Maggie Aderin-Pocock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maggie Aderin-Pocock
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Aderin-Pocock in 2024
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| Born |
Margaret Ebunoluwa Aderin
9 March 1968 |
| Education | La Sainte Union Catholic School |
| Alma mater | Imperial College London (BSc, PhD) |
| Known for | The Sky at Night |
| Spouse(s) |
Martin Pocock
(m. 2002) |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | Honorary degree, Staffordshire University (2009) Honorary Fellow, British Science Association (2010) Honorary Doctor of Science, University of Bath (2014) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Space science |
| Institutions | University College London |
| Thesis | Interferometric Studies of Very Thin Lubricant Films in Concentrated Contacts (1995) |
| Doctoral advisor | Prof Philippa Cann |
Dame Margaret Ebunoluwa Aderin-Pocock (born Aderin on March 9, 1968) is a famous British space scientist and science educator. She is known for sharing her love of space with people of all ages.
She is an honorary research associate at University College London's Department of Physics and Astronomy. Since 2023, she has been the chancellor of the University of Leicester. Many people know her from the long-running TV show The Sky at Night, which she has co-presented since 2014.
In 2020, she won a gold medal from the Institute of Physics for her work in getting the public excited about science. She was the first Black woman to win this award. She also served as the president of the British Science Association.
Contents
Early Life and Schooling
Margaret Ebunoluwa Aderin was born in London in 1968. Her parents were from Nigeria. Her middle name, Ebunoluwa, means "gift of God" in the Yoruba language. She grew up in Camden, London.
She attended La Sainte Union Convent School. Maggie has dyslexia, which is a learning difference that can make reading difficult. When she was a child, she dreamed of becoming an astronaut. One of her teachers suggested she should try nursing instead. But Maggie was determined to follow her dream. She worked hard and earned A-Levels in math, physics, chemistry, and biology.
She went on to study at Imperial College London. She earned a degree in physics in 1990. In 1994, she completed her PhD in mechanical engineering. For her PhD project, she helped develop a special system to measure very thin films of oil, as thin as 2.5 nanometres. A nanometre is one billionth of a metre!
A Career in Science
Dr. Aderin-Pocock has had an exciting career working for the government, universities, and private companies.
Building Scientific Tools
From 1996 to 1999, she worked for the Ministry of Defence. There, she worked on missile warning systems for aircraft. She also managed a project to create hand-held tools for finding hidden landmines.
Later, she returned to Imperial College London. She helped a team that was building a powerful spectrograph for the Gemini telescope in Chile. A spectrograph is a tool that splits light into its different colours. This helps scientists study distant stars and galaxies.
She also worked on instruments for the Aeolus satellite. This satellite measures wind speeds from space to help scientists understand climate change.
Inspiring the Next Generation
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Aderin-Pocock loves to share science with the public, especially with kids. She started her own company called Science Innovation Ltd. Through her company, she gives "Tours of the Universe" to schools and families, making space science fun and easy to understand.
She has spoken to thousands of children, encouraging them to dream big. She wants to show them that anyone can have a career in science, no matter their background. She is also a judge for the National Science + Engineering Competition, which celebrates amazing projects by young people.
Working in Television
Besides co-hosting The Sky at Night, Aderin-Pocock has appeared on many other TV shows. She presented Do We Really Need the Moon? and In Orbit: How Satellites Rule Our World for the BBC. For younger audiences, she hosted Stargazing on CBeebies and Out of This World on CBBC.
She has also been a guest on popular game shows like Would I Lie to You? and QI.
Honours and Awards
Dr. Aderin-Pocock has received many awards for her work in science and education.
- 2009: She was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her services to science education.
- 2009: She received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Staffordshire University.
- 2013: She was named one of the 10 most influential Black people in the UK.
- 2020: She won the William Thomson, Lord Kelvin Medal and Prize from the Institute of Physics.
- 2024: She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE), a very high honour, for her work in science education and for promoting diversity.
In 2023, the toy company Mattel created a Barbie doll in her likeness to celebrate International Women's Day.
Personal Life
Maggie Aderin-Pocock married Martin Pocock in 2002. They have a daughter named Lauren, who was born in 2010. The family lives in Guildford, Surrey.
She has shared her life story on the BBC Radio 4 show Desert Island Discs and has been featured in many articles about inspiring women in science.
See also
In Spanish: Maggie Aderin-Pocock para niños
