In this episode:

We meet Dr. Erin Macdonald who holds a PhD in astrophysics and is an internationally recognized space science expert, writer, speaker, and consultant. Erin’s academic research background is in gravitational waves and general relativity, and she currently lives in Los Angeles working as a writer and science consultant for the Star Trek franchise.

In our conversation, Macdonald discusses how pop culture played a major role in inspiring her to pursue a career in science, and how she uses pop culture herself to teach others about the subject. She also gives details on her scientific consulting job with the Star Trek franchise, talks about her roles as a voice actor for video games, and explains her unorthodox professional title.

In discussing her enthusiasm about her role with the Star Trek franchise, Erin says, “It takes a lot for me to, like, not be walking down the street in Star Trek gear, and have someone be like, ‘Oh, I like Star Trek,’ and for me to [not] scream in their face, ‘I WORK FOR STAR TREK!!!’”

To learn more about Erin and her various activities, visit erinpmacdonald.com

Introductory and closing music: Paint the Sky by Hans Atom © copyright 2015 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/50718 Ft: Miss Judged