COSMOS: INVESTIGATING PLANETS BEYOND OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
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Exoplanets are planets that orbit stars other than our Sun. We want to find out if they are similar to, or completely different from the planets in our Solar System. But it’s tricky; often they are too small and faint to see them next to their much bigger, brighter parent stars, because they are many light years away Instead, we use space telescopes to look at light from the star itself that has passed through the planet’s atmosphere. The atmosphere leaves fingerprints in the starlight that tell us what conditions are like on the planet.
Dr Jo Barstow is a planetary scientist specialising in the study of exoplanet atmospheres. She particularly likes the cloudy ones because she started her research career studying sulphuric acid clouds on Venus (and it means she gets to make terrible jokes about the British weather). Jo currently holds a Royal Astronomical Society Research Fellowship at University College London, and previously worked at the University of Oxford. When she’s not being an exoplanet detective, hobbies include singing, theatre and toddler-wrangling. |
fleabag and friends: the women behind the tv revolution
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Women are behind some of the most successful and funny television series of recent years, including Fleabag, The Marvellous Mrs Maisel, Orange is the New Black, Jane the Virgin and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. This talk examines and celebrates the appeal of female-led series, the opportunities arising from streaming platforms, and the cultural landscape which enables the creators and showrunners to flourish in a male-dominated industry.
Dr Julia Wagner is a film lecturer and writer. She holds a PhD in Film Studies (UCL) and an MA in Italian Studies (University of Edinburgh). She lectures widely, including teaching film courses at London cinemas and speaking at international conferences. Julia’s writing about film has been published by the BFI, Huffington Post UK and Jewish Quarterly journal. Julia regularly hosts Q&As with filmmakers and is passionate about film education and public engagement. |