DOCSLIB.ORG

DOCUMENT RESUME ED 393 709 SO 024 866 TITLE Proceedings Of

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
DOCUMENT RESUME ED 393 709 SO 024 866 TITLE Proceedings Of DOCUMENT RESUME ED 393 709 SO 024 866 TITLE Proceedings of the National Technical Literacy Conference (8th, Arlington, Virginia, January 15-17, 1993). INSTITUTION National Association for Science, Technology, and Society, University Park, PA. PUB DATE Jan 93 NOTE 492p.; Proceedings Foreword authored by James j. Murphy. For related materials, see ED 350 248, ED 339 671, ED 325 429, ED 315 326, and ED 308 099. PUB TYPE Collected Works Conference Proceedings (021) EDRS PRICE MF02/PC20 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Bioethics; Classroom Environment; Curriculum Development; Developing Nations; Educational Research; Elementary Secondary Education; Environmental Education; Ethics; Females; *Futures (of Society); Higher Education; Public Policy; *Science and Society; *Science Instruction; Scientific and Technical Information; *Technological Literacy IDENTIFIERS China; Technopoly ABSTRACT This document of conference proceedings is divided into five sections. The first, STS (Science Technology and Society) Studies, contains five papers:(1) "Scientific Discourse and Public Policy" (Jane C. Webb; George R. Webb; Charolette Webb);(2) "An Answer to Neil Postman's 'Technopoly'" (David K. Nations); (3) "Reflections on the Theory and Practice of Constructive Technology Assessment" (Jesse Tatum);(4) "Total Quality Management as An Ethics Issue Mediated by Technology Transfer in Unsolicited Sociotechnical Interventions" (Ely A. Dorsey) and (5) "'Silent Spring' The Myth of Two Cultures" (Doris Z. Fleisher). The second part is on women in science and technology, and also contains five papers:(1) "Ordinary and Extraordinary Women in Science" (Darlene S. Richardson; Connie J. Sutton);(2) "Women and Technology: Feminist Perspectives" (Linda Condron);(3) "Why Constructivist Classroom Practice Can Increase Participation of Women and People of Color in Science" (Barbara J. Reeves; Cheryl Ney);(4) "From Hostile Exclusion to Friendly Inclusion: Transforming the College Science Classroom" (Darlene S. Richardson; Maureen McHugh); and (5) a preliminary report on the NSF project discussed in the previous paper (Sue V. Rosser). The third section, Bioethics, Health, and Medicine, contains two sections:(1) "Breast Implants and the Challenge of An Informed Public" (R. Eugene Mellican) ;and (2) "Bioethics Event-based Future Worksheet" (Richard G. Dawson). The fourth section looks at STS in the Nonindustrialized World. The three articles are:(1) "Sustainable Development: Some Interpretations, Implications, and Uses" (Subodh Wagle); (2) "Transcending Efficiency's Dilemma: A View from the Coadaptationist Position" (Craig R. Duennen); and (3) "Urban Sustainability in an Industrializing Country Context: The Case of China" (John Byrne; Young-Doo Wang, Bo Shen; Congfang Wang, Ziuguo Li). The fifth and final section is devoted to education. The part on K-12 contains 13 articles. The section on higher education contains 10 articles. The part on research has four articles. (DK) OF EDUCATION U II DEPARTMENT end Improvement Office dEduceittonaIRtmeteren INFORMATION EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES(ERIC) been reproducedes T 11 OOCUentfhCENTER hee t.....yreoetvod from the personOf organization onginating it have been made toimprove 0 Minor changes reproductiOn quahty ststeo in this doer:. Points of view oz opinionsrepresent official ment do not necessarily OERI positron orpohcy PERMISSION TO REPRODUCETHIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTEDBY !() THE EDUCATIONALRESOURCES tt4F OEIMATION CENTERnERICI Arlington, Virginia January 15-17, 1993 CON) -ill --rj, \!nr-z, Edited by DENNIS W. CHEEKandKim A. CHEEK with a foreword by JAMES J. MURPHY Co-sponsored by Organized by Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR American Federation of Teachus SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY Association for Women in Science (NASTS) Assembly on Sciences & the Humanities Epsilon Pi Tau Humanities and Technology Association International Technology Education Association National Council for the Social Studies National Science Teachers Association Student Pugwash USA Teachers Clearinghouse for Science & Society Education Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology BEST COPY AVAILABLE Acknowledgements The National Association for