comprehend
Maggie Aderin-Pocock shares her experience of building a successful career in science and raising a family
planet didn’t seem that far-fetched,” recalls Maggie Aderin-Pocock, whose imagination was sparked by TV’s space age mice at the age of two. The Clangers entertained a generation of children who had not long seen men land on the moon. In
that sort of idea but for me it stuck.”
Maggie Aderin-Pocock was challenging enough, so her efforts began in
Now a successful space scientist Maggie Aderin-
earnest on home ground, though a stark contrast
Pocock juggles the management of her science
between home and school soon became apparent.
communications company, BBC TV appearances, and a position as Science in Society ambassador at University College London, with motherhood.
drafts with my sisters and felt quite bright. But that
She talks candidly about how she got here.
all disappeared at school and I sulked at the back of the class.” Buoyed by support from her father she
Making Plans
always saying ‘work hard and you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve.’ I think I was lucky because
how she was going to get into space, overcoming
I believed him!”
challenges of race, gender and dyslexia in the I thought they’d be more sympathetic to women
the teacher asked ‘what does one cubic centimetre
space scientists and I didn’t like the idea of the USA
of water weigh?’ Initially hesitant to answer as
at the time. My sister told me about segregation;
the rest of the class went silent, Maggie correctly
I couldn’t believe it, the thought that because of the colour of my skin people would assume I’m
dyslexic, I was logical.” This revelation spurred
inferior and I’d have to sit at the back of the bus,
her on to study science outside of school with her
it just seemed mindboggling.”
father. Eventually she started attending evening classes on telescope making. Her teenage evening
Learning Russian felt impossible, one language
exploits would soon revolve around grinding two
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