1 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha and welcome to Stephane. 2 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:09,479 Speaker 1: Never told your production of I Heard Radio's How Stuff 3 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: Works for Classic. Today we are talking about female astronauts because, 4 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: after some delays, the first all female spacewalk took place 5 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,239 Speaker 1: a couple of weeks ago. As we record this, who 6 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:37,879 Speaker 1: knows when you're listening to it on October nineteen with 7 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:43,560 Speaker 1: NASA astronauts Jessica Meyer and Christina Coke and four American 8 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:47,880 Speaker 1: women to complete a spacewalk. It went well, no incidents 9 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 1: to report bearstead of the event. It's really interesting for us. 10 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:54,720 Speaker 1: This is just us doing our job, but we've been 11 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 1: training for six years, so it's coming up here and 12 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 1: doing our job at the same time. We reckon guys 13 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: that it is historic achievement and we want to give 14 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 1: credit to the women who came before us. We have 15 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 1: followed in their footsteps to get where we are today. 16 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: And Coke said, I think it's important because of the 17 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: historical nature of what we're doing and that in the 18 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:16,840 Speaker 1: past women haven't always been at the table. It's wonderful 19 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 1: to be contributing to human space flight at a time 20 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 1: when all contributions are being accepted. When everyone has a 21 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: role and that can lead intern to increased chance for success. 22 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: There are a lot of people that derive motivation from 23 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 1: inspiring stories from people that look like them, and I 24 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:38,960 Speaker 1: think it's an important aspect of the story to tell. Agreed, Agreed, Um, 25 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:41,679 Speaker 1: that's so cool. It is on my to do list 26 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:44,399 Speaker 1: to go to space? Is it? It's the last item 27 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: because I'm assuming it's going to be the most difficult 28 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: for me to achieve. I would think so, But I 29 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 1: have inspiration now. Um this. I love learning about female astronauts. 30 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: Um astronauts of general. Right. Obviously, women make up only 31 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: about ten of the people who have gone to space. 32 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 1: Of the active thirty astronauts we have today, only twelve 33 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 1: our women, so we do have some ways to go. 34 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:18,240 Speaker 1: And seeing women like this, hopefully some young girl was 35 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: watching and thinking I can do that, and we'll get 36 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:23,800 Speaker 1: more and more women. She'll put it on her list. 37 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 1: She'll put it on her list, and uh, maybe in 38 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:32,079 Speaker 1: a more serious manner than it's online. But I was 39 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:36,360 Speaker 1: really excited to hear this. And apologies if I mispronounced 40 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,399 Speaker 1: the names. Names are difficult. Names are difficult, that's how 41 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:43,359 Speaker 1: they are pronounced around Somebody has the same last name, 42 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: and that's how he m. So. I just wanted to share, 43 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 1: share that exciting news and share this classic episode about 44 00:02:53,800 --> 00:03:00,359 Speaker 1: female astronauts with you all. Please enjoy. Welcome to Stuff 45 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 1: Mom Never told you from how Stuff works dot com. Heh, 46 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:10,240 Speaker 1: and welcome to the podcast. This is Molly and I'm 47 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: Kristen Kristin. Today we're going to shoot for the stars, 48 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:17,800 Speaker 1: shoot for the moon, go to infinity and beyond. And 49 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:19,800 Speaker 1: by that I mean we're going to space, going straight 50 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 1: to space. We're going to talk about women, NASA, astronauts, sexism, 51 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 1: all sorts of good stuff. Um So, I mean, let's 52 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 1: talk about astronauts. Did you ever want to be an 53 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 1: astronaut when you're a kid? Nope, fear of heights, no 54 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 1: desire here. That settles it pretty quick. I mean my 55 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: ambitions lay solely on the ground, on the ground, just 56 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: the metaphorical stars. What about you? Um? I guess not. 57 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 1: I I always ask the questions. Sometimes I'm having conversations 58 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: with people about whether they would go to space if 59 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: they could never come back. If someone gave you a 60 00:03:57,320 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: free trip to space and get the experience of seeing space, 61 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 1: be could never come back. That sounds terrible. I think 62 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 1: I'd take it. When else can you go to space 63 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 1: and tell no one about it? And some experiences can 64 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: be magically even they're just for you. I guess. Well, wait, 65 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 1: that's that was on my on my mind when we 66 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 1: started doing this research about women and the obstacles they 67 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 1: ran into when they were going up against NASA, then 68 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:24,040 Speaker 1: the Space