When you hear the term "space" do you think of aliens or the cramped urban landscape of Boston? At BostonTalks, local architects and astrophysicists cover both ideas of space. Curiosity Desk's Edgar B Herwick III hosts a discussion of space that includes architectural designer Aeron Hodges on living small, Emily O'Neil on the arts community in Fort Point, and molecular astrophysicist Clara Sousa-Silva considering if we share the universe with other life. (Image: [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/photo/sky-earth-space-working-2156/ "Pexels"))
Aeron has worked on Troy Boston, a 380-unit apartment building in downtown Boston. The goal? Deliver sustainable urban living solutions through design. It was a project that let her engage in the challenge of architecture—solving a lot of different problems with an open mind. One problem that she’s set her sights on recently is the question of living small in urban spaces. With the WHAT’S IN housing research initiative, Aeron and her team are researching and testing new models for urban housing—as small as 450SF a home. When she’s not working, you can find her teaching at Roger Williams University where she’s been a design studio professor.
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Clara Sousa-Silva, a molecular astrophysicist, uses quantum physics and computer simulations to figure out what molecules look like when they interact with light. She then uses these molecular fingerprints to deduce what the composition of any atmosphere is, be it on Earth or elsewhere in the galaxy. In her words, "Light from an atmosphere can tell us so much - whether we are seeing pollution, oceans or even life. But without knowing what each meaningful molecule looks like, that light is indecipherable. That's why my work is crucial if we want to understand alien worlds, and eventually detect a new Earth." (Image: MIT)
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Emily O’Neil holds a B.A. from Bowdoin College and a Master’s Degree from Tufts University, where she wrote her thesis on the value of arts education in Boston’s public school system. Emily honed her administrative, curatorial and managerial skills in the arts though her roles as Gallery Director at Barbara Krakow Gallery in Boston and Smith Andersen Editions in Palo Alto, CA. Emily has experience in the nonprofit sector, working as Director of Development at Inquilinos Boriquas en Accion (I.B.A.), a community development corporation in Boston’s South End known for its strong arts and culture programs. After taking time off to raise three children, Emily returned to the arts in 2011, working as Special Events and Corporate Partnership Officer at the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) in Cambridge. Emily is also Executive Director of the Charles and Joan Gross Family Foundation, a small family foundation that supports the development and performance of new works by emerging choreographers and composers. (Image and Bio: [Fort Point Arts Community Inc.](http://www.fortpointarts.org/posts/welcome-emily/ "Fort Point Arts Community"))