Science, Technology and Society (NASTS) wishes to thank Dennis and Kim Cheek for editing this proceedings volume and Lesa Clark for assisting with its layout and production. FOREWORD When I was reading the abstracts and proposals and preparing the session schedules for the Eighth National Technological Literacy Conference, one of my regrets was that it would not be possible for me to attendall of the presentations and discussions that promised to be so interesting and provocative. Now, reading these Proceedings mitigates that regret somewhat, for they give me a truly representative sample of the meeting and allow me a glimpse of some of the ideas and arguments I missed because of not being abie to solve my problem of only being at one place at any given time.I hope that you will be as delighted as I to see this collection that the editors have so ably gathered and polished to convey an image, not only of what went on in Arlington in January of 1993, but also of the range and depth of issues and projects that engage those who are currently active in the pursuit of S1S explorations. The number of papers having to do with STS in the classroom signifies not only the deep involvement of NASTS members in teaching and learning, but also the current stage of maturation of STS educational approaches. There are more courses, programs, materials than ever before, but beyond that, now is an appropriate time to report on successes, progress, and problems. If you are more concerned with issues thanpedagogy, don't pass over the contents grouped under the educational headings. STS deals with real issues, even in the academic curriculum. One reputation of (and a frequent rap on) S'IS studies is that they are carried out by those critics who have an unrelievedly pessimistic view of modern technology.I do not think this is a proper view of the field, nor is it borne out by the contents of these Proceedings. STS scholars are indeed critics of technology, however, like theater critics their legitimate role is a constructive one and will result most often in a cadenced judgement rather than a complete pan or an absolute rave.Even when a scholar's assessment on the general directions of developing technologies, or the inequities in the control of technological development is decidedly pessimistic, good STS thinkers (NASTS members) are not so naive as to group all technology simple-mindedly into one monolithic category. A good STS work may be presented as a strongly held conclusion, far to one side of center on the issues in question. Judge it not as a polemic, but in terms of the strength of the argument and its supporting evidence and in terms of how well it provokes and promotes discussion. The issues themselves, and the development of a capable, aware and engaged citizenry demand more involvement in discussions of science, technology, and society interactions. Look through this collection for contributions which illuminate, diverge and convince. Do not look for pronouncements which forestall debate. It is the nature of the Technological Literacy Conference to promote discussion. All accepted papers and sessions are structured to stimulate participant involvement. The reader of the Proceedings misses the flavor of this interaction, which is, at ground level, what NASTS is all about. Conversations continue in the meeting rooms and out into the hallways after sessions. While there is considerable rediscovery and rehashing, there is .1 also discovery and inspiration in plenty. The new insights triggered by discussions after papers and conversations in the halls will emerge at the next conference just as some ideas you are about to read had their origins in the exchanges among NASTS people at the previous year's meeting. Perhaps you, who join us now as reader, will join us next January as a conference participant. Please consider this an invitation. James J. Murphy President of NASTS, 1993-94 New Rochelle, NY September, 1993 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements Foreword by James J. Murphy, President of NASTS, 1993-94 STS STUDIES Scientific discourse and public policy: The controversy over the experimental introduction into Virginia's York River ofCrassostrea gigas,Jane C. Webb, George R. Webb, Charlotte Webb 2-14 An answer to Neil Postman's Technopoly, David K Nartonis 15-21 Reflections on the theory and practice of constructive technology assessment, Jesse Tatum...22-32 Total quality management as an ethics issue mediated by technology transfer in