Carbon Queen
The Remarkable Life of Nanoscience Pioneer Mildred Dresselhaus
-
- $16.99
Publisher Description
The life of trailblazing physicist Mildred Dresselhaus, who expanded our understanding of the physical world.
As a girl in New York City in the 1940s, Mildred “Millie” Dresselhaus was taught that there were only three career options open to women: secretary, nurse, or teacher. But sneaking into museums, purchasing three-cent copies of National Geographic, and devouring books on the history of science ignited in Dresselhaus (1930–2017) a passion for inquiry. In Carbon Queen, science writer Maia Weinstock describes how, with curiosity and drive, Dresselhaus defied expectations and forged a career as a pioneering scientist and engineer. Dresselhaus made highly influential discoveries about the properties of carbon and other materials and helped reshape our world in countless ways—from electronics to aviation to medicine to energy. She was also a trailblazer for women in STEM and a beloved educator, mentor, and colleague.
Her path wasn’t easy. Dresselhaus’s Bronx childhood was impoverished. Her graduate adviser felt educating women was a waste of time. But Dresselhaus persisted, finding mentors in Nobel Prize–winning physicists Rosalyn Yalow and Enrico Fermi. Eventually, Dresselhaus became one of the first female professors at MIT, where she would spend nearly six decades. Weinstock explores the basics of Dresselhaus’s work in carbon nanoscience accessibly and engagingly, describing how she identified key properties of carbon forms, including graphite, buckyballs, nanotubes, and graphene, leading to applications that range from lighter, stronger aircraft to more energy-efficient and flexible electronics.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Weinstock, deputy editorial director at MIT News, highlights the many scientific contributions of nanotechnologist Mildred "Millie" Dresselhaus (1930–2017) in this striking portrait of a brilliant mind. Born Mildred Spiewak in Brooklyn to Polish and Dutch immigrants, Dresselhaus didn't have an easy childhood, but her curiosity, willingness to work hard, and ability to relate to others, along with her musical prowess, opened doors. Dresselhaus faced gender discrimination during her early years in academia and science (she was told she had three career options: teacher, nurse, or secretary), but, as Weinstock shows, she found encouragement from her husband Gene, and from trailblazers such as Nobel Prize winner Rosalyn Sussman Yalow. Dresselhaus broke ground herself, both by focusing her research on carbon when it was not a sought-after field and by using the leadership positions she earned at MIT and elsewhere to pave the way for women in the sciences. While Dresselhaus never won a Nobel, her list of accolades includes the Kavli Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Weinstock includes numerous diagrams of various carbon structures to illustrate Dresselhaus's work, but perhaps the most impressive diagram is the one that depicts the multitude of collaborators on her nearly 1,700 publications. This is a fascinating introduction to a game-changing figure.
