Women's Adventures in Science
National Academies Press
Published on 31. December 2006
Book
Hardback
978-0-309-10130-1 (ISBN)
Description
What would it be like to build the first robot that could interact with people? Or to study human remains in search of criminal evidence? In "Women's Adventures in Science", readers will learn about the trailblazing women who are leaders in a variety of scientific fields, from robotics to forensics. Each book focuses on the life and work of a woman active in her field today, providing readers with insights into the personal and professional paths that led to their careers in science. The companion Web site, offers another way to "meet" these inspiring women scientists. The fun, interactive site builds on the content of the books and includes games, comic strips, videos, activities, and a timeline of women in science. A hardcover edition is available through Scholastic Library Publishing."Beyond Jupiter: The Story of Planetary Astronomer Heidi Hammel" tells the story of Heidi Hammel who is a planetary astronomer, a scientist who uses the world's most powerful telescopes to learn about planets. The giant planets Neptune and Uranus are her specialties. She was on the team that first spotted Neptune's Great Dark Spot, a raging storm as big as Earth.
Heidi also led a team of astronomers tracking the Great Comet Crash, a spectacular event in which a fragmented comet pounded Jupiter for an entire week. There's no telling what Heidi will find when she peers into a telescope. That's what makes her work exciting."Bone Detective: The Story of Forensic Anthropologist Diane France" is written by Lorraine Jean Hopping who won the NSTA/CBC award for Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children, 2005. Diane France loves bones. Every skeleton she meets whispers secrets about the life-and death-of its owner. Diane can hear those secrets because she's a forensic anthropologist, a bone detective. She has the science skills and know-how to examine bones for clues to a mystery: Who was this person and how did he or she die? Her work helps law enforcement agencies solve crimes and identify victims of mass disasters."Forecast Earth: The Story of Climate Scientist Inez Fung Renee Skelton" tells the story of Inez Fung who forecasts the future - a future when Earth could look and feel a lot different than it does now. Inez is a climate scientist, someone who studies the causes of weather patterns and how they change over time.
Inez uses data about the planet's land masses, oceans, and atmosphere to create computer models of Earth. Even gas and dust embedded in polar ice half a millions years ago can tell Inez about climates of the past-and give clues about Earth's climate future."Gene Hunter: The Story of Neuropsychologist" is written by Nancy Wexler Adele Glimm. Nancy Wexler is a hunter. Her quarry is the gene responsible for a fatal, inherited sickness called Huntington's disease. Finding this gene is a vital step toward preventing or curing Huntington's and thus saving lives. Nancy's work takes her all over the world, specifically to small villages in Venezuela where the mysterious gene affects more people than anywhere else on the globe. Her hunt is a breathtaking race against time-not only for others but maybe for herself, as well. Nancy, the daughter of a Huntington's patient, is at risk for this disease."Gorilla Mountain: The Story of Wildlife Biologist Amy Vedder Rene Ebersole". Amy Vedder is a wildlife biologist, a scientist who studies animals and their behavior. She uses her knowledge to save animals whose lives and habitats are threatened.
Amy once lived in a remote part of central Africa, where she helped rescue Rwanda's mountain gorillas from extinction. Today Amy travels the world, from her home base at New York's Bronx Zoo to the far reaches of Mongolia in Asia. Everywhere she goes, she teaches people how to appreciate and protect the precious wildlife that surrounds them. "Nature's Machines: The Story of Biomechanist Mimi Koehl" by Deborah Parks tells the story of Mimi Koehl who is a biomechanist, a scientist who uses engineering and physics to study the designs of living things that fly, swim, drift, and crawl. She loves solving riddles about how creatures-from feathered dinosaurs to flying frogs-live and move. To uncover answers, Mimi has attached leashes to microscopic animals and created ingenious models using raspberry gelatin and even Silly Putty. Her research helps us better understand the mechanics of the plants and animals around us."People Person: The Story of Sociologist Marta Tiend" by Diane O'Connell tells the story of Marta Tienda who is a sociologist, a scientist who studies human society. Numbers are the tools she uses to uncover fascinating information about people and their behavior.
As the daughter of an illegal Mexican immigrant, Marta understands the pain of growing up poor. When her family had to pick crops to earn money, Marta saw firsthand the tough conditions that migrant workers had to endure. She vowed to use her creativity, strong spirit, and positive attitude to empower those who are less fortunate. Today Marta's expertise is helping government leaders create equal opportunities for millions of people."Robo World: The Story of Robot Designer Cynthia Breazeal" by Jordan D. Brown tells the story of Cynthia Breazeal who is a roboticist, a scientist who designs, builds, and experiments with robots. Armed with electronic gadgets, software programs, and her endless imagination, she creates lifelike machines that can respond to the world around them. Why create robots like these? Cynthia can picture a future where sociable robots exist to benefit people. She works hard every day to turn that dream into a reality. "Space Rocks: The Story of Planetary Geologist Adriana Ocampo" by Lorraine Jean Hopping tells the story of planetary geologist Adriana Ocampo's imagination and can-do attitude that have led her to a life of science adventures.