unsolicited sociotechnical interventions, Ely A Dorsey 33-40 Silent Spring: The myth of two cultures, Doris Z. Fleisher 41-45 WOMEN IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Ordinary and extraordinary women in science, Darlene S. Richardson, Connie J. Sutton 47-59 Women and technology: Feminist perspectives, Linda Condron 60-65 Why constructivist classroom practice can increase participation of women and people of color in science, Barbara J. Reeves, Cheryl Ney 66-79 From hostile exclusion to friendly inclusion: Transforming the college science classroom, Darlene S. Richardson, Maureen C. McHugh 80-97 From hostile exclusion to friendly inclusion: Transforming the college science classroom. A preliminary report on the NSF project for the University of South Carolina system, Sue V. Rosser 98-104 BIOETHICS, HEALTH, AND MEDICINE Breast implants and the challenge
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Sociotechnical Systems and Ethics in the Large
    Sociotechnical Systems and Ethics in the Large Amit K. Chopra Munindar P. Singh Lancaster University North Carolina State University Lancaster LA1 4WA, UK Raleigh, NC 27695-8206, USA [email protected] [email protected] Abstract question has inspired various versions of “do no harm to hu- mans” maxims, from Asimov to Bostrom and Yudkowsky Advances in AI techniques and computing platforms have (2014). And, partly this interest stems from imagining that triggered a lively and expanding discourse on ethical decision-making by autonomous agents. Much recent work agents are deliberative entities who will make choices much in AI concentrates on the challenges of moral decision mak- in the same way humans do: faced with a situation that de- ing from a decision-theoretic perspective, and especially the mands deliberation, an agent will line up its choices and representation of various ethical dilemmas. Such approaches make the best one that is also the most ethical. The trol- may be useful but in general are not productive because moral ley problem, a moral dilemma that has been the subject of decision making is as context-driven as other forms of deci- extensive philosophical discussion, has been discussed ex- sion making, if not more. In contrast, we consider ethics not tensively in the context of self-driving vehicles (Bonnefon, from the standpoint of an individual agent but of the wider Shariff, and Rahwan 2016). sociotechnical systems (STS) in which the agent operates. Concurrently, there has been an expanding body of work Our contribution in this paper is the conception of ethical STS in the broad AI tradition that investigates designing and governance founded on that takes into account stakeholder verifying, not individual agents, but sociotechnical systems values, normative constraints on agents, and outcomes (states of the STS) that obtain due to actions taken by agents.
    [Show full text]
  • Neil Postman
    Five Things We Need to Know About Technological Change by Neil Postman Talk delivered in Denver Colorado March 28, 1998 … I doubt that the 21st century will pose for us problems that are more stunning, disorienting or complex than those we faced in this century, or the 19th, 18th, 17th, or for that matter, many of the centuries before that. But for those who are excessively nervous about the new millennium, I can provide, right at the start, some good advice about how to confront it. …. Here is what Henry David Thoreau told us: “All our inventions are but improved means to an unimproved end.” Here is what Goethe told us: “One should, each day, try to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if possible, speak a few reasonable words.” Socrates told us: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Rabbi Hillel told us: “What is hateful to thee, do not do to another.” And here is the prophet Micah: “What does the Lord require of thee but to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God.” And I could say, if we had the time, (although you know it well enough) what Jesus, Isaiah, Mohammad, Spinoza, and Shakespeare told us. It is all the same: There is no escaping from ourselves. The human dilemma is as it has always been, and it is a delusion to believe that the technological changes of our era have rendered irrelevant the wisdom of the ages and the sages. Nonetheless, having said this, I know perfectly well that because we do live in a technological age, we have some special problems that Jesus, Hillel, Socrates, and Micah did not and could not speak of.
