Tanita is shooting for the stars
Wits astrophysics student selected for prestigious event
TANITA Ramburuth-hurt is adamant that aliens exist.
“The universe is so massive that it can’t be possible that we are the only ones. Mathematically, it’s also impossible for there not to be other intelligent life.”
The 25-year-old from Kensington has been fascinated with extraterrestrial life since she was a teen.
“The fact that mathematically it makes sense, but we still haven’t discovered or made contact with any intelligent life made me extremely fascinated by the subject.”
Her obsession with extraterrestrial life is actually one of the main reasons Ramburuth-hurt pursued a degree in astrophysics
“When I was about 13, I told my dad that I really wanted to find aliens. He said to me that my best bet would be to pursue a degree in astrophysics, and that’s what I have been pursuing ever since,” she says.
But while the Wits University student is yet to find evidence of alien life, she is certainly creating waves in the world of astrophysics.
This week it was announced that Ramburuth-hurt was one of three Wits students who had been selected to attend a meeting of Nobel laureates and young scientists in Lindau, Germany, later this year.
Ramburuth-hurt, Michael Sarkis and Francis Otieno are among 20 young scientists from South Africa chosen to attend the meeting after being nominated by the Academy of Science of South Africa.
The 20 students, all aged 35 and younger, were selected from various South African universities and comprise 10 males and 10 females.
They will join 580 young scientists from 88 countries who will participate from June 30 to July 5, along with 42 Nobel laureates, including last year’s laureates in physics, Donna Strickland and Gérard Mourou.
This meeting focuses on physics and key topics include cosmology, laser physics and gravitational waves.
Ramburuth-hurt, who is currently completing her second year of a Master’s degree in physics, is thrilled.
“When I found out that I had been selected, the overwhelming emotion I felt was excitement, but also a sense of validation that I’m on the right track.
“It’s really exciting to meet people who have changed the game in physics in general.
“Nobel Prizes are awarded to people who have made outstanding discoveries, and being around them will be really exciting. The most exciting thing for me is meeting other young scientists from around the world.”
She looks forward to interacting with female scientists.“for a long time in this field, women have been sidelined and their work has been published without getting any credit. So I’m happy that I got this opportunity on merit and it shows that female scientists are on par with male scientists.”
As a female physicist in a male-dominated industry, Ramburuth-hurt knows all about being sidelined.
“I think as a woman in physics, or a person of colour, the environment manifests in a way where you feel like you don’t belong. It is a white, male-dominated industry, and so I have experienced different kinds of social pressures that have held me back, like harassment in the workplace. It’s unnecessary pressure.”
Winning a Nobel Prize for physics has never been her goal. “There’s very specific circumstances that you need to get to win a Nobel Prize in physics, and I’m not sure if what I’m doing will tick all those boxes, so I wouldn’t say it is the biggest goal of my life.”
The former Jeppe Girls’ High pupil had to make sacrifices to get to where she is today. “My social life is not very active and most nights I’m at home studying. For me, it is all worth it. I have set myself goals and seeing them being achieved makes it all worth it.”
While Ramburuth-hurt has had her hands full working on projects such as the MEERKAT, the best radio telescope in the Southern Hemisphere, she hasn’t forgotten about her search for aliens.
“I don’t think we will discover aliens in my lifetime, or anyone else’s, for that matter, but I have no doubt that they exist. The closest star is four light years away, so if you are travelling at the speed of light, you’ll only get there in four years. The distances across space are vast, and so we are unable to travel those kind of distances in our lifetime.
“But I am certain they exist and I will continue to look for answers for as long as I’m alive.”