Recently, scanning the new book section of the Orono Public Library, I found a volume that Amber who has a PhD in physics would insist that I review. In her younger years she really enjoyed reading about women scientists--especially those who didn't get to enjoy the acclaim they deserved. As an adult she really wants today's girls to be able to learn about and be inspired by them.
Melina Gerosa Bellows and Katie Hafner, authors of The Lost Women of Science, learned about Dr. Dorothy Anderson in 2021. Barred from becoming a surgeon because of being a woman, she became the pathologist who identified and described cystic fibrosis, enabling other scientists to develop treatments to prolong the lives of young patients. Sadly after her death she faded into obscurity. They were many brilliant female scientists who had suffered a similar fate.
"So our team at Lost Women of Science set out to research the lives and work of as many women as we could find--women who made huge contributions to science but for reasons of time and place and the lack of a Y chromosome didn't get the recognition they deserved during their lifetime."
In this first volume of the series young readers learn about Anderson and nine other forgotten pioneers including:
*Eunice Newton Foote who discovered the science behind the greenhouse effect in the nineteenth century;
*Dr. Cecelia Payne Gaposchkin who discovered what stars are made of;
*Elezebeth Smith Friedman who was America's first female cryptanalyst;
and *Yvonne Y. Clark who achieved greatly as a Black female mechanical engineer.
The forward to the book concludes with this paragraph:
"We hope that in learning more about each and every one of them, your curiosity will be piqued and you'll be inspired to carry out some remarkable work of your own. These once lost, now found women of science officially pass the baton of exploration and discovery to you, the next generation of mavericks."
Girls who have scientific curiosity will find The Lost Women of Science truly engaging. I'm sure that Amber will agree that this most excellent volume belongs in all school and public libraries.
On a purrrsonal note, I'm enjoying the last days of having our beautiful Christmas tree adorning our living room. Today and tomorrow I'll be mostly reading near it. Eugene will turn 66 Saturday. Amber and Brian are throwing him a birthday lunch. I'll bake him a molasses cake 🎂 for his supper dessert. Tobago and I will give him a card and money. I'd give him a gift card to his favorite sporting goods store but it's not on the bus line.
A great big shout out goes out to Eugene.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
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