    [Show full text]
  • Book Review: Amazing Ourselves to Death - Neil Postman’S Brave New World Revisited Lance E
    L. E. Mason / Journal of Media Literacy Education 7 (1), 80 - 82 Available online at www.jmle.org The National Association for Media Literacy Education’s Journal of Media Literacy Education 7(1), 80 - 82 Book Review: Amazing Ourselves to Death - Neil Postman’s Brave New World Revisited Lance E. Mason Department of Education, Indiana University Amazing Ourselves to Death: Neil Postman’s Brave New World Revisited by Lance Strate. 2014. New York: Peter Lang. Media scholar Neil Postman wrote approximately 25 books during his career, the most influential of which was titled Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. In his book, Postman (1985) claims that the epistemology of television, which had become the dominant media form by the 1980s, had eroded the substance and coherence of public discourse, which increasingly took the form of entertainment. More recently, the media environment has undergone further dramatic changes with the emergence of the Internet, Web 2.0, and social media. Postman died in 2003, and while he continued to publish until shortly before his death, he never updated his most popular work to account for these changes. Postman’s former student, media ecologist Lance Strate, now takes up this task. His new book examines Postman’s positions in light of the contemporary media landscape. His goals are twofold: first, to summarize Postman’s positions and demonstrate their continued relevance; second, to present Postman’s approach to media analysis, which is grounded in the field that Postman originated, media ecology. As such, Strate adheres closely to Postman’s original ideas and carefully explicates them throughout each chapter.
    [Show full text]
  • Plusminus Ver5frontace.Indd
    [ + | - ] _SPATIAL INCUBATION OF INTUITIVE MITIGATION. by Christopher Cole Robertson A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture in Architecture MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY Bozeman, Montana November, 2007 ©COPYRIGHT by Christopher Cole Robertson 2007 All Rights Reserved ii APPROVAL of a thesis submitted by Christopher Cole Robertson This thesis has been read by each member of the thesis committee and has been found to be satisfactory regarding content, English usage, format, citation, bibliographic style, and consistency, and is ready for submission to the Division of Graduate Education. Michael Everts Approved for the Department Montana State University School of Architecture Steven Juroszek Approved for the Division of Graduate Education Dr. Carl A. Fox iii STATEMENT OF PERMISSION TO USE In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a master’s degree at Montana State University, I agree that the Library shall make it available to borrowers under rules of the Library. If I have indicated my intention to copyright this thesis by including a copyright notice page, copying is allowable only for scholarly purposes, consistent with “fair use” as prescribed in the U.S. Copyright Law. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this thesis in whole or in parts may be granted only by the copyright holder. Christopher Cole Robertson November, 2007 iv To my family and close friends. Thank you for your help. v TABLE OF CONTENTS 0. Introduction .................................................................... 5 1. Cultural Characteristics of Context ................................ 4 2. Examining Intuition ...................................................... 29 2.5 Tooling + Process ........................................................ 47 3. Spatial Incubation .........................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Media Syllabus
    Sociology of Television & Media SOCL 299 Dr. Ellis Jones Fall 2010 Office: Beaven 221 TTH 12:30pm-1:45pm Office Hours: T 2:00pm-3:00pm Swords 302 TH 11:00am-12:00pm [email protected] Office Phone: 508-793-2367 I. OVERVIEW This course investigates the evolving role of television in shaping our understanding of, and relationship to, the world. Our inquiry will focus on the economic, political, social, and ecological implications of television as it relates to democracy, consumerism, human relationships, and how we make sense of the world both as individuals and as a society. More specifically, we’ll be examining the nature of entertainment, advertising, news, and the institutions that create television programming. How does the news shape reality? How does advertising actually influence human behavior? How does entertainment impact how we perceive our own lives? Who decides what program choices exist on television? The course will emphasize deep reading, critical thinking, a variety of audio/video materials, in-depth research, and the development of a resource- and skill-set that will allow you to further your critical consumption of television on your own. OBJECTIVES 1. Achieve a basic understanding of the national and global social transformation resulting from the evolution of television and related mass media. 2. Grasp the many complexities and contradictions that television and related mass media bring to our ability to distinguish the difference between fantasy and reality. 3. Gain the ability to think critically about the creation, distribution, and both intended and unintended consequences of television and related mass media on a macro and micro level.
