EP255 Anna O'Grady | McWilliams Postdoctoral Fellow Carnegie Mellon University

Send us Fan MailJoin guest host Tyler Downey as he chats with Dr. Anna O'Grady, astrophysicist at Carnegie Mellon, about her journey from a young space enthusiast in Killbride to researching strange stars and stellar evolution. 🌟From her research on Thorn Jov objects to her current work on yellow super giant binaries, Dr. O'Grady shares fascinating insights into the world of observational astronomy.0:00 - Welcome and introduction to Gale Force Wins Season 50:11 - Tyler Downey guest host introduces Dr. Anna O'Grady0:36 - Anna shares her background and path into astrophysics1:15 - Anna talks about discovering her passion for space in 8th grade2:02 - Discussing her early exposure to astronomy through a book and mentors3:08 - High school science fair projects and introduction to university research4:43 - Anna’s summer research experience at Yale University6:30 - Anna’s experience in third-year physics and meeting Tyler7:04 - Anna’s involvement in the Physics Society at MUN9:09 - Differences between theoretical and observational astronomy10:01 - The importance of instrumentation in astronomy11:00 - Anna explains her research in observational astronomy and data interpretation12:15 - Theory vs. observation in astronomy13:18 - Writing two papers during her PhD, including research on Thorn Jov objects17:10 - Explanation of Thorn Jov objects (a star within a star)19:59 - Anna’s research on a specific star, HV 2112, and the controversy surrounding it23:10 - The discovery of 12 other stars resembling HV 211225:03 - Anna's experience using spectroscopy to analyze stars26:48 - The role of super AGB stars and their relation to Thorn Jov objects30:37 - The results of Anna’s thesis and the new insights about star populations33:10 - The beauty of being wrong in science and its role in advancing knowledge35:11 - Anna’s current work on yellow super giant binaries at Carnegie Mellon37:03 - Anna's thoughts on the value of science and passion in research41:06 - Closing message on following passions and the importance of diverse scientific fields42:13 - Conclusion and thanks from Dr. Anna O'GradyGale Force Wins started out simply as an inspirational podcast releasing episodes wherever you get your podcasts every Tuesday evening. We continue to do that every Tuesday but have expanded into custom content for clients. We also have perfected a conference and trade show offering where you can receive over 20 videos edited and posted to social media at the same time the event is unfolding.For businesses and organizations we also create digital content quickly and efficiently.Visit our services page here:https://galeforcewins.com/servicesTo message Gerry visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerrycarew/To message Allan visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allanadale/