Agen, yes, NASA's space agency and so far. 69 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 1: Just to give you an idea of how few women 70 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: have been into space via NASA, fifty four fifty four 71 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: female astronauts. That's that's all we got. I think that 72 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:36,359 Speaker 1: includes more than just the American women that I do 73 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 1: think that includes international Yeah, so my even last Yeah, 74 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:43,359 Speaker 1: so fifty four women out of all women in the 75 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:47,279 Speaker 1: world have been in space. And you know, for a 76 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 1: while the face of NASA that was female was just 77 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 1: an astronaut's wife. Um, those were sort of the first 78 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:57,280 Speaker 1: women that people really associate with with NASA because the 79 00:04:57,360 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 1: women would have to sit at home while their husbands 80 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:01,479 Speaker 1: went to space since it was such a huge unknown. 81 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:03,040 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, they kind of felt like they 82 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:04,600 Speaker 1: were saying they were waiting for their husbands to die 83 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 1: when they sat there watching the television and by the way, 84 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 1: NASA had cameras there to um present a public face 85 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 1: the world of these brave women sitting at home waiting 86 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: for the men. They actually formed an Astronaut's wives club 87 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:20,840 Speaker 1: because there were so few of them, and little did 88 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:23,160 Speaker 1: they A lot of people know that even though they 89 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:26,680 Speaker 1: were in the media limelight, they were just living on 90 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:29,480 Speaker 1: the government paychecks. It's not like they were living these 91 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 1: extravagant lives like astronauts weren't paid very well. But then 92 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 1: they were thrust into high society, so tough life that 93 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 1: these one had to lead and a lot of them 94 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:44,919 Speaker 1: said that, um, after their husbands would come home from space. Uh, 95 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:48,080 Speaker 1: they always kind of had to play second fiddle to NASA. 96 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 1: I mean, one that can you compete with the moon? 97 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:53,159 Speaker 1: These men, you know, they've they've done something that so 98 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 1: few humans have done. It is natural that for a 99 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 1: lot of them, depression set in and they had trouble 100 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:00,919 Speaker 1: reacclimating to Earth and it was the wives who really 101 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:03,599 Speaker 1: bore the brunt of that. And um, you know, there 102 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 1: are a lot of really good articles about these women 103 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: who kind of um formed the domestic face of NASA, 104 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: but less known are women who were trying to become 105 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 1: astronauts at the same time that many of these wives 106 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 1: were sitting at home watching television. Yes, um, and we 107 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:23,039 Speaker 1: should start the conversation with Mercury thirteen. And this was 108 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 1: the first group of elite women who were tested and 109 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: trained at the Lovelace Clinic, which was an aviation medicine 110 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 1: hub that also tested Mercury seven, which were America's first astronauts. 111 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 1: And they found these thirteen women who they called first 112 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 1: Lady Astronauts trainees or flats, and they excelled at their 113 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 1: astronaut testing. Yeah, basically Robert levels, like you said, he 114 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:52,400 Speaker 1: tested the male astronauts, and he wanted to see if 115 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:55,520 Speaker 1: women would withstand the test just as well, because someone 116 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 1: had a theory that women weighed less and so maybe 117 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:00,240 Speaker 1: it would take less gas to get them to base. 118 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 1: So he was like, all right, I'm gonna do this 119 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:03,920 Speaker 1: on my own. I'm not going to tell the government. 120 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:05,599 Speaker 1: I've got these contacts with the government, so if the 121 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:07,719 Speaker 1: women end up doing well, I can get them in. 122 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:10,600 Speaker 1: And like you said, they did awesome. They gave them 123 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:13,760 Speaker 1: harder tests than the men went through. Most notably, they 124 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: left one woman in a deprivation tank which is filled 125 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 1: with water for nine hours, like the longest they made 126 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 1: jong Lens and that water was six hours. So she 127 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 1: did great. Um, all sorts of physical, emotional, batteries of tests. 128 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 1: The women were doing awesome. So at that point Loves 129 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 1: was like, I'm onto something, going to get the military 130 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 1: on this and get some real standardized testing on these women. 