came from. I was from a relatively small town in Wisconsin, and our school didn't have very many advanced classes in math or science. When I got to Harvard, most of the other students in the physics classes were way ahead of me. I felt so stupid! Now I know I wasn't stupid –I was unprepared and should have asked for more help. But I was too embarrassed to do that. Almost all of the challenges I faced seemed to be internal. I don't feel that I was discriminated against by being a woman, and I can't really think of any examples of being treated unfairly. Your own internal confidence really determines how far you get in life.
12- Are there any surprising details about you that your co - workers don't know about you?
A lot of people are surprised when I admit how I lack confidence. They don't see that in me, and I'm honestly pretty good at faking it. But things are also getting better with that. I've got more experience under my belt, and am beginning to feel that maybe I'm not an idiot.
13- What are your long term goals in life?
A happy marriage was a huge priority of mine. I have that and I'll do anything to preserve that. As much as I love kids, I couldn't quite figure out how to fit them into my life. I made a deliberate decision not to have kids, but that was not easy. I will also make sure that my parents are well cared-for as they get old. I live far away from them now, and I plan to move closer to them if they need help. And also, in a very deliberate way, I plan to be happy. If I'm in a job or relationship that after many years I find is making me happy, I have to change that. Happiness just doesn't happen. You work and plan for it like any other goal. I know the stress level I can take, I understand how much I need a close relationship with my family, I know what I need to help myself be happy: curiosity, silliness, hard work, usefulness, kindness, some power over my life. And a new costume every now and then.
14- What was the last book you read?
I'm reading a few books right now – I usually have a few going at any given time. I'm reading a wonderful biography of John Adams, our second President, I'm also re-reading some of my favorite fantasy novels by Terry Prachett (wizards and witches, that sort of thing), and I just finished the Limpopo Academy of Private Detection, which is part of a mystery series set in modern-day Botswana.
15- What is your most interesting experience in your field of work?
The travel has been amazing. I've been all over the world, to places that I never thought I'd go. I've spent lots of time in Australia, and walking home in the dawn after a night's observing at the telescopes was magical! All the kangaroos would watch me go by, and the whole place smelled of Eucalyptus. I've been to the Great Pyramids and the Valley of Kings tombs. My work has taken me to places like Russian, the Canary Islands, Paris, Quebec, Arizona, New York. And so many more places I can't even name them all. And I didn't have to pay a penny out of my own pocket for those trips!
16- What was favorite thing about college?
Learning to be on your own is really exciting. As much as I love my family, being away from them was a wonderful adventure! All of a sudden, you're setting your own schedule, buying your own food and clothes, deciding who to be friends with. Of course, there's also being sick with no one to go to the drug store for you or cook you a nice meal, and feeling lost in a new place too. But I loved the feeling of being responsible for myself and having power over how my life went.
17- How did you enjoy your experience on the National Geographic Channel?
I've filmed TV shows with many different channels, Nat Geo, the History Channel, the Discovery Channel, BBC, NOVA (public television). Film shoots are always fun, but really exhausting! A film crew is usually in a given location for only one day, so you have to use every hour you can to get all the shots, do many different takes of the same scene, get to different locations, etc. A film shoot usually means me flying across country and checking into a fairly cheap hotel, then meeting the crew very early the next morning. We work all day, then I fly home the very next day. We usually don't even break for meals. They just run and get me a sandwich that I eat quickly between filming scenes. It's really fun –they always treat you well and try to make you feel very confident. They give me lots of compliments, but I also know that's their job.
18- How do you balance your public education and astronomical research?
I don't –I gave up on that. For a while, I was doing both astronomical research and public outreach, but I started to get way too exhausted. Remember my earlier comments about knowing how much stress you can take? That was too much stress. I even went on antidepressant medication for a while trying to deal with it all. Then I had to be honest with myself and realize that I couldn't' do everything I wanted to. So I decided to leave the research behind and take a full-time position in public outreach. I certainly think it was the best decisions, but it's not that I don't regret it from time to time.
19- Name some of your favorite movies?
Local Hero
The Star Wars and Star Trek series (at least some of them)
The Sound of Music
Rashomon
The Princess Bride
The Lord of the Rings
Night at the Museum
The Fifth Element
20 - What was were favorite sport ?
I was never very good at sports, and I didn't compete much. I probably enjoyed swimming most of all. I played on the school basketball team through middle school, and I also played some field hockey in early high school. As far as watching sports, I'm a football fan. I'm from Wisconsin, so I tend to support the Green Bay Packers.
In conclusion I am very inspired by the things that I learned from this person and from doing research on other scientists as well. But I mostly appreciate the time that Michelle Thaller has offered to respond to my email and interview questions as well. I also learned to never give up and always persue your dreams. But mainly learned stated from Michelle Thaller "Your own internal confidence really determines how far you get in life". I agree with her because sometimes in life people make themselves their own worst enemy and thats not good because thsat will follow them every where they go and everything they do.
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