Episode 17: Building a better world

This week Joyce talks to Briley Lewis, a PhD student at the University of California in Los Angeles studying astrophysics. They’ll talk about Briley’s love for science communication and science writing and mental health during grad school.

You can learn more about Briley on her website, read some of her writing on STARtorialist, and see some art she makes at her etsy shop. You can find more about the science communication organization ComSciCon at their LA chapter’s website.

Intro to exoplanets and astrophysics:

Basic intro to how we detect exoplanets

A press release about debris disks (using the same instrument Briley uses)

How planets form

Examples of some of the strange exoplanets that are out there

Briley’s ‘radical reading list’, which is always in progress:

Parable of the Sower/Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler

The Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor

The Care Manifesto by the Care Collective

Mutual Aid by Dean Spade

Emergent Stratgey by adrienne maree brown

Turn This World Inside Out by Nora Samaran

We Will Not Cancel Us by adrienne maree brown

Beyond Survibal by Ejeris Dixon and Leah Piepzna-Samarasinha

Pleasure Activism, written and gathered by adrienne maree brown

Octavia’s Parables podcast by adrienne maree brown and Toshi Reagon

Music by: Wataboi