4th year BSc Astrophysics student, Pedro de Sá Carvalho Leonardo shared his thoughts on his recent summer research experience at Oxford University.
This summer I spent two months at the Astrophysics Department of the University of Oxford. I was working on a research project in conjunction with the University of California, Berkeley, as part of the Breakthrough Listen initiative. I focused on finding radio “technosignatures” utilising the Parkes 64-m telescope in Australia. These are signals created by technology, which, if found, would signify the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life. Attempting to find them involved using various techniques to avoid radio pollution from satellites and from the telescope’s local environment – from observational strategies to machine learning.
It was an incredibly rewarding experience in which I met fantastic like-minded peers, as well as some of the biggest names in Astrophysics, including Nobel prize winners. I learnt high-level concepts and techniques in short amounts of time, which built up my confidence and skillset. It was also essential in showing me how research at high-level actually works, from the day-to-day joys in getting a successful result, to the inevitable problems and difficulties.
Overall, I cannot recommend applying to these types of internships enough. You get important contacts for your future, as well as friendships worth investing in. If you’re hard-working and passionate about what you’re doing, you have everything it takes to get in!
If you have any questions for Pedro, he is happy to be contacted via his LinkedIn profile
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedroleonardo44/
