Views from the Reading Room

Dr Margaret Aderin-Pocock has a degree in physics, a PhD in mechanical engineering, and makes optical instruments for satellites for the world's third-largest space company. She also gives “Tours of the Universe” to school-children, and was awarded the MBE for this in January. She's a Black woman: I'm looking at her photo in the Radio Times.

Also: "Clangers first got me keen on space, but it wasn't till I got hooked by Star Trek that I wanted to be an astronaut." OMG ♥

She's in the Radio Times because she's the science advisor on a show that starts next Tuesday on BBC1, called Paradox. (The RT calls it "sci-fi", sigh.) Three cops, including a blonde woman and a Black man, are contacted by a scientist who gets messages from space, from the near future. They only have 18 hours to save the earth prevent a disaster. Maybe one day they'll cast a scientist who looks like the science advisor, but in the meantime, I think this may be relevant to my interests.