Archive of Julie Williams Byrd's chat on March 31, 1998

[ Tish/NASAChatHost - 8 - 09:43:16 ]
RE: [Steph-Stephanie/NQRHS] can I print this later
Yes, you can print out chat dialogue later. I would suggest you wait until we archive it later in the day so it is edited and in a better format. It will be edited and archived and linked from the Julie's profile later today.

[ JulieByrd - 14 - 10:06:47 ]
RE: [jeremiah-FastGuts] hi there, im speaking from CA...id like to know if you're in a Nasa facility answering these questions
Hi Jeremiah- yes i am answering these questions at NASA facility

[ JulieByrd - 15 - 10:08:08 ]
RE: [Wendy-Wendy/ChallengerLearningCenter] Your BIO said that you worked on lasers for predicting wind velocity in hurricanes. Are there any other measurements that lasers help gather for hurricanes?
Lasers are used for a variety of measurements. We design laser that are used as transmitters for lidar instruments that measure water vapor, ozone, and a bunch of other atmospheirc constitutents

[ JulieByrd - 19 - 10:14:43 ]
RE: [Stephanie/NQRHS] You said in your profile that you were good at math in high school...since our school doesn't have a very good math program and I'm taking pre-calculus math but the class isn't very good...will I be able to pick up the math at university or will it be too late by then?
You will need a good math background before you get to college. Talk with some teachers or an advicer at your school to see if there is some way to augment you math classes. Maybe a tutor or a civic organization can help you.

[ JulieByrd - 26 - 10:19:12 ]
RE: [mcdermon/RuralHall] How did you feel when you 1st started out?
When I first started working at NASA I was extremely overwhelmed. Luckily, the people I work with are nice and they made me feel like one of the "guys". One of the projects that I am working on now will be used to measure ozone from the troposphere. Remember the hole in the ozone that we have heard so much about? This instrument will provide more information about the hole.

[ JulieByrd - 27 - 10:21:50 ]
RE: [Wendy/ChallengerLearningCenter] Are lasers used to do spectroscopy on these atmospheric components? And can they identify pollutants in the atmosphere?
Yes Wendy, you hit the nail on the head. These particular lasers are used at certain wavelengths or colors that pick up or detect certain pollutants in the atmosphere. For instance some lasers see only red, and red could correspond to certain pollutants that emit from cars or smoke stacks.

[ JulieByrd - 28 - 10:23:39 ]
RE: [Stephanie/NQRHS] when you work on a certain project do you always have to finish it before you start another and how long does it take to build a laser from start to finish?
Typically, we work on several projects at a time. Usually each project is in a different phase. For instance, one project could be almost finished while another project is in the planning stage.

[ JulieByrd - 33 - 10:27:10 ]
RE: [Tish/NASAChatHost] Via email from Scotts Valley Elementary - Do you ever do any research for the medical field and do you think laser surgery will be improved upon?
I do build lasers specifically for the medical field. But some of the lasers that I do build could possibly have applications in the medical field. Personnally, I think would like have more interaction with the medical profession. Lasers do make surgery less intrusive. For instance some lasers are used to elimimate fibriod cysts in women. Before to eliminate fibriods, a women would have to be cut and undergo a long recovery time.

[ JulieByrd - 34 - 10:27:44 ]
RE: [mcdermon/RuralHall] Are there any other engineers in your family?
No, but I have hopes for my two sons.

[ JulieByrd - 35 - 10:29:59 ]
RE: [Stephanie/NQRHS] I really like airplanes and space shuttles but I'm really good at chemistry and I like it too...how can I find something that fits both of them and if I can't...do you think aerospace is wrong for me?
I suggest that you always stick with what you like. Because in the work environment, you will need that type of motivation. Chemical engineering is useful in the aero-space industry because this industry is always looking for improved materials in which to use.

[ JulieByrd - 36 - 10:31:10 ]
RE: [Zaccaro/EdisonMS] As you were advancing your carrer, did you ever find you had to sacrifice important events or put them on hold, like having children or getting married?
I never had to hold off the important stuff like marriage or children. I feel like one knows when the time is right for major life decisions.

[ JulieByrd - 37 - 10:32:29 ]
RE: [FastGuts] Is your appetite for discovery affiliated or supportive for the HAARP program as an engineer for sensory technology? <ps: how do you personally judge the overabundant attention drawn to HAARP technology while your research rests quietly in the back pages of last years Discovery Magazines?>
I am not familar with the HAARP program, thus I can not comment.

[ JulieByrd - 43 - 10:37:55 ]
RE: [Stephanie/NQRHS] When your projects work well and do their job the way they are designed to like the one you designed for the space shuttle, do you feel proud...like "wow...I did that!" ?
I am always excited when a laser works like designed. Laser technology is relatively new. Lasers have only been around for maybe thirty years. So, there is plenty of room for new lasers and their applications. If I chose, I could be doing the same job for a while.

