Hello World
A blog about Applied Astrophysics
Hello! I'm an astrophysicist in my fourth year of the PhD program at Yale. I anticipate using this blog to explore topics in "applied astrophysics," facets of technology, business, and culture where the mindset of an astrophysicist can provide worthwhile (and likely orthogonal) insight. I might talk about basic research too — we’ll see how things develop.
Recently, I’ve been reading Delta V by Daniel Suarez, a book set in the not too distant future about a moonshot asteroid mining mission. Much of my astrophysics research concerns the formation of near-Earth asteroids and methods to discover these objects in astronomical surveys. Missions to asteroids and comets (more broadly, “minor planets”) are an incredible means to learn about our solar system, but I’ve always been fascinated by the prospect of extracting economically useful resources from these objects too.
In my next posts, I’ll do my best to assess the feasibility of asteroid mining from first-principles. I’ve found that order-of-magnitude “Fermi problems” can often provide as much clarity as formal calculations, so I’ll probably lean on these methods as much as possible.
As I embark on this journey of blending astrophysics with practical applications, I encourage you to join me. Whether you're a fellow scientist, a curious student, or simply an enthusiast of the cosmos, your perspectives and questions will enrich our collective journey. Feel free to share your thoughts, suggest topics, or ask questions in the comments below. Until next time!