Whitby & District Astronomical Society

The lecture was held in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Dark Sky Festivals, organized by the North York Moors National Park Authority (NYMNP), and took place at Sneaton Castle, Whitby. The guest speaker for the evening was Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock. Mark and Richard share their reflections on the event.

Mark learned about the event just a few days prior and debated attendance due to the ticket cost; however, he ultimately decided that representation from WDAS was essential. The lecture supported the anniversary of the Dark Sky Festivals, an initiative strongly endorsed by the society.

Upon arrival with John McCue, who had contacted Mark earlier and attended as a guest of NYMNP, they settled into their seats at Sneaton Castle following a brief refreshment period. Approximately 80 people were present, including fellow WDAS member Richard Randle.

The evening commenced with a formal introduction followed by a short video on the concept, impact, and growing popularity of the Dark Sky Festivals. Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock then delivered her talk, entitled "Reaching for the Stars – Power of the Crazy Dream." 

Despite the cloudy skies, she humorously noted the noticeably darker skies in the region and expressed a desire to return and explore the area more thoroughly.

During her lecture, Dame Maggie highlighted her remarkable journey since childhood, born to Nigerian parents in London. She spoke of the role models, past and present, who inspired her to dream big, leading her to her current achievements and future aspirations in science, space exploration, and astronomy.

Dame Maggie shared her early struggles in education, attending 13 different schools due to frequent relocations. Diagnosed with dyslexia at age 8, it was through science that her passion for learning flourished, eventually leading to higher education. She regards dyslexia as her superpower, providing her with unique skills, and she now serves as an ambassador for the charity Made By Dyslexia.

In 2009, she received an MBE for her work as a science communicator, an honour she marvels at to this day. She emphasized the potential within everyone, commenting “Imagine a dyslexic from London meeting the queen of England.  It’s mind-boggling stuff”

Maggie discussed her aspirations and significant role models, particularly in science, and stressed the importance of diversity in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields—a cause she ardently supports. She stated one of her missions in life is to inspire students from diverse backgrounds to engage with STEM subjects, challenging the perception of these fields as "geeky." She underscored the fundamental role of these disciplines in fostering the next generation of innovative scientists and entrepreneurs, contributing to societal advancement.

A slide showcased female role models she associated with, including En Hedu Anna—the first woman mentioned in association with science over 3000 years ago, Jocelyn Bell—co-discoverer of the first Pulsar, Marie Curie, Margaret Burbidge—solar astronomer, and Gladys West—a mathematical modeler whose work on Earth's shape and satellite geodesy contributed to the development of GPS.

Dame Maggie expanded on the significance and wonder of astronomy, describing it as the oldest science integral to all civilizations, and discussed the historical use of astrolabes, ancient computing devices that were both beautiful and functional. She then touched upon the principles of Iki-Gai, a Japanese concept blending passion, talent, purpose, and fulfilment, which she believes are essential qualities for a successful scientist.

She shared her experiences of perseverance in difficult situations and suggested applying similar principles to overcome future challenges in space exploration. As an example, she mentioned that traveling to the nearest star, Beta Centauri, currently takes 76,000 years, but advancements in the theory of tiny "space sails" - reaching up to 1/5th of light speed by harnessing solar energy could reduce this to just a few decades, within a single scientist's lifetime.

She posed a thought-provoking question to the audience about detecting alien civilizations—whether the prospect would be met with anxiety or a welcoming attitude. The overwhelming response was welcoming. Although she did not provide specific context, it was clear she referenced the profound question explored by author Liu Cixin in his "Three-Body Problem" series, the Netflix adaption of which she is a science contributor too, attending the launch party – “an event most certainly worth going to” - she confided. 

Dame Maggie's multifaceted career extends beyond the realm of science. She has worked for the Ministry of Defence, authored award-winning children's books, participated in climate COP conventions, met with heads of state and notable figures such as Tom Hanks and her childhood icon Nichelle Nichols - aka Lieutenant Uhura of Star Trek fame. She also met the soup dragon on the set of the new Clangers series – another of her idols from childhood.

A self-confessed Lunatic (mad about the Moon) Dame Maggie has interacted with administrative heads of all major space agencies and has engaged with over 500,000 pupils since 2004. Recently appointed chancellor of the University of Leicester, Dame Maggie even has a Barbie Doll made in her likeness by Mattel, joking “it looks like me… but on a really good day!”   

Despite her numerous achievements, she regrets never having met Patrick Moore, although she became one of the presenters of "The Sky at Night."

John, Richard, and I found the lecture inspiring and enlightening, making it a fitting tribute to the 10th anniversary of the Dark Sky Festivals. 

One final nugget learned, we discovered that Dame Maggie shares the same birthday as Mark and Yuri Gagarin - another of her idols, the latter, not the former, that would be ridiculous!