Sarafina Nance

And I think that it's so important for us to better understand the universe in which we live.

That's Egyptian-American astrophysicist Sarafina El-Badry Nance.

For her, the future of astrophysics isn't just about better telescopes, but who gets the chance to manage them? Plenty of kids and teens are fascinated by space, but many rule themselves out because they think they're not smart enough.

Most of my life, I didn't think that a career in astronomy was for someone like me, and someone who is not inherently good at physics or math.

I think that as humans, it is sort of [laughs] part of our DNA to explore and to reach out into the universe, and I think that it's so important for us to better understand the universe in which we live.

That's Egyptian American astrophysicist Sarafina El-Badry Nance.

For her, the future of astrophysics isn't just about better telescopes, but who gets the chance to manage them.

Plenty of kids and teens are fascinated by space, but many rule themselves out because they think they're not smart enough.