Space historian Andrew Chaikin sat down with planetary scientist Carolyn Porco, and she discusses how her career has ended up focusing on the Saturn system. I love how Porco relates how even she has been “blown away” by some of the imagery sent back by the missions — just like the rest of us! — saying she’s had to call members of her team several times to verify she wasn’t looking at computer simulations vs. real images.
Enjoy this candid interview of one of the leading planetary scientists of our day.
Wow, what a lucky person she is!! Brought tears to my eyes several times… 😉
I used to take Planetary Science classes – and some honor’s colloquiums – at the University of Arizona in the mid-90’s – and most of those classes were in the Kuiper Building/LPL (Lunar & Planetary Lab) – and was also in UofA/SEDS (Students for the Exploration and Development of Space – who’s then-tiny office was at the time housed in the basement of the LPL.) – and I saw Carolyn Porco around a *lot* – and I wish I had been brave enough to talk to her (many of the professors were much more approachable – and even *liked* to be approached – than student fears and lores lead on about….)
(And I hope that this doesn’t come off ass *too* blatantly sexist – but a lot of the younger males found her kinda attractive. Pretty and smart are a great combo, IMHO.)
Another great guy (now long moved on) was Dr. Eugene Levey (NOT the comet Levey – but her was *also* around and kept an open office…)