Eric works on several cosmology-related projects in DES. Recently, he’s been exploring ways to combine data from DES and the South Pole Telescope (SPT). SPT observes the sky at millimeter wavelengths, perfect for studying the cosmic microwave background radiation. Photons from the cosmic microwave background interact with the structure seen by DES (i.e. galaxies, dark matter, clusters of galaxies, etc). By studying the small changes in the cosmic background as a result of these interactions, we can learn about the structure observed by DES.
We asked Eric a few more questions — here’s what he had to say:
Do you have any hobbies or play any sports?
I play ping pong way too much!
What is your favorite book, movie, and/or TV show?
One of my favorite books is Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke. It’s a science fiction novel about a peaceful alien invasion of Earth and the consequences for humanity.
Any advice for aspiring scientists?
Take lots of math classes! I highly recommend taking an abstract algebra class.