[ JulieByrd - 44 - 10:39:12 ]
RE: [mcdermon/RuralHall] How many laser projects have you worked on?
I have worked on approximately a dozen laser projects since I began in 1986.

[ JulieByrd - 45 - 10:41:07 ]
RE: [Zaccaro/EdisonMS] I was reading an article on you and came across the word civil servant. What is that?
Someone that works for the government or people. For instance, your congress person is civil servant, so is the mailman, so is the president.

[ JulieByrd - 51 - 10:44:02 ]
RE: [Wendy/ChallengerLearningCenter] Is there a limit as to how high (or low) in Earth's atmosphere lasers can be used to make these measurements? Is there anything in the atmosphere that can disturb these measurements?
There is no limit on how low, a laser can be used, for instance many laser instruments are used from the ground. There is a limit on how high a laser can be used. For instance, 800 or 900km would be a limit just because one could not produce enough power to see the laser from that far up. It was once thought that lasers could not go through clouds. Well, the LITE instrument flew from the shuttle and could go though clouds. It even went through a typhon.

[ JulieByrd - 52 - 10:46:39 ]
RE: [Zaccaro/EdisonMS] Was it hard for you to go into a field of science at a time when smart girls we looked down upon?
It was not very difficult to go into science. Most people accept you for what you are and that's a good thing. I also had a lot of help along the way, from highschool teachers to college professors.

[ JulieByrd - 53 - 10:48:07 ]
RE: [Stephanie/NQRHS] You're also an aerospace technologist...how does that fit into your job with lasers? and what's the difference between an aerospace engineer and an aerospace technologist??
An aerospace technologist is a broad term that NASA uses to catagorize all of its engineers.

[ JulieByrd - 54 - 10:51:10 ]
RE: [Zaccaro/EdisonMS] Your article states that you think science fitction movies give scientists a bad name. You also believe that people have a tendency to think that scientists work all alone in a lonely laboratory. How often do you daily interact with other people and in what situations?
I interact with all types of people all during the day. I interact with management, peers, technicians. Sometimes I get really lucky and interact with people like yourselves. I did not encounter any biases while advancing my career. Most people will accept you if you are very good at what you do.

[ Tish/NASAChatHost - 58 - 10:53:20 ]
You are posting some very interesting questions and I am sorry we cannot post them all. Let's give Julie a chance to answer those up here and see if we have any time for more. We need to close down in about 5 minutes.

[ JulieByrd - 59 - 10:53:20 ]
RE: [FastGuts] How comparitive is the laser world of light and such to that of electromagnetivity....do they intertwine or are they apples and oranges...you have a fascinating job.
Light and electromagnetivity are close cousins. Light possess energy levels and acts just like a wave.

[ JulieByrd - 60 - 10:55:17 ]
RE: [Stephanie/NQRHS] Do you have any "words of wisdom" for a student leaving high school now...is there anything that without it you might not have been able to make it through university?
Pay attention in all of your classes in highschool. Keep in contact with some of your teachers. Once in college don't give up your dream, continue to persevere.

[ JulieByrd - 61 - 10:56:51 ]
RE: [Wendy/ChallengerLearningCenter] Is your work/research posted anywhere on line where we can access it?
Attached to the bio, there is a website of my branch's activities. The branch website lists all the laser work that I have worked on.

[ JulieByrd - 62 - 10:58:01 ]
RE: [Zaccaro/EdisonMS] What is the "atmospheric science community" and who are your "primary coustomers"?
The atmospheric science community are our primary costumers. They decide what atmospheric constituent they want to investigate, and we find a way to detect it.

[ JulieByrd - 66 - 11:00:53 ]
RE: [Zaccaro/EdisonMS] You must have gone to a teriffic college/university. What requirements did you have to meet for acceptance?
I can't remember back that far :). I'm sure high scores on the SAT and very good grades in highschool.

[ JulieByrd - 68 - 11:03:01 ]
RE: [Zaccaro/EdisonMS] What is the Internal Operations Group? <sounds scary!!>
The internal operations group, is the name of the organization that supports all the work at Langley. No we don't go around operating on people without them knowing. English and speech are just of few of the classes that I use on a regular basis, oh yea, don't forget typing.

[ Tish/NASAChatHost - 69 - 11:03:31 ]
It is just about 11:00 so we will not be posting any more questions. Julie has a few more to answer and then we will close down. This chat will be archived and linked from Julie's profile later today. Thank you for joining us and for your thoughtful questions.

[ JulieByrd - 70 - 11:04:08 ]
RE: [Wendy/ChallengerLearningCenter] Does electrical activity in the atmosphere interfere with a laser's ability to take measurements?
No. Our LASE instruments is actually used during hurricanes.

[ Wendy/ChallengerLearningCenter - 71 - 11:05:49 ]
Thank you for hosting this chat!

[ Tish/NASAChatHost - 72 - 11:09:15 ]
Thank you Julie for giving us your time today. We appreciate your time and the interesting insight into your work.