Today, we chatted with Prof. Matthew Szydagis received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. He is now an Associate Professor at UAlbany studying experimental particle astrophysics, straightforward detection of dark matter WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles), and general particle detector development for “rare-event searches.” He grew up watching Star Trek: The Next Generation right away with Season 1 from the age of about five and simply fell in love with the character of Data, realizing that science officer was the position for him. After being inspired by Star Trek, he became a physicist, making time travel and FTL travel a reality. But he got “side-tracked” along the way to find dark matter! Come aboard, let's get weird!