1 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:04,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of I Heart Radio, 2 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:11,799 Speaker 1: Hey brain Stuff Lauren Bogle bam here. Education and careers 3 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: in science, technology, engineering, and math, sometimes called STEM, were 4 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: once denied to women due to biased beliefs about what 5 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: women are or should be capable of, Even as only 6 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 1: of Americans employed in STEM occupations were women, It's been 7 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:32,879 Speaker 1: relatively difficult for young women, and especially young women of color, 8 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 1: to find science heroes who look like them in reality 9 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:40,880 Speaker 1: or in fiction. And that's why author Madeline lingle two book, 10 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 1: A Wrinkling Time and It's smart, science loving young hero 11 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:47,559 Speaker 1: Mac Murray struck a chord with many scientists to be 12 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 1: representation is important. We spoke with three modern day Meg's, 13 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 1: all grown up to find out how they were inspired 14 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: by the character's bravery, ambition, and intelligence to pursue real 15 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 1: life science fake success. First up, Dr Amy Saren, a 16 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 1: successful neuropsychologist, reading A Wrinkle in Time as a girl 17 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 1: had a huge effect on her future accomplishments, and she 18 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 1: said via email, it and almost unheard of to have 19 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: a female heroine who I could identify within a book. 20 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 1: I loved the book so much I actually wrote to 21 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 1: Madeline Langal and to my surprise, she wrote back. We 22 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: became pen pals for a short time when I was 23 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,119 Speaker 1: in third or fourth grade. She encouraged me to follow 24 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: my dreams, and her responses really helped encourage me. Meg 25 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:33,399 Speaker 1: was far more than a fictional character to Dr Saren, 26 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 1: She said, reading the book helped me to identify that 27 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 1: I should follow my passion and curiosity. Today. Dr Saren 28 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 1: devotes her professional life to helping people who struggle with 29 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 1: debilitating neurological disorders like anxiety, PTSD, and depression. We also 30 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 1: spoke via email with Dr Amy Baxter, a doctor turned inventor. 31 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: Much of the story of A Wrinkle in Time is 32 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 1: about Meg's quest to find her father throughout time and space, 33 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: but Dr Baxter's zeroed in immediately on Meg's mother, Mrs Murray, 34 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:08,359 Speaker 1: who was a microbiologist. Baxter said via email, of course 35 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:10,919 Speaker 1: I was inspired by Mrs Murray. Why wasn't she doctor 36 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: out on the garage with her lab equipment. Mrs Murray 37 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,919 Speaker 1: was the ultimate balanced scientist. Mom. The nurturing skills to 38 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: make hot cocoa when the kids needed it, the presence 39 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:22,360 Speaker 1: in power to let the kids take care of what 40 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 1: they should be able to, the will to plug forward 41 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: even when her husband was gone, the courage to ignore haters, 42 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 1: and the trust in her kids to accept the misses 43 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 1: who were three characters in the book when introduced, and 44 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:37,679 Speaker 1: sometimes she didn't leave the lab and that was okay. 45 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: She was a role model for science balance. Like many, 46 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 1: Dr Baxter also felt a powerful connection to Meg. She said, 47 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: it was the first time I was introduced to a 48 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: female protagonist who felt ostracized for being smart and was 49 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: loved anyway, and whose love for others saved the day. 50 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: Powerful stuff when you're a chubby loner reading books in 51 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 1: class all day long. The led to Dr Baxtair's eventual 52 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: success as a twenty year emergency room physician turned inventor. 53 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:08,640 Speaker 1: She said that as a kid quote, I loved the 54 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:11,520 Speaker 1: idea of solving problems in your garage. I made a 55 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:14,079 Speaker 1: chemistry lab in my basement at home, but discovered the 56 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: stuff they give you in kids home chemistry kits can 57 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 1: only turn things pink and blue, not cure cancer. Her 58 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: patients paid off, however, She said, even though I practiced medicine, 59 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 1: my career ended up pivoting on something I made in 60 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 1: my basement. That's something is a device. She invented to 61 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:33,240 Speaker 1: block needle pain, which gained traction as a way to 62 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 1: avoid using opioids post surgery. We also spoke via email 63 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: with mathematician dr Abby Herzig, who is currently a professor 64 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:44,160 Speaker 1: in the Department of Educational Theory and Practice at the 65 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: University of Albany. The concept of time travel itself played 66 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 1: a huge part in her career path. She said, I've 67 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 1: always been fascinated by the concept of time. What is time? 68 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: Is time travel possible? There are intriguing paradoxes and puzzles 69 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 1: associated with time travel, all in the nature of the 70 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:04,120 Speaker 1: passage of time. A Wrinkle in Time was one of 71 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: the first books I read as a child that dealt 72 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 1: with these ideas and turned me into a lifelong time geek. 73 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: The book's gentle push has since led her to explore 74 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: many areas of science, time, and yes, even time travel. 75 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:20,599 Speaker 1: She said, my academic focus has always been mathematics, and 76 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: my mathematical skills, coupled with my time obsession, have led 77 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:26,719 Speaker 1: me to take physics courses and read a lot about science. 78 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:31,279 Speaker 1: Physics in particular, but not exclusively. She enjoys researching and 79 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 1: collecting different types of clocks, and also loves investigating the 80 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 1: various calendars created throughout history. She said, the mathematics behind 81 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:42,799 Speaker 1: some of these measurement concepts is a real addiction of mine, 82 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:46,719 Speaker 1: and we think Meg would approve. The Disney Live action 83 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 1: film adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time that came out 84 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 1: in cast a young black actor in the role of Meg. 85 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 1: Here's hoping that kids of all genders and skin colors 86 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 1: can continue finding inspiration in Meg and other science Here 87 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: is real and fictional m Today's episode was written by A. 88 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:10,800 Speaker 1: Leah Hoyt and produced by Tyler Clang. For more on 89 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 1: this amounts of other curious topics, visit how stuff works 90 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 1: dot com. Brain Stuff is production of I Heart Radio. 91 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:18,559 Speaker 1: For more podcasts in my heart Radio, visit the iHeart 92 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 93 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:22,040 Speaker 1: favorite shows.