Dr. Maura McLaughlin is a distinguished professor of physics and astronomy at West Virginia University. She is also the chair of the NANOGrav collaboration and the co-director of the Pulsar Search Collaboratory (PSC). More information about NANOGrav can be found at nanograv.org and the PSC can be found at pulsarsearchcollaboratory.com. Maura and Brendan discuss Pulsars, NANOGrav, Gravitational Waves, LIGO, engaging children in science, opioid addiction, and being a woman in science.  Be sure to support the show by leaving a rating or a review and subscribing to receive future content. Consider becoming a Patron by donating to the show on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/thestateoftheuniverse. For more episodes or information about "The State of The Universe with Brendan Drachler" visit thestateoftheuniverse.com or follow Brendan on Twitter and Instagram @BrendanDrachler.  The State of the Universe is an accessible science and social podcast hosted by Astrophysicist Brendan Drachler. Listen to Brendan and other renowned members of society discuss and explain cutting edge research and profound ideas. The music featured in this episode belongs to Duncan Lorimer and can be found at https://soundcloud.com/duncan-lorimer.