If you didn't guess from this title, geology ROCKS! In this episode, both our guests were captivated by the great outdoors at a very young age, whether it was star-gazing out their bedroom windows or trawling for newts in the garden pond. These childhood dreams became Esther Ndongala's and Natalie Farrell's grown-up realities, and the invisible string which ultimately connected them years later.

Natalie is a Geologist based in the Rock Defamation Lab, which is *literally* as cool as it sounds. Her research investigates the effects of fractures on the structural properties of rocks, among other incredible things. Basically, metamorphic rocks are her jam! She became an academic after spending four years in male-dominated industry, and actually completed her PhD while having her first baby! She runs an incredible programme called The Nuffield Scheme, inviting 17-year-olds from low-income local schools into the lab.

Meanwhile, Esther has been a gifted student from childhood, and her acceptance onto the Nuffield Scheme by Natalie was foundational in her journey into research at Manchester! She now successfully holds the VERY impressive Cowrie Scholarship, and her love for physics far transcends outdated perceptions of the subject. Unfortunately, Esther feels incredibly under-represented as a black woman in her chosen field; there's less than 10 black students in her cohort of 200, where the gender split is only % women.

This episode is one of our favourites. We cover so much, from conference childcare and beautiful rock illustrations, to comparing Albert Einstein to... Troy Bolton (?!)

So, put your headphones on, grab a coffee and get comfy as we share stories, perspectives, and have a good old laugh while we're at it. You thought you didn’t have sisters to turn to for advice? Oh, yes you do.

CHAPTERS

1:45 lt all started that summer (Nuffield Scheme)
2:21 The Rock Deformation Lab
2:51 Chemistry of rocks
4:00 You're the first person to see what you're seeing
6:03 Preparing for a placement
7:58 Why I study physics...
9:18 Geoscience pathways at Manchester
11:41 Meteorites, oh my!
15:40 Practical physics
18:50 The merit in doing experiments yourself
19:34 Representation in academia
23:55 New discoveries in physics
24:27 Physics is a team sport
25:50 Troy bolton and Einstein?
27:24 Male dominated fields
30:43 The figureheads of physics
31:00 Treatment of women in labs
31:30 Finding communities in geoscience
32:30 Having children in academia
33:25 Oil and gas
35:00 Sexual harassment in the workplace
37:10 Career progression for women in STEM
39:55 Becoming a parent during your PhD
44:02 Shoutout to Wigan!
45:50 'The greatest scientists are artists'
46:14 Choosing the right A-Levels
47:35 Unconventional science 🌀