With the start of fall term at every college, a new group of freshman arrive to expand their horizons, follow their dreams, and of course enjoy the newly found freedom! This 2013 fall semester was of course no exception. As a scientist in a research building that also contains lecture halls for classes it is a normal part of the day to have to step over the many outstretched legs of students lining the walls waiting for their next class as we try to reach the coffee machines. Or if you don't time your coffee break just right you can be overcome by the masses of students rushing out of one of the lecture halls.
It was on one of these mornings during the first week of classes that I didn't have my timing just right. So instead of trying to swim upstream through the rushing flow of the freshman biochemistry class - I waited. Two young male students were the last stragglers to leave and they were discussing this new experience of college. The last of this conversation that I overheard was a little shocking. As the one said to the other "I can't believe there are so many girls in our class?" and the others reply "Yeah, that is weird."
Ok, so there are many things wrong with their thinking and these statements and my first thought (as a girl) was "WHAT?? Have you been living under a rock?" And then as a scientist I began to devise plausible hypotheses as to this thinking.
Are students still not being taught the complete history of science and it's female contributors? Would the addition of these women into science textbooks be beneficial?
Are students from small towns less likely to have an equal female:male student ratio taking science electives? Is this seen in small towns, large cities, or both?
How likely are female highschool students to engage in and pursue careers in the field of science? Does peer pressure or lack of support by guidance counselors play a role in future career choices by women?
Remembering my small town highschool days, there was a career guidance test that was taken to help guide us in choosing our future careers. My scores suggested that I would make a great airline stewardess! Let's just say that one never crossed my mind at 17, but the power of suggestion is strong and soon I had thoughts of travelling the world and passing out drinks up in the skies!! Those thoughts didn't last long! I realize that 30 some years ago the general conception was that the science field was considered a suitable and prestigious career for men, but here we are in 2013 and young men are still questioning why girls are taking science classes?
The conversation I overheard that day has been the driving force behind my writing the book "Born On the Wrong Side of History". Having posed the question to various college students as well as my own children "Can you name one famous female scientist?", there were long blank stares followed by the struggle to think of one. Some could tell me one female scientist's achievement but not the name. This is a problem...
When asked if they knew who Beatrix Potter was, some could tell me she authored the "Peter Rabbit" stories and then I got "She's from Harry Potter." I can maybe see that one! What most people don't know is that she was first and foremost a mycologist (fungus) and made significant advances in the field. As a woman she was not allowed to present her work - common for the times - and so her work was presented to the scientific community by a male colleague. There are hundreds of female scientists dating back to 2700 BC who have done substantial work in every scientific discipline and within this book I have taken each of these disciplines and highlighted the major women in their field and the technology they used both past and present.
In order to educate and inspire the next generation and generations to come, this book illuminates the historic scientific endeavors and accomplishments of female scientists given the barriers they faced, cultural biases and gender inequalities.
For centuries significant contributions to the field of science have been made by women, yet their work remains largely unknown and much of which been credited to brothers, fathers, uncles, husbands or male colleagues. It is time to elevate these historic female scientists to their rightful place in the history books as they were simply born on the wrong side of history.
Comentários