Speaker 1: What would the world have done without, for example, Mariquerie
Speaker 1: or better Rubin, or Rita Levi Montalcini, or we can
Speaker 1: bring so many examples of so many women who have
Speaker 1: made history with their scientific discoveries. So so and maybe
Speaker 1: we should ask ourselves how much more would we have
Speaker 1: discovered already if the scientific field was more inclusive and
Speaker 1: more diverse. That was dr Anna Grassolino a senior scientist
Speaker 1: at the United States government's renowned Fairmi Lab. She's a
Speaker 1: huge test before her, leading a team of two hundred
Speaker 1: scientists who are building the most powerful quantum computer in
Speaker 1: the world, but she has a broader mission as well,
Speaker 1: to use science to uncover the fundamental truths of the universe.
Speaker 1: I'm Malian Verva, and this is Seneca's on Women to here.
Speaker 1: We are bringing you one hundred of the world's most
Speaker 1: inspiring and history making women. You need to hear. Dr
Speaker 1: Anna Grassolino is a native of Italy who first came
Speaker 1: to Fermi Lab as an intern in two thousand and four.
Speaker 1: Since then, she has won numerous awards for her research,
Speaker 1: including one for Early Career Scientists presented by President Obama. Today,
Speaker 1: her title is Director of the Super Conducting want of
Speaker 1: Materials and Systems Center at Fermi Lab. Listen and learn
Speaker 1: why Dr Anna Grassilino is one of Seneca's One Women
Speaker 1: to Hear. I'm speaking today to Dr Anna Grassolino, renowned
Speaker 1: physicists who's working on the cutting edge of computing. Welcome,
Speaker 1: Dr Grassolino. Thank you. It's such a pleasure to have
Speaker 1: you with us, and I know we're going to learn
Speaker 1: a lot from our conversation. Yes, we will try. Now,
Speaker 1: you're an award winning physicist. You're the director of super
Speaker 1: Conducting Quantum Materials and Systems at Firmal Lab near Chicago.
Speaker 1: Now that's a lot for the average person to understand.
Speaker 1: So can you help us unpack what we may not
Speaker 1: know about how Firmal Lab works? What is its mission?
Speaker 1: Why is it important to ordinary people? Thank you. Formula
Speaker 1: is a fundamental particle physics laboratory here Formula. But we
Speaker 1: studied the world in its most fundamental components, and to
Speaker 1: do that we build very advanced machines. This very large
Speaker 1: particle accelerators detectors where we actually collide the smallest scales particles,
Speaker 1: so to study what are they made of? So what
Speaker 1: is what is the world around us made of where
Speaker 1: does everything come from? So to do this really we
Speaker 1: have to add ants is very complex technologies and why
Speaker 1: does it help society? Because in many ways, I would
Speaker 1: say so, first of all, understanding how everything works around
Speaker 1: us is foundational to progress in our society. The computers
Speaker 1: that are there are just in front of us, the phone,
Speaker 1: medical instrumentation, diagnostic centers. Everything is based on the fundamental
Speaker 1: understanding of the laws of physics, and then from there
Speaker 1: we develop all these technologies. At the same time, as
Speaker 1: I said, the technologies that we develop to to to
Speaker 1: study these fundamental physics actually then had spin off implications
Speaker 1: and applications in our society. Such for example, right outside
Speaker 1: of my window in my office here is the Tevatron,
Speaker 1: which was for for many years so the most important
Speaker 1: to the highest energy UH particle accelerator in the world.
Speaker 1: The technology which was foundational to these are what's called
Speaker 1: superconducting magnets, and these technologies that we developed here for
Speaker 1: a MITRA, but then pave the way for the magnets
Speaker 1: that today are in all magnetic resonance imaging UH instrumentation
Speaker 1: in any hospitals or doctor's offices. So that's just one
Speaker 1: of the examples of how things that we developer from
Speaker 1: mental physics, then they become extremely important in everyday live
Speaker 1: in our society in general, I would say basic research
Speaker 1: and training of new generation in science will always have
Speaker 1: a positive impact in our society in the short medium
Speaker 1: and in the long term. Well, I think your reference
Speaker 1: to imaging is something we can all relate to. So
Speaker 1: great gratitude for the work in science that's going on
Speaker 1: and that you're engaged in. I know when you talk
Speaker 1: about technology that one of your big tasks is to
Speaker 1: build the most powerful quantum computer in the world. What
Speaker 1: will this computer do? Uh? And why are you working
Speaker 1: to make it a reality? So this is a really
Speaker 1: new initiative and we are very excited. The formula is
Speaker 1: at the helm of this new what's called National Quantum Center.