    [Show full text]
  • Maria Mitchell's Legacy to Vassar College: Then And
    Library and Information Services in Astronomy IV July 2-5, 2002, Prague, Czech Republic B. Corbin, E. Bryson, and M. Wolf (eds) Maria Mitchell's Legacy to Vassar College: Then and Now Flora Grabowska Vassar College Libraries, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604, USA fl[email protected] Abstract. Maria Mitchell became Vassar's first Astronomy Professor and Observatory Director in 1865. Her teaching emphasis on students learning by direct observation and analysis is continued today at Vassar College. Several of her students went on to prominence in astronomy, two of them succeeding her at Vassar. Astronomy majors today, both male and female, consistently achieve success after Vassar, in astronomy as well as in other fields. She encouraged her students to present their findings at scientific meetings and in scientific journals, also encouraged today as undergraduates co-author research papers with faculty members. She insisted on excellent facilities and built up the library collection, maintained today to a standard remarkable for a college of just under 2,500 undergraduate students. 1. Great Beginnings Matthew Vassar was keen to have female teachers at Vassar College (Haight 1916). Maria Mitchell had achieved world fame with her 1847 telescopic discov- ery of a comet and was an excellent choice, becoming Vassar's first astronomy professor in 1865. In a eulogy at her funeral in 1889, Vassar College President Taylor concluded, \She has been an impressive figure in our time, and one whose influence lives." (Taylor 1889) Henry Albers, Vassar's fifth Observatory director (the first male!), referring to our fine facilities today, wrote, \In keeping with the legacy of Maria Mitchell, these facilities enable today's students to learn and apply the most modern astronomical techniques." (Albers 2001, 329) This presentation aims to confirm that the legacy has been self-perpetuating and lives on.
    [Show full text]
  • Energy Research & Social Science
    Energy Research & Social Science 70 (2020) 101617 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Energy Research & Social Science journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/erss Review Sociotechnical agendas: Reviewing future directions for energy and climate T research ⁎ Benjamin K. Sovacoola, , David J. Hessb, Sulfikar Amirc, Frank W. Geelsd, Richard Hirshe, Leandro Rodriguez Medinaf, Clark Millerg, Carla Alvial Palavicinoh, Roopali Phadkei, Marianne Ryghaugj, Johan Schoth, Antti Silvastj, Jennie Stephensk, Andy Stirlingl, Bruno Turnheimm, Erik van der Vleutenn, Harro van Lenteo, Steven Yearleyp a University of Sussex, United Kingdom and Aarhus University, Denmark b Vanderbilt University, United States c Nanyang Technological University, Singapore d The University of Manchester, United Kingdom e Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, United States f Universidad de las Americas Puebla, Mexico g Arizona State University, United States h Universiteit Utrecht, Netherlands i Macalester College, United States j Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway k Northeastern University, United States l University of Sussex, United Kingdom m Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Sciences Innovations Sociétés, France n Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands o Universiteit Maastricht, Netherlands p The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: The field of science and technology studies (STS) has introduced and developed a “sociotechnical” perspective Science and technology studies that has been taken up by many disciplines and areas of inquiry. The aims and objectives of this study are Sociotechnical systems threefold: to interrogate which sociotechnical concepts or tools from STS are useful at better understanding Science technology and society energy-related social science, to reflect on prominent themes and topics within those approaches, and to identify Sociology of scientific knowledge current research gaps and directions for the future.