131 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: And that's where we went into trouble. Yeah, just days 132 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:44,160 Speaker 1: before these flats, the lady Astronaut trainees were supposed to 133 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: report to the Navy Aviation Naval Aviation Center in Pensacola, 134 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 1: everything was shut down. The plug is pulled. Plug was 135 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: pulled on mercury. And the excuse that the women got 136 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 1: was that there had been this dictate put into place 137 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 1: by Eisenhower that women had to be and I mean 138 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 1: that any astronaut had to be in the military to 139 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 1: serve as an astronaut. UM, so women weren't allowed to 140 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 1: serve in the military. Then by default, then no woman 141 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 1: could be astronaut and astronaut no matter how well she 142 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 1: did on the testing. The women did not take that 143 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 1: news very well, and they started organizing meetings with members 144 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 1: of Congress and with Vice President Johnson to plead their case. 145 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 1: And it was during these hearings that a lot of 146 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:36,840 Speaker 1: inherent sexism comes out, not only within just Congress, but 147 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 1: also Um. Some unsavory quotes from John Glenn lay one on, 148 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:43,640 Speaker 1: is Kristen all right? So this is John Glenn testifying 149 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:48,640 Speaker 1: in the nineteen sixty two congressional hearing on official astronaut qualifications, 150 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 1: trying to figure out whether or not women can meet 151 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:55,320 Speaker 1: those qualifications. And he says, and this is John Glenn, 152 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:58,559 Speaker 1: famed astronaut, the fact that women are not in this 153 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:01,240 Speaker 1: field is a fact of our so shill order. He's 154 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 1: just saying, like women, women don't belong in space. And 155 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:07,920 Speaker 1: he continued, if we could find any women that demonstrate 156 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 1: they have better qualifications than men, we would open them 157 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:14,840 Speaker 1: with open arms. An audience goes crazy because he's implying 158 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:17,320 Speaker 1: that women aren't as good as men. Um, can I 159 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:21,960 Speaker 1: tell you about what Michael Collins of Apollo Levin said? Please? Um, 160 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:24,319 Speaker 1: this is and you better remember it is the sixties. 161 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 1: It's not the most enlightened time. But he wrote dreamily 162 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 1: of the ingenious possibilities of weightlessness. Quote no need to 163 00:09:32,559 --> 00:09:35,719 Speaker 1: carry braws into space, that's for sure. Imagine a spacecraft 164 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 1: of the future with the crew of a thousand ladies, 165 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:41,640 Speaker 1: with two thousand breasts bobbling, bobbing beautifully and quivering delightfully, 166 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:43,319 Speaker 1: and I am the commander of the craft and a 167 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:47,920 Speaker 1: just Saturday morning and time for inspection. Naturally. Oh wow, Yeah, 168 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:50,480 Speaker 1: I didn't he write that in space, like in his 169 00:09:50,520 --> 00:09:54,800 Speaker 1: space diary or something, dreaming about space. That's how I 170 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:57,600 Speaker 1: think of it. I think of him floating around in 171 00:09:57,679 --> 00:10:01,400 Speaker 1: his space capsule dreaming of bobbing breasts. Well, and you know, 172 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:03,440 Speaker 1: to be fair, they probably thought we shouldn't have women 173 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 1: women on the spacecraft if we've got people like Michael 174 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 1: Collins dreaming of of witless breasts space bobbing around. Um. 175 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 1: And one representative said that, you know, eventually they wouldn't 176 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:15,640 Speaker 1: eedt women in the space program so they could colonize 177 00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:21,280 Speaker 1: other planets. Another classic. But basically, the hearings decided that 178 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 1: it was not time to lift that uh little arcane 179 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 1: rule that eis and are put in place that women 180 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:28,360 Speaker 1: had to come from military. You know, the women were 181 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:29,880 Speaker 1: just saying, we want to be part of history too. 182 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:31,920 Speaker 1: We know this is a big focus for our country 183 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:35,600 Speaker 1: right now. Let us help and the hearing sort of 184 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 1: found like, you know, let's let the guys do this 185 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:55,599 Speaker 1: first and then we'll worry about you ladies. Meanwhile, in Russia, 186 00:10:56,520 --> 00:11:01,280 Speaker 1: they didn't care. They sent old vale Tina tursha Cova 187 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:04,760 Speaker 1: up in space, becoming the first woman in space in 188 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:08,400 Speaker 1: June of nineteen sixty three. Yeah, and the women tried 189 00:11:08,440 --> 00:11:10,560 Speaker 1: to use that to their advantage, like, we hear Russia's 190 00:11:10,559 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 1: got this woman they're going to send up. Why don't 191 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:14,400 Speaker 1: we get when do we get a woman up there too? 192 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:17,360 Speaker 1: And they were like, that's just a Russian publicity stunt. 