Astronomers Turned Data Scientists Podcast

astro2data

A podcast featuring interviews with a variety of former astronomers / current data scientists. Created as part of the Astronomers Turned Data Scientists (ATDS) community (which also has annual meetings at the American Astronomical Society’s Winter Meeting).

  1. 10/20/2025

    13. Julia Silge

    Julia Silge discusses how she got into astronomy, her first non-data science positions after leaving academia, and how she then started blogging about data science and going to conferences, which opened up the door to new opportunities, including open source contributions, writing books, and data science positions. She shares advice for those who are considering making the transition from astronomy to data science. She also talks about the experience of speaking at SciPy 2024 about scientific computing across languages.    Links: Julia’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliasilge/  Julia’s blog: https://juliasilge.com/blog/  ROpenSci: https://ropensci.org/  Her first O’Reilly book: https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/text-mining-with/9781491981641/  SciPy Conference: https://conference.scipy.org/  Her Talk at SciPy 2024: https://youtu.be/MVuxbtERZMI?si=1pSajS3Y1I5CjjBx    Credits Intro Music: Tonight At Eight by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com (no relation) Outro Music: Savour The Moment by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com (no relation) Co-Hosts: Jeffrey Silverman and Joseph A’Hearn Recording: Jeffrey Silverman Editing: Joseph A’Hearn ATDS Podcast Logo: Joseph A’Hearn Thumbnail Headshot Image: Julia Silge Thumbnail Design: Joseph A'Hearn   We thank the American Astronomical Society for being an official sponsor of the podcast.   Timecodes 0:00 - Intro 1:37 - Astronomy Background 7:45 - Careers After Leaving Astronomy 8:49 - Emergence of Data Science 10:36 - UT Austin Astronomy Conducive to Data Science 12:45 - Getting into Data Science 19:13 - First Data Science Job 21:36 - Consulting Roles 25:44 - Writing Books 28:16 - Current Role at Posit PBC 35:51 - Switch from Individual Contributor to Manager 42:50 - Advice for Astronomers Becoming Data Scientists 48:29 - Scientific Computing Across Languages 56:13 - Outro   #Astronomy #DataScience #Transitions #Podcast #ATDS #Astro2Data

    57 min
  2. 08/13/2025

    12. Chris Lindner

    Chris Lindner talks about his Astronomy background, his transition into Data Science, as well as his stint as a professional Poker player. He also discusses how as a graduate student he was involved in starting a study group about entering Data Science, how there is no real method to interviews, how he continues to stay connected to Academia through events like Astronomy on Tap, and what non-technical skills are important for Astronomers looking to become Data Scientists.    Links: Chris’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-lindner-170a0385/    Credits Intro Music: Tonight At Eight by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com (no relation) Outro Music: Savour The Moment by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com (no relation) Co-Hosts: Jeffrey Silverman and Joseph A’Hearn Recording: Jeffrey Silverman Editing: Joseph A’Hearn ATDS Podcast Logo: Joseph A’Hearn Thumbnail Headshot Image: Chris Lindner Thumbnail Design: Joseph A'Hearn   Timecodes 0:00 - Intro 0:49 - Astronomy Background 2:09 - Study Group About Entering Data Science 6:29 - Communication Between Industry and Academia 13:05 - Transition into Data Science 19:40 - Diversity of Interviews 23:27 - Networking and Getting Referrals 26:28 - How Data Science Has Changed Over the Years 34:56 - Important Non-Technical Skills 38:20 - Most Recent Positions: Data Science and Professional Poker 43:14 - Relevance of Math for Poker 47:06 - Final Advice for Astronomers Becoming Data Scientists 49:13 - Outro   #Astronomy #DataScience #Transitions #Podcast #ATDS #Astro2Data

    50 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

A podcast featuring interviews with a variety of former astronomers / current data scientists. Created as part of the Astronomers Turned Data Scientists (ATDS) community (which also has annual meetings at the American Astronomical Society’s Winter Meeting).