Speaker 1: It's one of the five Department of Energy quantum centers
Speaker 1: under the umbrella of the National Quantum Initiative to bring
Speaker 1: transformational advances in building up just like you said, the
Speaker 1: most powerful quantum computers. What can this computer do? Why
Speaker 1: are we doing this? So a quantum computer is very
Speaker 1: different than the computer that sits in front of us
Speaker 1: right now. I would say it's not like comparing a
Speaker 1: new car to an old car. It's like comparing an
Speaker 1: airplane to a car. It's a computer that will take
Speaker 1: us to places where today's computer will never be able
Speaker 1: to take us. So, to give an example, a quantum computer,
Speaker 1: even the ones that are currently developed, which is really
Speaker 1: in the early stages of the technology, can perform some
Speaker 1: computations which even the most powerful of the classical supercomputer
Speaker 1: would take millions of years. A quantum computer can perform
Speaker 1: with in in minutes, and so that is really gives
Speaker 1: the idea of what's so called the exponential speed up.
Speaker 1: So a quantum computer can solve certain class of problems
Speaker 1: which are not solvable today and will have impact in
Speaker 1: society in many many ways, from national security to solving
Speaker 1: some challenging problems in medicine, in physics, in biology, and
Speaker 1: many many other fields. So interesting I wonder listening to
Speaker 1: you and knowing how engaged you are in this extraordinarily
Speaker 1: complex work, how did and aggress Seleno grow up into
Speaker 1: becoming the physicists you are. Can you tell us a
Speaker 1: little bit about your childhood, what it was like, what
Speaker 1: influenced you to make you the person you are today? Yes,
Speaker 1: thank you, for the question. I actually I am Originally
Speaker 1: I'm from Italy. I grew up in Marcella. It's a
Speaker 1: it's a town in southern Italy. I moved to the
Speaker 1: United States later on for my PhD. But my family
Speaker 1: was from Marcella, so from Italy and has always been.
Speaker 1: That's where I grew up and has always been of
Speaker 1: great inspiration for me. Uh. They pushed me always to
Speaker 1: study and work hard, I would say, and and on
Speaker 1: my dad's side, I had some generation of medical doctors,
Speaker 1: and that I think inspired me to love science and
Speaker 1: the impact that it can bring to society. On my
Speaker 1: mom's side there was more literature, poetry, which also has
Speaker 1: inspired the other side of me. I always loved, for example,
Speaker 1: Latin and philosophy. Um. There have been some key figures
Speaker 1: in my life. But if you ask me about my childhood,
Speaker 1: certainly my teacher in middle school. She was a mathematician,
Speaker 1: so she was my professor mathematics, and she was an
Speaker 1: extremely strong woman. She made me love mass and she
Speaker 1: I think she made an impact in my life to
Speaker 1: push me towards science. She was really a tough woman,
Speaker 1: and she thought me that math and numbers are a
Speaker 1: vehicle to read the world around us. But they also
Speaker 1: can teach us about objectivity in life. You know, I'm
Speaker 1: always so amazed as I'm speaking to our guests to
Speaker 1: hear about the power of the teacher. And do you
Speaker 1: have mentioned that yet? Once again? I know that you
Speaker 1: lead a team of two hundred scientists, which just saying that,
Speaker 1: it seems a great deal to comprehend in everybody's working
Speaker 1: at the cutting edge of computing. Yeah, you and your
Speaker 1: husband are raising three children. How do you manage this
Speaker 1: work life balance that all of us seem to be
Speaker 1: affected by. Well, I have to say, yes, it's certainly
Speaker 1: not easy. However, I first of all get a lot
Speaker 1: of help from my husband. I think we work really
Speaker 1: as a team. He's a scientist true, by the way,
Speaker 1: and so we are a team at work and at home.
