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Samantha Rolfe

Lecturer in Astrobiology and Principal Technical Officer at Bayfordbury Observatory, University of Hertfordshire
I am a Principle Technical Officer and Lecturer in Astrobiology at the University of Hertfordshire. During the months of October to March I am often teaching our undergraduate students practical astronomy when they come to the University of Hertfordshire Observatory at Bayfordbury. They learn how to use the telescopes to observe and study various objects including asteroids, exoplanets, galaxies star clusters and planetary nebulae. My lecture series in Astrobiology consists of teaching how physics and astrophysics can be applied to the search for life in our Solar System and beyond.

At Bayfordbury Observatory, I am constructing a teaching radio interferometer, comprising of three 3m dishes on a 115m baseline to provide a stepping stone between the theory of radio astronomy and the multi-million pound world class facilities that our students may end up working on if they choose a career in radio astronomy.

I studied for an MPhys in Physics with Astrophysics at the University of Leicester followed by a Planetary Science and Astrobiology PhD at the Open University. My PhD involved studying biological molecules with a Raman spectrometer that had been exposed to laboratory simulations of the martian surface environment. I have applied this experience to a project at the University of Hertfordshire where I am researching the detectability of bioaerosols (particles in the atmosphere of biological origin, such as pollens, bacteria, etc.) with the LIDAR remote sensing station (LiSsI), which has an agriculture application such as crop protection.

I regularly do outreach and public engagement too, including writing articles, giving public talks and media interviews, and taking the University of Hertfordshire’s mobile planetaria to schools to inspire the next generation of scientists.

Could invisible aliens really exist among us? An astrobiologist explains

Jan 14, 2020 00:46 am UTC| Insights & Views Science

Life is pretty easy to recognise. It moves, it grows, it eats, it excretes, it reproduces. Simple. In biology, researchers often use the acronym MRSGREN to describe it. It stands for movement, respiration, sensitivity,...

Economy

Viksit Bharat 2026: Fiscal Muscle, Factory Revival, and the War on Speculation

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharamans Union Budget 202627 pursues the Viksit Bharat vision vigorously by combining severe fiscal discipline with a huge growth push. Driven by a 7% GDP growth objective and a lowered fiscal...

IMF Forecasts Global Inflation Decline as Growth Remains Resilient

Global inflation is expected to continue its downward trend over the coming years, according to new projections from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF estimates that global inflation will fall to 3.8% this...

EU Recovery Fund Faces Bottlenecks Despite Driving Digital and Green Projects

Across Spains olive groves and vineyards, sensors and drones funded by the European Unions massive post-pandemic recovery plan are collecting soil data to power AI-driven farming. These projects reflect the core ambition...

JPMorgan Lifts Gold Price Forecast to $6,300 by End-2026 on Strong Central Bank and Investor Demand

JPMorgan has raised its year-end 2026 gold price forecast to an ambitious $6,300 per ounce, reinforcing its bullish outlook on the precious metal despite recent market volatility. The bank points to sustained and...

Philippines Manufacturing PMI Hits Nine-Month High Despite Weak Confidence Outlook

The Philippines manufacturing sector showed a notable rebound at the start of the year, as the SP Global Philippines Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) climbed to a nine-month high of 52.9 in January, up from...

Politics

Medvedev Warns World Is Growing More Dangerous but Says Russia Seeks to Avoid Global Conflict

Dmitry Medvedev, Russias deputy chairman of the Security Council and a senior Kremlin security official, has warned that the global situation is becoming increasingly dangerous, while stressing that Russia does not want a...

Laura Fernandez Set to Become Costa Rica’s Next President, Promising Sweeping Political Change

Laura Fernandez is poised to become Costa Ricas next president, marking a significant political shift as she pledges to continue and deepen the populist agenda of outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves. Her victory signals a...

Starmer’s China Visit Highlights Western Balancing Act Amid U.S.-China Rivalry

British Prime Minister Keir Starmers recent visit to China underscores the complex balancing act Western middle powers are attempting as rivalry between Beijing and Washington intensifies. While the trip allowed China to...

Peter Mandelson Resigns from Labour Party Amid Renewed Jeffrey Epstein Links

Former British government minister Peter Mandelson has resigned from Prime Minister Keir Starmers Labour Party following renewed media scrutiny over his past connections to disgraced U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein. The...

Japan Election Poll Signals Landslide Win for Sanae Takaichi, Raising Fiscal Policy Concerns

Japans ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, is poised for a decisive victory in the upcoming lower house election, according to a new opinion poll released by the Asahi newspaper....

Science

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

Jensen Huang Urges Taiwan Suppliers to Boost AI Chip Production Amid Surging Demand

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang praised and gently pushed Taiwans leading technology suppliers to ramp up production, highlighting the intense global demand for artificial intelligence hardware during a high-profile visit to the...

Oracle Plans $45–$50 Billion Funding Push in 2026 to Expand Cloud and AI Infrastructure

Oracle has announced plans to raise between $45 billion and $50 billion in 2026 as it accelerates the expansion of its cloud infrastructure to meet surging demand from major technology and artificial intelligence clients....

Elon Musk’s Empire: SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI Merger Talks Spark Investor Debate

Speculation around a potential Musk Inc has resurfaced as Elon Musks companiesSpaceX, Tesla, and xAIexplore closer ties amid rapid advances in artificial intelligence and automation. With SpaceX expected to go public later...

SpaceX Reports $8 Billion Profit as IPO Plans and Starlink Growth Fuel Valuation Buzz

SpaceX delivered a strong financial performance last year, generating an estimated $8 billion in profit on revenues between $15 billion and $16 billion, according to people familiar with the companys results. The figures,...

SpaceX Updates Starlink Privacy Policy to Allow AI Training as xAI Merger Talks and IPO Loom

SpaceX has revised its Starlink privacy policy to allow customer data to be used for artificial intelligence training, a move that could significantly support Elon Musks broader AI ambitions. The policy change comes as...