Living Room Logic – Irish Science Podcast

This episode we explain some key changes that occurred in the case numbers last week that bring great hope, and a sprinkle of caution. Inspired by an interview that Brezzie had with An Taoiseach Micheal Martin, the lads also discuss a mental health action plan that our youth will need to overcome the trauma of the pandemic, even after this is all over. AND of course, we answer questions from our social media @livingroomlogic.

Andrew is actively working with the department of health and meeting members of NPHET weekly to discuss the communication of COVID-19, vaccines, guidelines and mental health to young adults - essentially getting his facts from the source. Spread some good this week!

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Andrew spends the vast 7 minutes of this episode of spread the good going through the news of the week. In a fantastic turn of events, there is little to talk about. We did around 300'000 vaccinations last week, 45% of adults have their first dose and and the hospitalization situation is stable. Oh, and the Indian variant isn't the end of the world either - just need everyone to get both doses and be grand. Sure look, no news is good news and I am delighted to have nothing to say! Next week is the finale of spread the good whilst we prepare to get back to normalcy ourselves with the release of season 2 in July!

Andrew is actively working with the department of health and meeting members of NPHET weekly to discuss the communication of COVID-19, vaccines, guidelines and mental health to young adults - essentially getting his facts from the source. Check out @scicommcollective_ire on Instagram and TikTok for more. Spread some good this week!

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Do you use technology to gain information at the click of a button? Then you’re a cyborg! This episode we explore our dependence on technology, how we use it to extend our ever-changing lives and how Elon Musk wants to put computer chips in our brains! Will we live forever on Cloud 9.0?

We really hope you enjoy the episode. If you want to support two humble young scientists, follow the show on Spotify or subscribe to it on Apple Podcasts, and leave a review if you can.

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Madness, insanity, and being mental are core to the stigma around mental health. Whilst the depression and anxiety have become more accepted, much of mental health is still poorly understood and draped in stigma, such as psychosis. To get to the core of this Andrew spoke to Clinical Psychologist and associate professor in UCD Dr Keith Gaynor. He is an expert on psychosis and mental health, particularly in young adults. We perceive mental health as normal emotions gone awry, and as such, we discussed psychosis in typical terms of our daily life.

An excellent example which Keith describes is how one day a colleague was finishing a project and on the final stroke, their computer crashed. In a moment of despair, they said "the computer department are out to get me'. We have all experienced this to some degree, but how is your understanding of psychosis? Of how it happens, how it has previously been studied and the history of treatments, understanding and stigma. We discuss it all in the season 4 opener!

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Today, we sit down with Dr. Caoimhe Rooney, a research scientist at NASA whose areas of expertise include mathematical modelling of complex engineering systems, planetary science, public communication and mission design. She has been featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2022.

Listen in as Dr. Rooney discusses how participating in Oxford’s Industrially Focused Mathematical Modelling program paved the way for a career in applied mathematics at NASA. She speaks on the delicate balance between performing technical analysis and accepting uncertainty in the field of exoplanet characterisation.

Dr. Rooney also talks about the goals of mathematical modelling at NASA and how she typically goes about collecting and applying data in her work. She shares her uniquely challenging experience as the only mathematician on a team of physicists, alongside having to navigate a considerable time difference.

Finally, Dr. Rooney speaks on her future goals as well as her initiative to get more women into the field of mathematics via the Mathematigals platform.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

● [02:43] Why Dr. Rooney chose space

● [07:42] About Dr. Rooney’s PhD thesis

● [12:50] Applying mathematical modelling to planetary science

● [17:10] Factoring clouds into mathematical models

● [21:52] The goals of mathematical modelling at NASA

● [27:50] How Dr. Rooney collects data

● [31:11] Being the only mathematician on a team of physicists

● [34:57] About Mathematigals

● [38:46] Dr. Rooney’s goals for the future of her career

Key Quotes by Dr. Caoimhe Rooney:

● Something that you might not be able to physically touch or put your hands on will still be underpinned by some sort of mathematical equation. There is always a way that you can take something physical and put it on paper in the form of equations and physics principles.

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