This week, Jocelyn and Bradley are joined by Nicole Benker, a particle beam operator (read: smasher of atoms, creator of worlds) at Argonne National Laboratory. Nicole explains how a childhood love of space led her to study physics, and eventually to build a neutron detector that was sent to the International Space Station—but not without a few detours along the way, per the Jeremy Bearimy timeline. Nicole shares what led her to Argonne, as well as some of the lab's fascinating history. The friends also discuss Imposter Syndrome and Nicole's three-step process for overcoming it.

Links:

NASA DANSON project page: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=2030

The Adventures of Solar Neutrons: https://funsizephysics.com/adventures-of-solar-neutrons/

Nano Nano: Neutrons in Space! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSAhojGglVo

2019 Science Slam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocF-PAumLWI

Argonne: https://www.anl.gov/


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Science! With Friends Podcast is created and hosted by Jocelyn Bosley (@SciTalker) and Bradley Nordell (@bradleynordell) and Produced by the Basement Creators Network. You can find them at https://www.basementcreators.network/

Sound Editing by Vince Ruhl