About me#
I’ve been drawn to the stars for as long as I can remember – from childhood nights spent stargazing, to winter days poring over books about black holes or exploring the solar system with a planetarium CD-ROM from the ’90s.
I now work at SKAO in the UK, helping build software for the world’s largest radio telescopes. Earlier in life, I spent over a decade in Norway as a research scientist in marine molecular biology, and later, a consultant in artificial intelligence.
How this site began#
Pale Blue Marbles began in 2020 when – like many others – I found myself homeschooling my (then) 6- and 8-year old children during the COVID-19 pandemic. I spent my evenings preparing lesson plans and my days figuring out how to juggle teaching with my work.
Amid the chaos, homeschooling brought me joy. I loved seeing my children’s eyes light up with curiosity and wonder when we learnt new things together. It inspired me to create resources that might spark that same sense of wonder in others.
We may be confined to our homes right now but our minds are still free to roam the Universe.
I began sharing articles about astrobiology – the study of life in the universe – along with activity ideas and printable learning packs. These included puzzles, colouring pages, quizzes, and worksheets — all free to use and download.
The name Pale Blue Marbles is a nod to the search for other habitable worlds – and a blending of two iconic images of our home planet: The Pale Blue Dot and The Blue Marble.
Looking forward#
At its core, this site is – and will always be – about curiosity and wonder for nature.
Surprisingly, my most popular post is not one of my astrobiology-themed activities – it’s a collection of nature poems for kids. It’s one of my favourites too.
Poetry and science both cultivate curiosity and both can shift our perspective in different ways. We make discoveries when we pause and truly observe - whether in words or in data.
Our family is multilingual, and my children are growing up speaking English, Swedish, and Norwegian. I find it fascinating how language shapes perception, especially for children.
So this site is expanding into the space where science and poetry meet –
in the shadows on the moon,
the starlight on the forest floor,
the song of a pulsar
– with a Nordic twist.
Whether you’re here as a parent, teacher, poet, science-lover, or simply someone who finds joy in discovery – welcome. This is a space for learning, science, imagination, and poetry – especially under starlit skies.
Let’s make sense of star stuff together – one poem at a time.