Girl in a Lab Coat

scientist. student. scholar.

[profeminist]

ACTUALLY, FOUR ASTRONAUTS AND A FIGHTER PILOT! 

“From left to right; astronauts Stephanie Wilson, Joan Higginbotham, Mae Jemison, Yvonne Cagle and fighter pilot Shawna Kimbrell”

Source

Learn more about these great women:

1. Stephanie Wilson

2. Joan Higginbotham

3. Mae Jemison

4. Yvonne Cagle

5. Shawna Kimbrell

[profeminist]

Reblogging for Black History Month 2017!

[firstnamesucks]

HELL TO THE FUCKING TO THE YES

[pdothamman-deactivated20170513]

YAY FOR THOSE WOMEN! POWERFUL BLACK WOMEN.

[ehmeegee]

I will never be this cool and that is a million times percent okay with me

[othmeralia]

From the archives: a manuscript laboratory notebook of French chemist, Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac (1778-1850). The notebook describes more than 200 experiments undertaken by Gay-Lussac at the École Polytechnique where he was professor. The experiments took place between December 18, 1820, and October 8, 1825. About ninety of the pages are in Gay-Lussac’s handwriting.

The notebook includes experiments on the solubility of salts, sulfates, and other compounds; fulminates of potassium, silver and mercury; potassium and other elements and hybrids; distillation of alcohols; tobacco; fermentation; sulfates of ammonia and copper; solubility of bi-carbonate of potassium. The six samples seen in the last image above show the results of desiccating ochre, kermes, and a precipitate of sulphur.

Of special interest are the notes in Gay-Lussac’s hand dated 1824 “dissolution d’ indigo” and dealing with the standardization of indigo solutions. In the published paper on this topic, Gay-Lussac first coined the terms “pipettes” and “burettes” and page 119 of this notebook shows his drawing of a pipette (see the fourth image from the top in this post).

[girlinalabcoat]

Good thing there is no chance my lab notebooks would be archived; mine are not pretty to look at...

[startorialist]

In honor of Hidden Figures being nominated for two Oscars yesterday, here’s a reminder of the amazing fall collection from Slow Factory all about “Women Who Inspire” and featuring Katherine Johnson herself (Taraji P. Henson’s character in the film). 

From the Slow Factory website: 

Born August 26, 1918, Katherine Johnson is an American physicist, space scientist, and mathematician. She made fundamental contributions to the United States’ aeronautics and space programs with the early application of digital electronic computers at NASA. Known for accuracy in computerized celestial navigation, her technical leadership work at NASA spanned decades where she calculated the trajectories, launch windows and emergency back-up return paths for many flights from Project Mercury including the early NASA missions of John Glenn, Alan Shepard, the 1969 Apollo 11 flight to the Moon and continued work through the Space Shuttle program and on early plans for the Mission to Mars.

The Katherine Johnson scarf is currently sold out, but there’s a chance of a restock so watch this space…!*

As for Hidden Figures, it was nominated for Best Picture and for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Octavia Spencer as Dorothy Vaughan). This film is so so important because it highlights the vital work done by women at the start of the space program who were left out of the history books due to the color of their skin. If you haven’t seen the film yet, get thee to a movie theater. FYI, the film is based on the book (of the same name) by Margot Lee Shetterly which is a fantastic read. There’s even a young readers version as well. 

Go watch, read, and share the story of these amazing women!

- Summer

*pun always intended ;)

[nprfreshair]

Projected onto the ceiling of Saint-Eustache Church in Paris, Voûtes Célestes is a work by Miguel Chevalier that turned the ancient chapel into the backdrop for a constantly morphing sky chart produced in real time. Cycling through 35 different colored networks, the ceiling glowed with each successive pattern, highlighting the grand architecture that laid below the swirling universes above.

via This Is Colossal 

[girlinalabcoat]

New Fellowship Alert! 

The Brooke Owens Fellowship Program offers paid internships at leading aviation and space companies and organizations for passionate, exceptional women seeking their undergraduate degree.

Check it out and apply!!!

[girlinalabcoat]

It’s been 53 years since a woman won the Nobel Prize in physics. What’s the holdup?

It's time to give Vera Rubin a Nobel for dark matter.

#NobelforVeraRubin

[girlinalabcoat]

Why I Changed My Life: Acting, Astronomy, and a One-of-a-Kind Career

Aomawa Shields, 40, is a classically trained actress and an astronomer. That makes her stronger than ever.

What an inspiring story! Not every scientist’s path looks the same, and Dr. Shields has some great advice about making science work when no one else looks like you in your program. 

[startorialist]

I am BEYOND EXCITED about the new fall collection from Slow Factory launching on the equinox today. The entire line is dedicated to women in science who inspire and features amazing women from the past and present from Amelia Earhart to Katherine Johnson to Mae Jemison. 