Speaker 1: So I think he has been instrumental really in uh
Speaker 1: making this a reality, the fact that we we are
Speaker 1: in it together, growing these three children and being successful
Speaker 1: with both of our careers. And I would say that
Speaker 1: also formula has helped me a lot because, for example,
Speaker 1: small things but really critical, we have a daycare on site,
Speaker 1: and so I was able to bring my kids here
Speaker 1: when they were little like three months old, and and
Speaker 1: and this way I didn't have to take a break
Speaker 1: from my research, from my from my work. I could
Speaker 1: do research, be here and be with them at the
Speaker 1: same time. So and also all the support from formula
Speaker 1: then from my supervisors, uh to really be able to
Speaker 1: be a mom to my children, but at the same
Speaker 1: time continue without interruption to pursue my career cutting edge
Speaker 1: childcare as well. It's so interesting. Are any f your
Speaker 1: children interested in science? Almost definitely. I think all three
Speaker 1: of them, they really have aspirations already. They tell us
Speaker 1: to become signed. There's all three. You and your husband
Speaker 1: are such a great example to them. I'm sure. Thank you,
Speaker 1: Thank you, senecas one hundred women to hear will be
Speaker 1: back after the short break. As a woman, have you
Speaker 1: encountered any obstacles in your studies or in your career?
Speaker 1: We have more women in science today than ever before,
Speaker 1: but it's still been a very difficult path. It certainly
Speaker 1: was um somewhat difficult. I still remember the first day,
Speaker 1: uh So, I graduated in Italy actually an electronic engineering goodness,
Speaker 1: and then I came to the US to study physics
Speaker 1: for my PhD. But I remember the very first day
Speaker 1: I walked into the first class UH at the Engineering
Speaker 1: school at the University of Pizza in Italy, and I
Speaker 1: believe that we were something like six women out of
Speaker 1: a class of hundred eighty. So certainly it was difficult
Speaker 1: being being a minority. All professors were always man and
Speaker 1: also later in, you know, during my work career, I
Speaker 1: would say all that it is still a man dominated
Speaker 1: the environment and field. But I think what really helped
Speaker 1: me is that I've always been very strong. I've always
Speaker 1: been you know, not intimidated, and I believed in my
Speaker 1: own strengths, and I've always at the courage to fight
Speaker 1: to be heard. And certainly there have been also some
Speaker 1: figures in my career that I've held me a lot,
Speaker 1: like my supervisor who was my peach the advisor and
Speaker 1: later on actually became director of formula. The doctor Nigel
Speaker 1: Locker has always been an advocate for women in science
Speaker 1: and and and for helping the field become more diverse.
Speaker 1: Is it important to have more women involved in science
Speaker 1: the discovery? Do you see that that makes the difference? Absolutely?
Speaker 1: How I would say, well, we can turn the question
Speaker 1: around and say what would the world have done without
Speaker 1: for example Medicurie or better Rubin, or Rita Levy Montalcini,
Speaker 1: or we can bring so many examples of so many
Speaker 1: women who have made history with their scientific discoveries. So
Speaker 1: so and maybe we should ask ourselves how much more
Speaker 1: would we have discovered already if the scientific field was
Speaker 1: more inclusive and more diverse. I would say that in
Speaker 1: my experience, women having credible potential in terms of scientific talent, creativity,
Speaker 1: willingness and strength to always connect the dots and to
Speaker 1: get really to the bottom of things, or the ability
Speaker 1: to bring people together in our collaborative framework. Women are
Speaker 1: incredible all of these things, and science needs all of
Speaker 1: the above to to really progress and make discoveries. How
Speaker 1: can be better unlock that potential that women have in
Speaker 1: the world of science. I think we have to try
Speaker 1: in all ways. I mean, um, we are trying very hard.
Speaker 1: For example, with this new center that we have here,
Speaker 1: reaching all the way even to elementary schools, to to
Speaker 1: to show everyone you know that that that that is
Speaker 1: you know, the role models, but also that science is
Speaker 1: for everybody. Bring students again at early stages of their education,
Speaker 1: into internships to really make people feel and women feel yes,
Speaker 1: I can. I can do it. It's not something that
Speaker 1: it's only for a certain class of people. I can
Speaker 1: absolutely do this and I can see it hands on.
