Photo:

Brad Tucker

Sorry to all those whose questions I couldn't answer. ASK me it now and I'll give you an awesome answer :)

Favourite Thing: To discover something new or never understood, shedding light on the mysteries that the Universe holds.

My CV

School:

Elementary: St. Joseph’s, Sacramento, California, USA; High School: Christian Brothers High School, Sacramento, California

University:

University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA – B.Sc. in Physics, B.A. in Philosophy, and B.A. in Theology ; Mt. Stromlo Observatory, The Australian National University – Ph.D. in Astrophysics

Work History:

Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, La Serena, Chile; Max-Planck Insitute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany

Employer:

Mt. Stromlo Observatory, The Australian National University

Current Job:

Astrophysicist

Me and my work

I use supernovae, which are stars that have exploded, to figure out what the Universe is made out of, how it was formed, and what will happen to it.

My Typical Day

Go for a jog with my dog, Bagel the Beagle in the morning, then meet with my colleagues to discuss new discoveries and theories, look at some images of the Universe, write some computer code, then play a game of soccer and have a nice relaxing evening.

What I'd do with the money

I would use the money to bring students to Mt. Stromlo Observatory to look through our telescopes and view Saturn, Jupiter, and the other planets, stars, nearby galaxies and whatever else we can find!

My Interview

How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

Science Chuck Norris

Who is your favourite singer or band?

There are lots of them so I’ll do Top 5: Audioslave, Coldplay, Incubus, Metallica and Red Hot Chili Peppers

What is the most fun thing you've done?

Lots of things coming to mind. Getting to travel all over the world has been awesome. Having to go to Hawaii for work is pretty sweet.

If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!

Be able to travel through the Universe faster than the speed of light, play in the FIFA World Cup, and to be a combination of Superman and Batman ( I love the Batmobile).

What did you want to be after you left school?

After I finished university, I knew I wanted to be an Astrophysicist. However when I was younger, I never thought about being a scientist. I wanted to be a garbage truck.

Were you ever in trouble in at school?

Yes. I liked to play pranks on people, especially hiding and scaring people. I still like to do that today.

What's the best thing you've done as a scientist?

Well I think the coolest thing was discover two asteroids which I named Rock and Roll.

Tell us a joke.

From the Big Bang Theory: “A neutron walks into a bar and asks how much for a drink. The bartender replies, ‘For you, no charge.”

Sports followed

I follow lots of sports: Soccer (Mexican Primera Division, English Premier League, Bundesliga), American Football (Pro and College), AFL, Super XV, NBA, NHL, MLB

Favourite team

Cruz Azul (Mexican Soccer), San Francisco 49ers and Notre Dame Fighting Irish (American Football), Greater Western Sydney Giants (AFL, got to love an underdog), Canberra Brumbies (Super XV)