Welcome to my Curious Astronaut blog
Hello! My name is Almudena Visser Velez, lots of people call me Almond. I’m an astrophysicist and aspiring space communicator! This blog explores interesting developments in space and astronomy for the curious minded.
Science explains almost everything around us, and I want to show that anyone can be involved. I’m a physicist by training, with particular interests in astrophysics. I have always loved maths, patterns and applied problem solving, and enjoy soaking up as much science as possible both inside and outside my degree.
Now is a great time to be following or involved in space, from the revival of human spaceflight to the Webb telescope peering at the first stars in the universe. I'll be sharing my favourite updates from the science world in an accessible way regardless of prior knowledge with the hope of inspiring as many people as possible - science is for everyone, not just geeky nerds, the more the merrier!
What I do:
I am an incoming PhD student at Warwick, where my project will explore planets around white dwarf stars, and previously did a masters in astrophysics at the University of Cambridge and my physics bachelor degree at Exeter. In 3 words, I am an astrophysicist, swimmer and explorer!
About me:
Almost anyone who has ever met me knows there are a few things I will happily babble about for hours (whether or not anyone is listening…) and in no particular order they are: science, swimming, maths, scuba diving, skiing, politics, and summer! Like most people my age, I’m not sure exactly what I’m going to do with the rest of my life, which should hopefully be a fair amount of time, but I know it will include all of the above in one way or another!
I am a national swimmer and have been since a teenager, recently branching out into open water swimming in lakes and even swimming to France as part of the Cambridge channel relay team! Sticking with the aquatic scheme, I am an enthusiastic scuba diver and also tried my hand at sailing recently. When it’s too cold for all that, I like to zoom down snowy mountains in winter :))
Exploring physics:
There is so much going on in science at the moment, being spoilt for choice with fascinating stuff isn’t so much a problem more a series of opportunities. I’m a big advocate for hands-on experience and internships, having completed wonderful summer projects on star formation in Chalmers (Sweden) and supernovae in Cambridge, giving me insights into both observational and theoretical astrophysics. These experiences taught me a huge amount, and encouraged me to seek out areas of astrophysics I find interesting and write about them, partly to have a diary of pretty astronomical photos but also to share some beautiful science with others.
I’ve explored other areas of physics too - such as satellite operations through online courses, and scientific intellectual property through interning at a patent attorney firm in London to gain an insight into the legal and commercial aspects of science innovation. Intellectual property goes hand in hand with scientific advancement, and all patent attorneys are required to have STEM degrees to have a technical understanding of the innovations they are trying to patent or defend for clients as varied as start ups, spinouts and university research departments. Physics is such a broad subject with so many applications, it is interesting to dip your toes in to new areas.
In future, I hope to write a book on the basics of everyday physics in an approachable and fun way for non-physicists, and having run a national science essay competition before I’d love to do so again to get more people excited about a truly amazing field.
