Episode 3 - Anna Frebel
Anna Frebel is an award-winning astronomer and professor of physics at MIT with a passion for understanding the grandeur and complexity of old stars. She joins host Chloe Aftel for a discussion on her journey from growing up in Germany and finding her passion for the stars and cosmos. They discuss how understanding the cosmos can change one’s perspective on human existence and the parallels between how stars and humans connect.
Highlights:
Frebel shares the serendipitous nature of scientific discovery and the unpredictable nature of science and the stars;
She explains how studying the cosmos impacts her day to day life on Earth;
They discuss the evolution of scientific understanding and social justice, and antiracism efforts within the astronomy community.
About:
Anna Frebel is a German-American astrophysicist and professor known for her research in the field of stellar archaeology, which involves studying the oldest stars in the universe to learn more about the early stages of cosmic history. She is a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and has made significant contributions to our understanding of the formation of the Milky Way galaxy and the chemical evolution of the universe. Frebel is particularly renowned for her work on ancient, metal-poor stars, which offer insights into the conditions of the early universe. She is also the author of the popular science book Searching for the Oldest Stars: Ancient Relics from the Early Universe.
Chloe Aftel has spent her career working in commercial photography, photojournalism, and film. She’s an established name in modern photography with work featured in The New York Times, Mother Jones, Playboy, Dazed & Confused, Vogue Germany, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue Italia, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue & more. Chloe has photographed victims of sexual violence, reported on Covid’s impact on the trans community, and gained access as the first reporter in the Covid wards of the West Coast’s hardest hit hospitals. She has covered underground abortion providers, the impact of gender pronouns on daily life, and clergy abuse. Her first book, “Outside and In Between,” is an award-winning anthology covering gender non-conforming people across America.
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