Welcome to the Interstellar Podcast. I’m Dr. Aous Abdo. I can’t wait to take you on a journey through the stars to be amazed at the crossroads of artificial intelligence and astrophysics. But before we take off to the skies, here is a little bit about a little boy who wanted to fly.
From a very young age, science was for me more than simply a subject. That little kid who never fit in school but spent countless hours dreaming of flight and dinking around with homemade RC planes—that was me. With very little resources, I’d keep trying year after year to bring my designs to life. There wasn’t always much success, looking back quite a few crash landings, but that only fueled my desire.
I was born with a childhood passion for science, particularly astrophysics and technology, which followed me throughout my growing years. Even though I might not have been the model student in traditional subjects, I did know somewhere within that one day I would find my place among the stars.
That drive led me to pursue a Ph.D. in Physics at Michigan State University, taking me far beyond that boy with his handmade planes. My academic journey was filled with challenges and discoveries, and trust me, it was not always easy, but each step brought me closer to realizing my childhood dreams. During my doctoral studies, I delved deep into the world of high-energy astrophysics, focusing on gamma-ray astronomy and the exotic objects that populate our universe.
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Standing atop the Parkes telescope in Australia, I felt as close to fulfilling my childhood dreams as ever
After completing my Ph.D., I had the incredible opportunity to join the Naval Research Laboratory to work on NASA-funded projects as a research scientist. This role allowed me to work on cutting-edge projects and collaborate with some of the brightest minds in the field. I found myself at the forefront of astrophysical research, using state-of-the-art instruments and advanced data analysis techniques to probe the cosmos. Whether I was working on unraveling the mysteries of gamma-ray sources or breaking new ground in AI technologies built for defense and national security, I have always felt like that wonder-filled kid.
One of my proudest achievements came from identifying Einstein rings in gamma rays, a type of gravitational lens, using NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. This discovery enabled brand new ways of exploration and testing of Einstein’s theory of general relativity in extreme conditions across the cosmos.
Notable Research: The B1259 Binary System
One really exciting chapter of my career was our work on the B1259 binary system. In 2010, I led a team that made the first-ever observation of the collision of two stars in this system, a colossal undertaking that put me in charge of some of the world’s preeminent space telescopes, including Fermi, Swift, Hubble, Suzaku, and many ground-based observatories. We utilized the Parkes telescope in Australia, the Australia Telescope Compact Array in Narrabri, among many others across continents.
Our groundbreaking suite of observations uncovered a binary gamma-ray flare — a novel harbinger of high-mass binaries. This paper, in turn was interesting enough to not only put me all over the radio and TV chiefly but also to be of general interest in bringing the essence of our work to the public in this NASA interview.
Interested in the B1259 binary system and its fantastic phenomena? For those of you who like a visual explanation, view this video:
- The B1259-63 binary system, a cosmic dance of remarkable proportions. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Francis Reddy *
Global Impact and Outreach
These experiences have only deepened my love for science and my desire to push out the limits of our knowledge. And now, as the CEO of Analytica Data Science Solutions, I am going up to the new shores where artificial intelligence meets astrophysics. The crossroads are exciting, as we see how machine learning algorithms open up an avalanche of cosmic data, unveiling patterns and phenomena previously unseen.
My thirst for knowledge remains unquenchable. I continue to learn and read voraciously, with the same enthusiasm I had as a child. My work has taken me across the globe - from Europe to Asia, Australia to the Middle East, and throughout much of the United States. Throughout these travels, I’ve had the privilege of igniting in others the same passion for science that has driven me my entire life.
Presenting a groundbreaking recommendation system algorithm to business leaders in Chicago
Of course, of all cosmic wonders, my family is what brings great joy to me: my infinitely talented artist wife, Linda, whose presence keeps me with both feet on the ground and my head in the stars; and our three little ones, who inspire me day and night with wonder in the universe at large and in the small precious moments we share.
The Interstellar Podcast: Where AI Meets the Cosmos
This podcast is born from the desire to share the wonders—from the marvels of the cosmos down to the leading edge of AI. Each episode will be focused on the hottest breakthroughs in science and technology as they emerge and delve into mysterious astrophysical mysteries, as well as sharing views on how the science of data changes our paradigms of the universe.
Join me as we go through this cosmic adventure. Whether you are a longtime scientist or a curious student, or perhaps simply someone who has looked up to stare at the night sky and feel his heart fill with a sense of wonder, this is where you belong. Together, we will travel the infinite void of space, parallel to the limitless potential of human genius.
And surely, those carrying an interest to take it deeper have my thoughts on AI and data science more posted at the Analytica blog. If you are interested in the technical side of my research, here is my profile on INSPIRE. And here it is—my book on gamma-ray sources, available on Amazon.
Let’s take this interstellar journey together! God knows what we might find.
Stay Connected
So keep looking up and I’ll see you among the stars.
Feel free to reach out to me or learn more about my work at my Contact Page. I’m excited to meet and network with like-minded geeks, researchers, or anyone intrigued by the universe and AI.
