Carbon Queen

The Remarkable Life of Nanoscience Pioneer Mildred Dresselhaus

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$21.95 US
On sale Mar 07, 2023 | 320 Pages | 9780262545976

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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. 
Author's Note xi
Prologue 1
1 Diamond in the Rough 9
2 Brains Plus Fun 29
3 To Teach or Not to Teach 41
4 Meeting of the Minds 57
5 A Scientist Blossoms 79
6 Mens Et Manus 101
7 Welcome to the Nanoword 125
8 Carbon Zoo 141
9 Leading by Example 171
10 An Indelible Legacy 195
Acknowledgments 219
Time Line of Key Milestones 223
Notes 227
Index 295
Maia Weinstock is an editor, writer, and producer of science and children’s media whose work has appeared in Scientific American, Discover, SPACE.com, BrainPOP, and Scholastic’s Science World. She is Deputy Editorial Director at MIT News, a lecturer at MIT on the history of women in STEM, and creator of LEGO’s “Women of NASA.”

About

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. 

Table of Contents

Author's Note xi
Prologue 1
1 Diamond in the Rough 9
2 Brains Plus Fun 29
3 To Teach or Not to Teach 41
4 Meeting of the Minds 57
5 A Scientist Blossoms 79
6 Mens Et Manus 101
7 Welcome to the Nanoword 125
8 Carbon Zoo 141
9 Leading by Example 171
10 An Indelible Legacy 195
Acknowledgments 219
Time Line of Key Milestones 223
Notes 227
Index 295

Author

Maia Weinstock is an editor, writer, and producer of science and children’s media whose work has appeared in Scientific American, Discover, SPACE.com, BrainPOP, and Scholastic’s Science World. She is Deputy Editorial Director at MIT News, a lecturer at MIT on the history of women in STEM, and creator of LEGO’s “Women of NASA.”

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