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Bothwell finds children books are a ‘natural extension’ to his years of astronomy outreachGORDON CHUNG FOR VARSITY<\/p>\n
Matt Bothwell is used to speaking to big audiences. As Public Astronomer at the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, he has run hundreds of outreach events in schools and given talks at the Royal Institution and New Scientist. But now, he has taken on an even tougher medium: children\u2019s books.<\/p>\n
Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Matt has written three children\u2019s books exploring the wonder of the universe, from the infinities of black holes to the mystery of dark matter. His latest, Mastering the Multiverse, comes out in\u00a0May. How does writing for children fit into a career in science outreach \u2013 and how do you even make a start?<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe elevator pitch was to do Horrible Histories but for astronomy\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s almost like a natural extension of the work I was already doing in schools,\u201d Matt explains over Teams. After 14 years as a science communicator, he has spent a lot of time working out what makes children listen. \u201cIt\u2019s not like one day I just decided I\u2019m going to be a children\u2019s author. I spent years talking to thousands of kids a year.\u201d<\/p>\n
This process sparked a love for outreach that outshone his research activities. \u201cI just realised I was looking forward to giving a talk to kids about black holes and aliens a lot more than wrestling with my telescope data.\u201d And that brings us to his book on astronomy. It\u2019s already a fascinating subject, but how does that excitement translate into effective science communication?<\/p>\n
\u201cI sometimes think being an outreach astronomer is the easiest job in the world because people intrinsically think space is cool,\u201d Matt jokes. And, as he points out, astronomy is entering something of a golden\u00a0age. Recently, the Vera\u00a0C. Rubin telescope in Chile captured its first images of the southern\u00a0sky. With the world\u2019s most powerful camera ever built, it will scan the universe in extraordinary detail, helping researchers investigate everything from black holes and exoplanets to dark matter and dark energy.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI sometimes think being an outreach astronomer is the easiest job in the world because people intrinsically think space is cool\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt can find ten million new interesting things a night. It\u2019s honestly just staggering,\u201d comments Matt. \u201cNo matter what astronomical question you\u2019re asking, whether it\u2019s small-scale stuff like life or big stuff like what is dark matter and dark energy doing on the biggest scales, we will have a super cool telescope that\u2019s designed to answer that.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Matt, this sense of possibility is\u00a0key. In his talks, outreach work, and books, he is not only explaining what we already know about space, but inviting his audiences to get excited about what is still waiting to be discovered.<\/p>\n
When he finally sat down to write, the idea was clear: \u201cThe elevator pitch was to do Horrible Histories but for astronomy.\u201d His first book, Astrophysics for Supervillains, takes readers on a tour of the universe, through gruesome, strange, and funny questions \u2013 from what would happen to your body in a black hole to how a supervillain might misuse the laws of physics.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt only takes one little engagement with someone to spark a lifetime fascination\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cKids want a dopamine spike every once in a while,\u201d Matt says, laughing. \u201cI try not to write more than a couple of sentences without putting something at least a bit silly to lead them through the book.\u201d<\/p>\n
The result is science that does not feel like schoolwork. \u201cIt\u2019s teaching so it doesn\u2019t feel like eating vegetables. We call it learning by stealth.\u201d Matt describes the book as a personal success; he fondly describes the fan mail he receives and the impact it\u2019s had on his readers.<\/p>\n
Now, with Mastering the Multiverse, the latest instalment in the trilogy, Matt is proud to create a series that can make a real difference. For him, children\u2019s books are not just another form of outreach, but a way of giving young readers a positive first encounter with astronomy.<\/p>\n
That mission also underpins his work on Astro East, an outreach programme run by the Institute of Astronomy to support communities across East Anglia. \u201cWe do a lot of our work in communities across Norfolk, across Suffolk, that maybe don\u2019t have access to a lot of traditional science content,\u201d Matt says. \u201cI think it\u2019s super important.\u201d<\/p>\n
Astro East works with schools that traditionally don\u2019t have access to such science programs. For Matt, the value of that work is simple: \u201cIt only takes one little engagement with someone to spark a lifetime fascination.\u201d<\/p>\n
So, with Matt\u2019s book set to release soon, he\u2019s hoping to continue his work of bringing that fascination to the next generation. \u201cMy advice for anyone that wants to write a children\u2019s book: just do it and see how it goes. You don\u2019t necessarily need the experience or formal backing. If you\u2019ve got a computer, phone, or pen and paper, give it a try and see if you enjoy it.\u201d<\/p>\n
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