Chat with Anita Sohus 4/8/97

What projects are you working on now and what is a typical day for you?

Right now I am working on a collection of papers given at a technical
conference. The papers will be printed as a book. A typical day involves
meeting with people about various subjects--I just came from a meeting
about how to get funding to produce slides and pictures that the public
wants from us. In the middle of that I had to take a phone call from one
of the paper authors. I get about 40 e-mail messages a day, some just
passing along information, some needing me to do something. We have an
Open house coming up at JPL, so the next few months I'll probably
be creating some exhibits for that.

What types of projects will you work on in the future?

Well, since I'm basically a writer, I will be writing about JPL's future
projects. This year that might include theMars landing on July 4, and the
spacecraft that's going into orbit around Mars in the fall. There is an
experiment that will fly on the Shuttle in the fall, to study what helium
does in weightlessness. This fall we launch a spacecraft (Cassini) to
Saturn, and next year we launch a technology mission to a comet and an
asteroid, and two JPL instruments will be launched to look at our own
planet. Its a mix of solar system exploration, looking at Earth from
space, and looking far out in the universe.

Did you choose to go into the Solar System department or was that just
assigned to you? 

I was assigned to the solar system department, and couldn't be happier!
Its exciting to be among the first in the world to know a new thing, to
see a new picture of another place in the solar system.

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Do you have to travel to other telescopes around for your work?

No, I don't have to travel to other telescopes for my work, but once in
awhile I do get to go to one. I got to see Comet Halley from a 24-inch
telescope at JPL's Table Mountain Observatory, and I have been to the Keck
telescopes on Mauna Kea in Hawaii, although not at night. I also happened
to walk in to Mt. Palomar's dome one day when they were removing the
mirror to resurface it, so that was interesting.


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Was it hard for you to learn about astronomy for your job?

Learning about astronomy IS part of my job, and I learn it as it
happens--I'm learning a lot about comets right now, with the Hale-Bopp
appearance.

What kind of classes did you take to get invovled in astronomy?

I took a general astronomy class at UCLA when I was in college; other than
that I learn by keeping up with my co-workers' research and reading the
astronomy magazines. I haven't taken any classes for a few years. But by
reading current magazines and journals, listening to presentations of new
results, and talking to the researchers, I keep current. I am not an
astronomer, but can appreciate the essence of the work: discovering new
things.

How much space knowledge did you have to have to get your job?

Originally I had no space knowledge, I was just a support person. Over the
years my accumulated knowledge and ability to see the "big picture"--how
various things connect with each other--has led me to my current job. Most
of that knowledge has been earned on the job. Common sense helps, too.

Do you everfeel intimidated because you are not a scientist or engineer?

I used to feel intimidated about not being a scientist or an engineer,
especially in a technical organization. But then when the engineers and
scientists expressed appreciation to me for what I do for them, I quit
being intimidated by them. We all have different mixes of talents, and it
takes that mix to make a successful whole. I will say that I don't think
today's scientists and engineers are quite as arrogant or condescending
toward non-technical people as earlier ones were. At least the ones I know
are pretty nice.

Did you kow what you wanted do be when you were younger?

No, I didn't know what I wanted to do when I was younger. Most of the
people I knew were teachers, farmers, or businesspeople. I was too shy to
see myself as a teacher or businessperson, and too lazy to be a farmer!

What things were inspirational to you when you were younger?

Gosh, what was inspiring to me? I guess the Apollo landing on the moon
made a big impression. I kept running back and forth between watching the
TV and going out to look up at the Moon. Come to think of it, when I try
to remember inspiring things, they WERE related to space and astronomy.
The northern lights, for example, which I saw a few times. Also, my Camp
Fire leaders were big on volunteerism, and that made an impression.

What gave you the idea or inspiration to get involved in astronomy?

My involvement with the Voyager project gave me my interest in astronomy.
Two Voyager spacecraft went to Jupiter and Saturn, making many discoveries
of new moons and rings and storms. Then Voyager 2 was able to go on to
Uranus and Neptune, the first (and so far the only) spacecraft to go to
those two planets. Both spacecraft are now searching for the edge of the
Sun's magnetic influence. They've been out there for 20 years! 

Because you1re a woman and majored in English, did anyone criticize you
for wanting to work at NASA?

No, I don't think anyone ever criticized an English major for wanting to
work at NASA because, frankly, some engineers and scientists can't write
worth beans, and they need someone to help them! Don't get me wrong, many
of them are exceptionally gifted and multitalented, and can run rings
around me when it comes to writing, but lots of them need help, too. It
takes a lot of different skills from a lot of different people to reach a
goal such as landing on Mars. Would you believe that only 4% of JPL
employees are scientists? Another 30% are engineers, another 30% or so are
computer people. The rest are probably us liberal arts types.


What other kinds of jobs could you get if you didn't work at NASA?

I think if I didn't work at NASA I would work for a multimedia developer,
since CD-ROMs and the Internet are such hot areas right now, and they
really are just an exotic form of writing and presenting material
visually. Or perhaps I would work for a publishing house, or a magazine.

Would you say then that a liberal arts degree is a safe degreee if you're
not sure what you want to be?

I think the main point of college is to learn how to learn, to learn how
to find information. Because college is just the beginning of the rest of
your life and many people will have several different careers over their
40 or 50-year working lifetime. If you're not sure what you want to be,
try a few things. Take some tests (your counselors can help, or there are
books in the stores and libraries to help) to see what type of jobs people
with your interests excel in. Volunteer--an easy way to try a few
different things. Try some different part-time jobs. Ask people about
their jobs (like you're asking me now), and see what starts to appeal to
you. I hate to say that a liberal arts degree is "safe", but perhaps it is
one way to be multi-talented.

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How long will Hale-Bopp be around?

Hale Bopp will be visible from our part of the world for several more
weeks. I think telescopes in the southern hemisphere will be able to
observe it next fall, but of course it will be much farther away
by then.

What's the most interesting thing you1ve learned about the Hale Bopp?

The most interesting thing about Hale Bopp so far has been that it is
releasing lots of stuff besides water: methanol, formaldehyde, carbon
monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen sulfide, and many compounds rich in
carbon. These could be from a very early time in the Universe.

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Do you have other pets? 

I have three cats and one horse.

What's your horse's name?

My horse's name is Willie.

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Are you still shy?

I'm still shy in some situations, although people who used to know me
would be astounded at how vocal I can be sometimes now! Growing up shy, I
spent a lot of time by myself, and I still need time to myself. I don't
like big groups. I like one-on-one talks, or small groups, much better.

Do you ever want to write a book?

I might write a book someday, but it would probably be non-fiction. I
don't have an ear for dialog and creating scenes, like you need to do in
novels.


What do you like to read?

I read for work and for pleasure, a combination of magazines and books. I
read two newspapers a day, and as many magazines as I have time for,
either about horses or about science and technology. Books, I mostly read
popular novels, mysteries, usually nothing technical.

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