s a girl, I was never once concerned that my career options were limited because of my gender. I grew up convinced I could be anything, and I had the support of my parents and teachers all the way. It was really only the stories of the obstacles women faced, and in some cases are still facing, that told me about the struggles of women to pursue their passions. Reading Dignifying Science was special for me, because I'm fascinated by these brilliant women who challenged scientific and cultural attitudes. Today I'm a microbiologist and writer, and it's because of female pioneers in these fields that I can contribute to how we understand and interpret the world around us. In comic form, learning about the accomplishments of these amazing women is informative and, let's be honest, fun.
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The story I was least familiar with was the spectacular life of Hedy Lamarr. She escaped her oppressive husband and the Nazis to become an American film star and inventor. Lamarr patented a communications technology that eventually became useful for cellular phones. It's a fascinating story about a beautiful woman who lived in a time when men dominated the engineering arena. My sister is an electrical engineer today, and she designs wireless tech that is probably influenced by the designs that Lamarr created. Wow!
My favourite scientist has always been Marie Curie (1867-1934), and although Dignifying Science only touches on her story, it highlights the difficulties women, and men, experienced as scientists at the turn of the century. It is a tough thing to be on the frontier of a field, and many scientists, curious and brilliant people, lived with little and studied with less. Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, and she coined the term radioactivity. I've also studied Rosalind Franklin's work that helped to elucidate the true structure of DNA. She was a remarkable woman as well, and died before her colleagues were awarded their Nobel. Her story in Dignifying Science has an interesting blend of perspectives through the different art styles and does a good job with the complicated science and personality of Franklin.
Dignifying Science also includes stories about Lise Meitner, Barbara McClintock and Biruté Galdikas. The book is entertainingly written and illustrated, and makes a point to remind us that these stories are told for dramatic effect. There are many references provided to point readers towards other works about these important women. It’s also wonderful that Dignifying Science does not present these stories as historical curiosities, as though female scientists of this calibre are rare. Instead, I feel like the book does an excellent job of capturing a few tales about brilliant women in a historical context and reminds me to follow the discoveries that women are making every day. Ottaviani's collection of stories honors these great scientists and is a compelling and fun read.
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