    [Show full text]
  • Science & Technology Studies
    ALEXANDRA HOFMÄNNER SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY STUDIES ELSEWHERE A Postcolonial Programme SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY STUDIES In April 2017, scientists took to the streets in a historically unprecedented Global March for Science. The event was seen as symbolic of a crisis in the relationship of science and society. This book considers the Global March ELSEWHERE for Science from a postcolonial perspective to inquire into the toolkit that the academic field of Science & Technology Studies (STS) has to offer. It HOFMÄNNER ALEXANDRA argues that new concepts and analytical approaches are necessary to in- A POSTCOLONIAL vestigate current global dynamics in science, technology and society, so as to deliver insights that the recent expansion of STS scholars beyond PROGRAMME Western Europe and North America alone is unlikely to provide. The book presents a Programme in Science Studies Elsewhere (SSE) to demonstrate the urgent need to carry postcolonial issues right into the centre of STS’s intellectual programme. Hofmänner possesses a potent antidote for the field’s inability to see science and technology outside of European or North American experiences. Rayvon Fouché, Professor and Director, American Studies, Purdue University, USA A compelling case for revisiting some of the traditional assumptions in the field of STS. Prof. Dr. Sabine Maasen, Director of the Munich Center for Technology in Society Alexandra Hofmänner is assistant professor in Science & Technology ELSEWHERE STUDIES TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE Studies ( ST S) at the University of Basel, Switzerland. She received a PhD at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ( ETH Zürich ) and has carried out extensive research in Switzerland and South Africa. www.schwabeverlag.de Alexandra Hofmänner Science & Technology Studies Elsewhere A Postcolonial Programme Schwabe Verlag Published with the support of the Swiss National Science Foundation and the Freiwillige Akademische Gesellschaft.
    [Show full text]
  • Antonia Maury, Clasificadora De Estrellas (1866-1952, Estados Unidos)
    Antonia Maury, clasificadora de estrellas (1866-1952, Estados Unidos) Antonia Maury fue una astrónoma importante de finales del siglo XIX. Fue una de las primeras mujeres en publicar un trabajo sobre estrellas con su propio nombre. Sus estudios sirvieron para crear el diagrama HR, el diagrama más importante de la astrofísica estelar. Nació en 1866 en Cold Spring, Nueva York, dentro de una familia acomodada de origen portugués. Su abuelo y su tío materno eran dos astrónomos muy reputados: John William Draper y Henry Draper. Así, Maury y sus hermanos crecieron muy familiarizados con la ciencia desde pequeños. Antonia aspiró a ser astrónoma, y se graduó del Vassar College con una matrícula de honor en astronomía, física y filosofía en 1887. Su mentora fue otra astrónoma importante de la época: Maria Mitchell. En 1887 comenzó a trabajar en el Observatorio de Harvard, y entró a formar parte del grupo de mujeres computadoras de Harvard, un grupo de astrónomas encargadas de la clasificación de las estrellas bajo la dirección de Edward Pickering. Allí se encontró con otros astrónomas importantes de la época: Henrietta Swan Leavitt, Annie Jump Cannon y Williamina Fleming. Maury comenzó determinando el periodo orbital de varias estrellas binarias que giran la una alrededor de la otra, y luego se puso a clasificar estrellas según su espectro. Ahora bien, muy pronto comenzó a tener discrepancias con Pickering, tanto por el sistema de trabajo como el de clasificación estelar. Debido a estas discrepancias con el director, en 1896 dejó el observatorio y fue a trabajar a la escuela Miss Masson de Nueva York dando clases de astronomía y también se encargó de la gestión del Draper Park Museum.
    [Show full text]
  • An Application of BS ISO 27500:2016
    USER EXPERIENCE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN COM CITIZEN SCIENCE A sociotechnical system approach to virtual citizen J science: an application of BS ISO 27500:2016 Robert J. Houghton, James Sprinks, Jessica Wardlaw, Steven Bamford and Stuart Marsh Abstract We discuss the potential application to virtual citizen science of a recent standard (BS ISO 27500:2016 “The human-centred organisation”) which encourages the adoption of a sociotechnical systems perspective across a wide range of businesses, organizations and ventures. Key tenets of the standard concern taking a total systems approach, capitalizing on individual differences as a strength, making usability and accessibility strategic objectives, valuing personnel and paying attention to ethical and values-led elements of the project in terms of being open and trustworthy, social responsibility and health and wellbeing. Drawing upon our experience of projects in our laboratory and the wider literature, we outline the principles identified in the standard and offer citizen science themed interpretations and examples of possible responses. Keywords Citizen science; Participation and science governance DOI https://doi.org/10.22323/2.18010201 Submitted: 4th April 2018 Accepted: 20th November 2018 Published: 17th January 2019 Introduction There is an increasing interest in citizen science as an object of study in its own right and in investigations concerned with how to improve the implementation of citizen science projects in the future [Jordan et al., 2015]. Amongst the key issues are maximizing the quality of volunteer performance [Sprinks et al., 2017], motivating participants to sustain their contributions and to facilitate meeting other project aims also dependent on engagement, typically in terms of scientific outreach and education [e.g., Constant and Roberts, 2017; Dickerson-Lange et al., 2016].