The collection consists of the photos above printed on high quality fabrics that are eco-friendly and fair-trade based. Founder Celine Semaan is an advocate for slow fashion: high quality fashion that lasts and also a reminder to slow down and look at the big picture. 

Right now in science, the big picture is that women are still underrepresented in most fields, and the fraction of women of color is even lower. It is especially bad in astronomy and physics, as Emily and I can vouch for first hand. I love that these scarves highlight a spectrum of women who have made significant contributions to our ability to explore the universe, some better known than others. 

Check out all our Slow Factory posts here. And if you missed nabbing one of their previous items, it’s worth a look at their current sale section!

- Summer

[tksstgiftguide]

We are huge fans of Andrea Beaty’s The New York Times bestselling picture books Iggy Peck, Architect and Rosie Revere, Engineer. Celebrating the STEM-focused pursuits of an elementary school class with detailed and wink-filled illustrations by David Roberts, these books give our kids fresh takes on the ideas of trying new things, asking questions, failing, and being tenacious in problem solving.

Ada Twist, Scientist may be our favorite, celebrating a girl who wants to know WHY? and HOW? as she methodically experiments to find out the answers… an essential addition to every kiddo’s bookshelf. 

Buy this book

[girlinalabcoat]

Cards Against Humanity Opens Applications for a Full-Ride Scholarship for Women Seeking Degrees in Science

Applications opened today for the Cards Against Humanity Science Ambassador Scholarship, a full-ride scholarship for women seeking undergraduate degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The recipient of the award will receive full tuition coverage for up to four years, starting with the 2016 academic year.

APPLY!!!!!!

[girlinalabcoat]

2017 Application Open! Same link as before :) 

[the-future-now-deactivated20170]

Remember Emma Yang’s name — she has a bright future ahead of her (x)

follow @the-future-now

[girlinalabcoat]

Materials Science and Engineering

Explore the nanoscale world! (1 nanometer = 0.000000001 meters) The goal of this Lego project is to provide a fun way for students of all ages to learn about Materials ...

This looks so cool!!! Click over to see more about the set and perhaps support it? 

[girlinalabcoat]

Women in Photovoltaics or Battery Research?

Looking for names of women/minority researchers in photovoltaics or batteries! 

[adamvanwinden]

✨✨✨ Stargazer 

This gif was inspired by the story of Caroline Herschel. Born in 1750, Caroline suffered from typhus and a mother who treated her as a servant. She eventually escaped the servant life and joined her older brother in England.  William was a professional musician, and after middling success in music he turned his (and Caroline’s) attention to astronomy. The hobby of astronomy turned into a profession for both of them, and Caroline became the first woman to receive a salary for her contributions to science. (discovering a whole lot of astronomical stuff along the way) I came upon the story in the book linked below, which was a long and rich read. The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science.

[nymag]

The Hidden Black Women Who Helped Win the Space Race

[mymodernmet]

Extremely Rare Gemstone Could Prove That There’s an Ocean Hidden Deep Inside Earth

[thefederalistfreestyle]

I took my Playbill. I found my seat. For nine months, I’d waited for it—the day printed on my ticket to see the hit Broadway show “Hamilton!“Just one thing slightly nagged at me: The pressure to love it as much as the massive fan base already did. The show—a musical about the life of U.S. treasury secretary Alexander Hamilton as just about everyone knows—was, and is, sold out indefinitely, amid rave reviews and celebrity tweets from backstage. By the time I saw it in May, I had listened to the soundtrack often enough to quote it in conversations and have multiple dreams about the show. A friend who had seen “Hamilton” before me teased that I had built up this one performance so much in my mind, there was no way it could meet my expectations. So, I wondered: When we expect greatness or perfection, are we likely to be disappointed? Or would we be better off lowering our expectations, with the aim of being pleasantly surprised? As is often the case, science says: That depends. […lots of science…] As for me and “Hamilton,” I did what every audience member lucky enough to be there should do: I relaxed and enjoyed the show. At the risk of over-hyping, I would say I entered an enchanted state of being called “nirvanilton” as soon as Lin-Manuel Miranda walked on stage (he’s since left the show). But really, I loved the surprises —the way dancing made the whole stage come to life, the way the characters interacted with each other, the way genuine humor emerged despite misfortunes. Experiencing the unexpected is part of the pleasure of live theater. And don’t forget: Hamilton himself had enormous expectations for himself and his country, leading to his heroic fighting in the Revolutionary War, championing the constitution, designing the U.S. financial system, etc. etc. In the show we hear his wife Eliza sing a refrain of realistic expectations: “That would be enough.” But through Alexander we know: Great things have come from people who could never be satisfied.

Getting Off the Hedonic Treadmill (Scientific American)

But like, go actually read the interesting science part