She helped find the missing Crater of Doom, a hole blasted out of the Earth by a "killer" space rock 65 million years ago, when the dinosaurs died out. Now she's searching the world for the material that came from that crater. Between rock digs, she explores other planets through the electronic eyes of NASA's robotic spacecraft. "Strong Force: The Story of Physicist Shirley" by Ann Jackson and Diane O'Connell.
Heidi also led a team of astronomers tracking the Great Comet Crash, a spectacular event in which a fragmented comet pounded Jupiter for an entire week. There's no telling what Heidi will find when she peers into a telescope. That's what makes her work exciting."Bone Detective: The Story of Forensic Anthropologist Diane France" is written by Lorraine Jean Hopping who won the NSTA/CBC award for Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children, 2005. Diane France loves bones. Every skeleton she meets whispers secrets about the life-and death-of its owner. Diane can hear those secrets because she's a forensic anthropologist, a bone detective. She has the science skills and know-how to examine bones for clues to a mystery: Who was this person and how did he or she die? Her work helps law enforcement agencies solve crimes and identify victims of mass disasters."Forecast Earth: The Story of Climate Scientist Inez Fung Renee Skelton" tells the story of Inez Fung who forecasts the future - a future when Earth could look and feel a lot different than it does now. Inez is a climate scientist, someone who studies the causes of weather patterns and how they change over time.
Inez uses data about the planet's land masses, oceans, and atmosphere to create computer models of Earth. Even gas and dust embedded in polar ice half a millions years ago can tell Inez about climates of the past-and give clues about Earth's climate future."Gene Hunter: The Story of Neuropsychologist" is written by Nancy Wexler Adele Glimm. Nancy Wexler is a hunter. Her quarry is the gene responsible for a fatal, inherited sickness called Huntington's disease. Finding this gene is a vital step toward preventing or curing Huntington's and thus saving lives. Nancy's work takes her all over the world, specifically to small villages in Venezuela where the mysterious gene affects more people than anywhere else on the globe. Her hunt is a breathtaking race against time-not only for others but maybe for herself, as well. Nancy, the daughter of a Huntington's patient, is at risk for this disease."Gorilla Mountain: The Story of Wildlife Biologist Amy Vedder Rene Ebersole". Amy Vedder is a wildlife biologist, a scientist who studies animals and their behavior. She uses her knowledge to save animals whose lives and habitats are threatened.
Amy once lived in a remote part of central Africa, where she helped rescue Rwanda's mountain gorillas from extinction. Today Amy travels the world, from her home base at New York's Bronx Zoo to the far reaches of Mongolia in Asia. Everywhere she goes, she teaches people how to appreciate and protect the precious wildlife that surrounds them. "Nature's Machines: The Story of Biomechanist Mimi Koehl" by Deborah Parks tells the story of Mimi Koehl who is a biomechanist, a scientist who uses engineering and physics to study the designs of living things that fly, swim, drift, and crawl. She loves solving riddles about how creatures-from feathered dinosaurs to flying frogs-live and move. To uncover answers, Mimi has attached leashes to microscopic animals and created ingenious models using raspberry gelatin and even Silly Putty. Her research helps us better understand the mechanics of the plants and animals around us."People Person: The Story of Sociologist Marta Tiend" by Diane O'Connell tells the story of Marta Tienda who is a sociologist, a scientist who studies human society. Numbers are the tools she uses to uncover fascinating information about people and their behavior.
As the daughter of an illegal Mexican immigrant, Marta understands the pain of growing up poor. When her family had to pick crops to earn money, Marta saw firsthand the tough conditions that migrant workers had to endure. She vowed to use her creativity, strong spirit, and positive attitude to empower those who are less fortunate. Today Marta's expertise is helping government leaders create equal opportunities for millions of people."Robo World: The Story of Robot Designer Cynthia Breazeal" by Jordan D. Brown tells the story of Cynthia Breazeal who is a roboticist, a scientist who designs, builds, and experiments with robots. Armed with electronic gadgets, software programs, and her endless imagination, she creates lifelike machines that can respond to the world around them. Why create robots like these? Cynthia can picture a future where sociable robots exist to benefit people. She works hard every day to turn that dream into a reality. "Space Rocks: The Story of Planetary Geologist Adriana Ocampo" by Lorraine Jean Hopping tells the story of planetary geologist Adriana Ocampo's imagination and can-do attitude that have led her to a life of science adventures.
She helped find the missing Crater of Doom, a hole blasted out of the Earth by a "killer" space rock 65 million years ago, when the dinosaurs died out. Now she's searching the world for the material that came from that crater. Between rock digs, she explores other planets through the electronic eyes of NASA's robotic spacecraft. "Strong Force: The Story of Physicist Shirley" by Ann Jackson and Diane O'Connell.