I was recently interviewed by a high school senior from Louisiana about my (young) career. Below is a snippet of the interview, published with permission.

How would you describe your job in your own words?

Most of my work in astrophysics involves data analysis. In science done by space-based observatories, a group of scientists plan a space mission and design the spacecraft and instruments (telescopes, detectors, etc.). Some scientists and engineers build the hardware and launch it into space, while some other scientists create the software that allows the observatory to talk to the scientists on the ground. Those scientists then take the data that is observed, process it, and put it online for a few or many people to see and use. I take that data, analyze it, and gather evidence for what physical processes we're actually observing. Theorists use that information and their own calculations to develop models as to what is actually going in in space. The data analysts use new observational data to gather evidence for or against those theories, and the process repeats.

How rewarding is the work that you do?

Let's be honest: I'm not finding a cure for cancer. But the work I do is very rewarding in perspective. The work I put into my projects directly helps progress research and scientific understanding in my subfield of astrophysics, as well as related subfields. This, in turn, helps the greater scientific community and NASA's missions. Although I can't see the benefit now, my research may someday contribute to the development of new technologies that will help our society grow. The progress of scientific knowledge, especially in relation to the cosmos, helps us as humans ponder the great questions such as "who are we?" and "why are we here?" Knowing that, in my small way, I'm contributing to something so much greater than myself, is very satisfying and also humbling.