From the course: Empowering Dyslexic Thinking at Work

Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock: Dyslexic thinking

From the course: Empowering Dyslexic Thinking at Work

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Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock: Dyslexic thinking

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(soft music) - I am joined by space scientist and space communicator, Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock. Maggie, your curiosity and wonder about space has taken you to amazing places. You've said that "My dyslexic thinking means I don't just think outside the box, I think outside the planet." I love that quote. Tell me, how has your dyslexic thinking helped you in what you do? - Yes. Well I think one of the aspects of dyslexia is I do many different things and I think that is sort of part of the dyslexia. I'm fascinated by everything, an ongoing curiosity and that's what drove me into space science in the first place. I got the space bug when I was a child. I started with the Clangers and then Star Trek, moon landings played an important role there. But I've always been curious and wanting to understand how things work, sort of taking things apart, problem solving as well. And so in my space science, I really feel that the dyslexia drives me on. - [Host] And having that big, crazy vision is such a dyslexic thing. It's sort of imagining the complete impossible. Why do you think that is? - I think some people are the pioneers. The people who sort of look beyond the horizon and wonder what's there. And I think that is definitely a dyslexic trait. And I think we need more of that and we need sort of different people of different characters and sort of people working together. But that visionary, that person says, "Here, follow me. Yeah, let's go and find out." And I think it is just innate in dyslexics and you can see it in sort of in terms of entrepreneurs, sort of Walt Disney coming up with a whole new way of communicating sort of with cartoons. Richard Branson coming up with a whole empire doing things differently. And so these people have to have that vision. And the vision can be big or small, but it's having that vision and then the will and the drive and the resilience to actually get there. So my advice would be believe in yourself. You have so much potential, you can do so much, but also get to know yourself. It took me many years to work out what my strengths and weaknesses are. Even working as a space scientist, I love doing the job, but there's a lot of paperwork. And so I think I'm a more effective science communicator. So I take the sort of the discoveries that are made and I can share them with many people. So know your strengths and weaknesses and work to your strengths. And also I'd like to say, I always say reach for the stars, no matter what your stars are. For me, my stars happen to be stars. I really want to get out there. Your stars might be anything, but have a big and crazy dream and see where it takes you.

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