Modelling the universe

“We’re made of star stuff.” (Carl Sagan)

We have had questions about the stars ever since we looked upwards at the sky. How was the universe born? How do stars live and die? How will the universe itself end? And when?

I interviewed Dr. Jan Eldridge, who studies stars in our galaxy and those on the edge of observable space, using an algorithm that she built called the Binary Population and Spectral Synthesis code (BPASS,  bpass.auckland.ac.nz). Jan gave me some fantastic insights not only into the life cycle of stars, but also about her important work in the LGBTQI sphere and raising awareness of trans issues.

Follow Jan on twitter here, and here is her blog.

References

1. Eldridge, J. J.; Stanway, E. R.; Xiao, L.; McClelland, L. A. S.; Taylor, G.; Ng, M.; Greis, S. M. L.; Bray, J. C. Binary Population and Spectral Synthesis Version 2.1: Construction, Observational Verification, and New Results. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017PASA…34…58E/abstract
2. J. J. Eldridge, E. R. Stanway, L. Xiao, L. A. S. McClelland, G. Taylor, M. Ng, S. M. L. Greis, J. C. Bray. Binary Population and Spectral Synthesis Version 2.1: Construction, Observational Verification, and New Results. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/publications-of-the-astronomical-society-of-australia/article/binary-population-and-spectral-synthesis-version-21-construction-observational-verification-and-new-results/603CD23A7CF04C18EBCA253B3A1AC40C/core-reader
3. Eldridge, J. J. The things binaries do … https://academic.oup.com/astrogeo/article-abstract/61/2/2.24/5804773?redirectedFrom=fulltext
4. Eldridge, J. J. Moving academia beyond the gender binary. https://www.herdsa.org.au/system/files/Eldridge_RDHE42.pdf

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