Taking back my sense of belonging with new planet results!

There's nothing that takes away your sense of belonging more than officially being told, "No one wants to talk to you." But I have refused to go quietly and give up being part of the group.

Today I have presented new results that planets migrate into their stars. (See http://arxiv.org/abs/1309.3283 and http://arxiv.org/abs/1305.5197.) I present evidence of planets polluting stars with planetary material. I have been deriving these results from data from NASA's Kepler spacecraft as well as ground-based observatories. I have been doing this all alone while all the time visiting astronomers and begging not to be kept out of the thrills of the discovery of planets, just because one private observatory reneged early on my appointment for reasons so funny I took up stand-up comedy to learn how to tell the story. (I have posted videos of me presenting the humorous story, “Laugh at my date, laugh at my boss.”)

Astronomers are finding new planets which could be places for new life in the universe, but one astronomer has been struggling to get support just to start his own family. With two successful papers now on public display, I launch my campaign to “Return the Missing Participant” and ask for the public's support of me being an astronomer able to make a long-delayed return to being a fully participating astronomer.

I am struggling to be a part of finding the planets that show how giant, medium, and small planets migrate differently in planetary systems. I have been kept out of being an author on planet-finding publications that use my work, but I am willing to take a public stand to demand that no observatory group can ever refuse a member from staying involved. My mottos are, “Participation is the purpose of science. Participation is the purpose of life.” Every work-place bully wants silence, but I will make the noise it takes to get the science community to support me staying involved, because I really do believe that the right of a scientist to participate is something worth living or dying for.

Please support me by following my blog where I will not only discuss the migration of planet into destruction by falling into their stars, but also present my struggle for belonging in the astronomy community.

Acceptance and involvement are universal values. We believe in helping everyone feel that they can belong. Fighting for participation is a worthy cause for which I am willing to devote my life. Supporting my participation is a worthy value for which I am willing to go to the public and ask for help.