Josh is the Director of the Dark Energy Survey. His research interests include multiple probes of dark energy and cosmic acceleration.
We asked Josh a few more questions – here’s what he had to say:
What is your favorite part about being a scientist?
Studying the evolution of the Universe with a great team of colleagues and getting paid to do it.
When did you know you wanted to be a scientist?
In college, when I realized the job prospects in philosophy were grim.
Do you have any hobbies or play any sports?
Recreational cycling
What is your favorite space-related image, and why?
The DECam first light image of galaxy NGC 1365, of course. I was in the supermarket buying pop tarts for my daughters, while on the phone to those in the Blanco control room taking the first images, the exciting culmination to years of effort to build this remarkable instrument.
Do you have kids? Do they want to be scientists too?
I have two teenage daughters. Neither of them appear to be currently headed toward a career in science, but I am encouraging them to keep open minds.
What do you think has been the most exciting advance in science / technology in the last 10 years?
Aside from the construction of the Dark Energy Camera, probably the smartphone and perhaps the discovery of CRISPR (offering precision gene editing) in biology.
Any advice for aspiring scientists?
Keep looking up. More seriously, I think it helps to take a very broad view of science. Science is becoming increasingly important to many aspects of modern life, and the typical career trajectory in science in the future is likely to involve transitions between multiple mini-careers.