Headstrong Part II

It's time to talk about the second half of Headstrong, the book that features awesome lady scientists. We are at the end, and I am really happy I read this book. I would love to make these brilliant women known to other people, especially my children. Because I have one girl and one boy, I realize that it is equally important to teach my daughter and my son that women can do amazing things in science. I hope that when they read books like this one, they won't be surprised at the contributions women have made to scientific fields; instead, they will take for granted that women can be accomplished in any career they choose to pursue.

Here are some of my favorites from these sections:
Irene Joliot-Curie continued the scientific tradition of her family and discovered the first artificially produced radioactive element. Chien-Shiung Wu proved that the nucleus is not symmetrical. Annie Jump Carson categorized hundreds of thousands of stars. Marie Tharp mapped the ocean floor and proved that continental drift was real. Sophie Kowalevski was an important theoretical mathematician and Grace Hopper designed computer programs and worked for the Navy.

                


1. Did you learn anything that especially surprised you?
I guess it isn't surprising, but I was frustrated by the consistency with which scientists got no credit for their work and had to work as "voluntary unpaid professors." Sigh. On the positive side, I was really impressed by these women who refused to take no for an answer and worked wherever they could, even in home labs or in one case, an actual closet.

2. If you had to go to work in any of the scientific fields described in this book, which one would you choose and why?
I think I would go into medicine. I am fascinated by the way the body works and I was especially impressed by scientists like Florence Nightingale who used science to change the face of public health.

3. Inspired by a comment by Kim of Time 2 Read, I’m curious – How do you feel about Sally Ride’s recommendation that NASA focus their efforts more here on Earth?
 I think it's always going to be about making time for both. We need to explore and care for the planet. We don't have the time or resources to explore the stars if we have destroyed Earth. And I have to imagine that we can learn some things about other planets by looking at our own.

4. Are there any other books that you’d recommend for further reading on science history, especially female scientists?
 This question is making me feel sad, because I'm realizing that I really haven't done a lot of reading about science. The only one I can think of off the top of my head is The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage, which is a fun re-imagining told through comics. I'm looking forward to seeing how other readers answer this question, so I can add to my reading list!


Thank you to Katie for hosting this readalong and make sure to visit her blog to find out what other readers thought about Headstrong!

Headstrong: The First Post

Happy Friday, everyone! I'm reading Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science - and the World as part of the readalong at Doing Dewey Decimal. The book is written sort of like an encyclopedia, with a few pages about each woman. I feel like I am learning a lot, although I am so frustrated that this is the first time I'm hearing about the majority of these scientists.

The encyclopedia-like format is a great way to learn, but I'm finding it hard to keep track of who did what. In an effort to combat that a little bit, I've started telling my eight year old about some of these women. Teaching someone else is a really good way to retain information and I'm glad to know my son will know about scientists besides Einstein and Tesla.

The first few sections are about scientists who worked in the fields of medicine, biology, the environment, and genetics and development. Mary Putnam Jacobi disproved the idea that women couldn't work in science because of their periods, Alice Ball figured out a way to successfully deliver medication to patients with leprosy, Helen Taussig was the first pediatric cardiologist, and of course, Virgina Apgar was the scientist who determined that babies needed to be examine after birth and the namesake of the Apgar Test. Mary Anning was an early paleontologist, Ellen Swallow Richards fought for safe drinking water and healthy cooking, Rita Levi-Montalcini studied the spinal cord and nervous system, and Ann McClaren was a pioneer of in vitro fertilization.

Here are the discussion questions for this week:

1. What did you think of the obit beginning with Brill’s domestic accomplishments?                                                                                                                  I think it was really striking to see a literal rocket scientist celebrated for her parenting and cooking skills instead of her scientific accomplishments. It's horrifying, but I think it really exemplifies how women's accomplishments are ignored or credited to their male counterparts. 
2. How do you like the vignette style of this book?                                                                                                                                        It's a great way to dispense a lot of information, but I find myself forgetting the names of the women or exactly what each one did. I feel like I need to take some serious notes, just like cramming for a test in high school or college.                                                                      
3. Do you have a favorite story so far? If so, which one and why?                                             I don't think I have a favorite, but I am thrilled to be learning about so many amazing women and the incredible things they accomplished. I can definitely see having my daughter read this some day (you know, when she's older than 2 and can actually read...). 
4. Do you think something should be done today about the many female scientists who are known not to have received the credit they were due in their time, from paper authorships to Nobel prizes?                                                    Sure, although I'm not sure what that would be. I think, unfortunately, a superior taking credit for the work of someone else in their department is still pretty commonplace in the sciences and other fields.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    What do you think about the way women in the sciences have been treated? Do you have a favorite female scientist we should all be reading about?