Hidden Worlds: From Mole-Rats to Black Holes

African mole-rats are a family of rodents, mostly known for their big teeth. Several mole-rat species are surprisingly social, and live in large groups with complex social interactions and social hierarchies. However, we don't know how they recognize each other and organise these social groups, especially since they are nearly blind. In this talk, I will dive into the daily life of African mole-rats, explore all the different senses they use, and explain exactly why I think mole-rats are such fascinating little creatures.

Extreme density lies at the heart of our leading models of both the early universe and the final stages of massive stars. From the Big Bang to neutron stars and black holes, we explore how matter behaves when pushed to its absolute limits.

New Technologies for recording brain activity now generate datasets so large that a single recording session can produce more data than a researcher could inspect in a lifetime, making software-driven analysis not just convenient but essential for discovery. But software can fail - and when it does, the science fails with it. Research can learn from software engineering which has developed tools and techniques to manage complexity at this scale. In this talk, I want to show how this has led to the emergence of a new role: the research software engineer. I'll make the case that investing in RSEs is not a luxury but a scientific necessity and show what this investment looks like in practice.