Welcome to our New Editor: Alice Sheppard

We have recruited a new editor! Meet Alice Sheppard, she lives in the United Kingdom with her family and two Cats. She has had an interest in astronomy from a young age, and is a forum moderator for Galaxy Zoo and She is an Astronomer. As well as moderating, she also has her own blog, Alice in Galaxyland. From there she writes about astronomy, people, the skeptic movement and politics, and when she does she conveys her enthusiasm to the reader in an infectious manner. When she can she writes for other websites, blogs, magazines and has recently co-founded Skeptics in the Pub in Wales.

Tell us about yourself.

At the moment I hire out wheelchairs and build up a website to make a living, but I want to be a science journalist and book writer.

I have recently co-founded Cardiff Skeptics. Skepticism is not cynicism. It means always looking at the best evidence rather than people’s opinions when extraordinary stories or claims are made.

My special favourite astronomy topics are star birth and death, astrochemistry, galaxies, and the physics of the Universe (dark matter, etc).

What started you off with astronomy?

When I was a kid I was lucky enough that there was a basic astronomy book in the house that was one of the first things I read. Then my mum and a friend got me a few more, including the Uncle Albert series, and Heather Couper & Nigel Henbest’s Space Atlas (1992!).

When I was 24, just graduated, and bored and disappointed with environmental science, I decided to be a chemistry teacher – that got me interested in physics again. I bought BANG!, and got into e-mailing Chris Lintott. He actually answered me and taught me more than anyone else ever had, and also it got much easier to look things up because he pointed me to things I ought to!

What got you into science communication?

Well at university I realised I was far better at writing than at science. I nearly did a unit called “science communication in a public forum”, but then it turned out I’d have to buy my own video player and camera so I dropped out. And then I realised I loved teaching. (Actually at school people would say “oh Alice I wrote down everything you’ve been saying all year for my exams and I got an A!”). So I’ve always loved explaining things. Galaxy Zoo really got me started though, of course. The zookeepers gave me lots of encouragement to give lectures and write articles.

What do you do at Galaxy Zoo?

I moderate, organise the OOTD (Object of the Day) rota and most meet-ups, I act as the link between the zookeepers and the Zooites when messages need to get across from one to another, and I’m also usually the one to find people to be interviewed by journalists.

Tell us about your blog

It started off as meaning to be about astronomy, to practice for being a science journalist, but I soon found out I wanted to write about people and education and politics too. Then along came the skeptics, so I started also writing about that. What I’m rather enjoying is how similar Skeptics in the Pub is to Galaxy Zoo, in the sense of groups of people who dissect science together online, and meet up and have great fun at pubs etc. Both are ordinary people on a mission. I love writing about both, and feel it’s something anyone should be able to get involved in. In both cases you need the tools and skills to get involved, and that’s something I want to bring to anyone interested, not just those already privileged to know a lot about it.

You’re a freelance journalist, what do you write about for various magazines?

I wish I more of a freelance journalist. I’ve written two articles so far, both about the zoo, though I hope to write more! One for Young Stargazers (part of the Society for Popular Astronomy magazine) and one for Astronomy Now. I’ve also guest blogged for Pulse-Project and Chris Lintott’s Universe.

Why did you want to take part in YA?

Because I think it’s a terrific website! And I know it’s run by terrific people. I know that what’s offered at school is very much the luck of the draw- sometimes brilliant, sometime nonexistent, and school can ruin things, so young people should be able to go elsewhere. There are some terrific programs in schools, but not all of them take up these programs so basically some kids are lucky and most are not. Also, you youngsters have brains like sponges – you can absorb loads of stuff really quickly and your minds are springier than us old crocks’. So it’s best to get into astrophysics while young. As long as it’s not forced, you’re never too young to start

You can find Alice’s blog here, and her twitter here.