Speaker 1: I think that's one key component. And and here, as
Speaker 1: I said, the Fermila, we're trying all of this with
Speaker 1: the internships, sudden day morning lectures. We need to try
Speaker 1: in all possible ways. So encouraging to hear. Fermi Lab
Speaker 1: also brings scientists together from all over the world. How
Speaker 1: does work with people from so many different countries also
Speaker 1: affect your outlook and the work product the outcome. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I would say that this is actually what made me
Speaker 1: fall in love with Fermila. I came here first as
Speaker 1: an intern um in in my young years, and and
Speaker 1: I that's what I fell in love with to see
Speaker 1: that we we were building a firmila genormous machines. This
Speaker 1: is incredible complex detectors with many pieces that were coming
Speaker 1: from all different places around the world, and all the
Speaker 1: different people from many countries bringing so much diversity in
Speaker 1: the approach to problems, so you know, based on their
Speaker 1: different educational system, background, way of thinking. So I think
Speaker 1: that's that's and it was really for me a way
Speaker 1: to see how science can unite the world towards you know,
Speaker 1: a noble mission, which is really let's understand the world
Speaker 1: around us. Um So, I think it's it's very powerful,
Speaker 1: and I think in science is absolutely essential that the science,
Speaker 1: especially in a field like the one we are in,
Speaker 1: like particle physics, where we have to build such big
Speaker 1: and complex experiments, that that that we bring the old
Speaker 1: world together to do that, to to make these amazing discoveries.
Speaker 1: You know, listening to you, I've been thinking about the
Speaker 1: fact that you're at the Fermail Lab and Enrico Fermil
Speaker 1: was the great world renowned Nobel laureate physicist, came from
Speaker 1: Italy to the United States make enormous contributions, and here
Speaker 1: you are, another Italian in the United States a family lab.
Speaker 1: Do you ever think about that? Absolutely every day. It's
Speaker 1: something that makes me extremely proud to know that actually
Speaker 1: an Italian of such an amazing stature like Rico Fermi
Speaker 1: gives the name to to this, to this laboratory. And
Speaker 1: I can say that actually Italians are a really important
Speaker 1: component of formula. There is many of us, just like
Speaker 1: there's many other amazing scientists from many parts of of
Speaker 1: different parts of the world. Well it's all terroristic to here.
Speaker 1: Let me just ask you at the end of this conversation,
Speaker 1: with so much that's going on in the world now,
Speaker 1: a lot of it very difficult, what makes you optimistic?
Speaker 1: What gives you hope? Well, um, I can say the
Speaker 1: science is what what gives me the most hope. Science
Speaker 1: for me means the pursuit of the truth. Uh. It
Speaker 1: makes me feel and believe that we are in a
Speaker 1: world where there are not only uncertainties, right, but there
Speaker 1: is there is certainty, there is truth and it's there
Speaker 1: for us to find them to look for. So I
Speaker 1: it really makes me feel um, you know, hopeful, and
Speaker 1: I look forward to the discoveries that will be able
Speaker 1: to make at formula. But with this new quantum initiative
Speaker 1: because those I know that the scientific discuss is so
Speaker 1: we'll be able to change the world for better, Uh,
Speaker 1: in a practical way and also in an indirect way,
Speaker 1: because I feel it is a privilege that we can
Speaker 1: train on your generation of young scientists that not only
Speaker 1: will make this important discovery, but they will also be
Speaker 1: able to approach everyday life and problems in a way
Speaker 1: that will bring positive change. Beautifully said, and thank you
Speaker 1: so much. Dr anag Gresslino. You're doing such extraordinary, award
Speaker 1: winning work and as you said, this work helps change
Speaker 1: the world for better. Thank you for doing it, and
Speaker 1: thank you for being with us today. Thank you for
Speaker 1: inviting me. Dr Gresslino has a way of making science
Speaker 1: incredibly beautiful. Here are three things I took from that conversation. First,
Speaker 1: she reminds us about why we do science. Understanding how
Speaker 1: everything around us works is foundational to aggress she says.
Speaker 1: So the research done on a particle accelerator, for example,
Speaker 1: leads to the development of super conducting magnets, which leads
Speaker 1: to the MRI machines used in hospitals and doctor's offices. Second,
Speaker 1: Dr Grassolino shows again why girls need to see women scientists.
Speaker 1: Her own role model was a middle school teacher, a mathematician,
Speaker 1: as Dr Grassolino says, she was a really tough woman
Speaker 1: who taught me that math and numbers are a vehicle
Speaker 1: to read the world around us. Finally, she tells us
Speaker 1: that despite the chaos of current days, we can find
Speaker 1: comfort in science in a time of uncertainty. Science helps
Speaker 1: reveal certainty. There is truth, she says, and it's there
Speaker 1: for us to find and to look for. Tune in
Speaker 1: next week to hear about our next featured woman and
Speaker 1: discover why she's one of Seneca's one hundred Women to Hear.
Speaker 1: Seneca's one hundred Women to Hear is a collaboration between
Speaker 1: the Seneca Women Podcast Network and I Heart Radio, with
Speaker 1: support from founding partner PNG. Have a Great Day.