    [Show full text]
  • Women in Astronomy: an Introductory Resource Guide
    Women in Astronomy: An Introductory Resource Guide by Andrew Fraknoi (Fromm Institute, University of San Francisco) [April 2019] © copyright 2019 by Andrew Fraknoi. All rights reserved. For permission to use, or to suggest additional materials, please contact the author at e-mail: fraknoi {at} fhda {dot} edu This guide to non-technical English-language materials is not meant to be a comprehensive or scholarly introduction to the complex topic of the role of women in astronomy. It is simply a resource for educators and students who wish to begin exploring the challenges and triumphs of women of the past and present. It’s also an opportunity to get to know the lives and work of some of the key women who have overcome prejudice and exclusion to make significant contributions to our field. We only include a representative selection of living women astronomers about whom non-technical material at the level of beginning astronomy students is easily available. Lack of inclusion in this introductory list is not meant to suggest any less importance. We also don’t include Wikipedia articles, although those are sometimes a good place for students to begin. Suggestions for additional non-technical listings are most welcome. Vera Rubin Annie Cannon & Henrietta Leavitt Maria Mitchell Cecilia Payne ______________________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents: 1. Written Resources on the History of Women in Astronomy 2. Written Resources on Issues Women Face 3. Web Resources on the History of Women in Astronomy 4. Web Resources on Issues Women Face 5. Material on Some Specific Women Astronomers of the Past: Annie Cannon Margaret Huggins Nancy Roman Agnes Clerke Henrietta Leavitt Vera Rubin Williamina Fleming Antonia Maury Charlotte Moore Sitterly Caroline Herschel Maria Mitchell Mary Somerville Dorrit Hoffleit Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin Beatrice Tinsley Helen Sawyer Hogg Dorothea Klumpke Roberts 6.
    [Show full text]
  • Spectroscopy: History 1885-1927
    SPECTROSCOPY: HISTORY 1885-1927 Harvard Observatory director Edward Charles Pickering hired over 80 women as technicians to perform scientific and mathematical calculations by hand. They became known as the “Harvard Computers”. This was more than 40 years before women gained the right to vote. They received global recognition for their contributions that changed the science of astronomy. Due to their accomplishments, they paved the way for other women to work in scientific and engineering careers. WHAT DID THEY DO: They studied glass photographic plates of stellar spectra created by using a spectroscope. Using a simple magnifying glass, they compared Credit: Secrets of the Universe: Space Pioneer, card 48 positions of stars between plates, calculating the temperature and motion of the stars. WHO WERE THEY: They measured the relative brightness of stars and analyzed spectra Some had college degrees, others received on-the job-training. to determine the properties of celestial objects. A few were permitted to receive graduate degrees for their accomplishments. These plates were gathered from observatories in Peru, South Africa, New Zealand, Chile and throughout the USA They worked for 25 cents an hour, six days a week in a small cramped library. Many of these women received numerous awards and honors for Harvard University Plates Stacks Digitization Project their contributions. Noteable among them were: Harvard College Observatory’s Plate Collection (also known as the Plate Stacks) is the world’s largest archive of stellar glass plate negatives. Taken between the mid 1880s and 1989 (with a gap 1953-68) the WILLIAMINA FLEMING (1857-1911) - developed the Pickering- collection grew to 500,000 and is currently being digitized.
    [Show full text]