193 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:20,400 Speaker 1: Women just Americans just pipe down, okay, And to be fair, 194 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 1: it probably was. And a lot of the quotes you 195 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:26,400 Speaker 1: find about tursh Cova it was um that. You know, 196 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:28,600 Speaker 1: after after that there are a lot of male people 197 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:30,440 Speaker 1: in that space program saying I'm never gonna work with 198 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:33,640 Speaker 1: a woman again. So it took a while after trish 199 00:11:33,679 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 1: Cova to get another another woman in space. The Mercury 200 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 1: thirteen women disbanded and didn't come together again until um 201 00:11:39,640 --> 00:11:43,400 Speaker 1: Eileen Collins piloted a Space Shuttle and they all came 202 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 1: for her launch at her invitation because she wanted to 203 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:49,720 Speaker 1: thank them for being so inspirational to her. But most 204 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:52,720 Speaker 1: women when they think of the Space program and NASA 205 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 1: and women think of Sally Ride, Sally K. Ride, astrophysicist 206 00:11:56,960 --> 00:12:01,200 Speaker 1: in America's first woman astronaut, who took off into space 207 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:06,000 Speaker 1: on June eighteenth, nineteen three. So by the time Sally 208 00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:08,320 Speaker 1: Ride went into space, they had done all. They had 209 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:10,080 Speaker 1: done more testing, they had gotten rid of this one 210 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:12,920 Speaker 1: rule about military pilots that have kept the Mercury thirteen 211 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:16,000 Speaker 1: women back um allegedly even though it was probably just 212 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:19,319 Speaker 1: greater sexism. And they did test after tests on men 213 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:21,440 Speaker 1: and women in space, and most of the tests were 214 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:25,360 Speaker 1: focused on um. Of course women in menstruation. Could women 215 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:28,360 Speaker 1: who had their periods in space handle that as well 216 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:30,960 Speaker 1: as maybe men who weren't encumbered by that? Whereou that 217 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:35,440 Speaker 1: menstrual blood go that gravity free environment? I think? Actually, now, 218 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 1: when they send a woman into space her box of tampons, 219 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:40,440 Speaker 1: all the tampons are kind of attached to each other 220 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:43,840 Speaker 1: so that the one won't fly away before the women 221 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:49,120 Speaker 1: can can use it. Um side note um. But basically 222 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:51,200 Speaker 1: these tests find that there's no difference between men and 223 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:53,280 Speaker 1: women in space. In fact, some tests start to find 224 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:56,000 Speaker 1: that women might do better in space than men, like 225 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:59,480 Speaker 1: those Mercury three tests held out. Maybe women have the 226 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:02,439 Speaker 1: emotional reserves to deal with the isolation and the craziness 227 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:05,679 Speaker 1: of space. Maybe they deal with the muscle loss better. 228 00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:08,559 Speaker 1: Maybe they are less likely to have a heart attack 229 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:12,080 Speaker 1: and die in space, and are are just stronger physically 230 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:15,520 Speaker 1: to undertake the mission. Yes, and yet there's still been 231 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:20,640 Speaker 1: you know this this huge reservation about UM sending women 232 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 1: into space. But one woman we do need to mention 233 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:26,400 Speaker 1: before we go any further is may See Jemison. She 234 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:29,280 Speaker 1: was an engineer and medical doctor who became the first 235 00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:33,760 Speaker 1: black woman in space on September twelve, nineteen two. And 236 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:36,480 Speaker 1: like I mentioned, Eileen Collins also deserves a big shout out. 237 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:38,720 Speaker 1: She was the first one to pilot an American space shuttle, 238 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:40,840 Speaker 1: and then the first one went to pilot and command 239 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:43,760 Speaker 1: and as a space shuttle, and that was in and 240 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:46,760 Speaker 1: then two thousand five. So more women are slowly going 241 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:49,600 Speaker 1: into space. UM, it seems like there will always be 242 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:52,400 Speaker 1: that sort of confusion about whether it's a man's job 243 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:54,280 Speaker 1: or a woman's Jobbing in China starting to work on 244 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:57,200 Speaker 1: their space program, and they're saying only mothers can go 245 00:13:57,240 --> 00:13:59,599 Speaker 1: into space because they don't want to mess up a 246 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:02,840 Speaker 1: woman future fertility. So this question is still of you know, 247 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:07,959 Speaker 1: women and children and um periods. It's still kind of 248 00:14:08,559 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 1: screwing up women's journeys into the stars. Do you think though, 249 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 1: that the Columbia and the Challenger disasters where four women 250 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:20,240 Speaker 1: were killed for female astronauts were killed, do you think 251 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 1: that that the kind of the magnitude of those dissasters 252 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:26,760 Speaker 1: we had a chilling effect at all. I mean, they 253 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 1: didn't happen all that long ago, but it seemed like, 254 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:33,080 Speaker 1: you know, I mean, that's uh, four out of fourteen 255 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:35,880 Speaker 1: astronauts being female. That's that's a much better gratio than 256 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:38,160 Speaker 1: it used to be. That's true, And especially on the Challenger, 257 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:41,640 Speaker 1: when christ mccalloff, the teacher, was such the public face 258 00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:43,760 Speaker 1: of that disaster, I think that probably, yeah, if you 259 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:46,360 Speaker 1: were a little girl at the time, seeing her so 260 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:49,400 Speaker 1: closely associated with that disaster probably did put a damper 261 00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:53,480 Speaker 1: on a lot of astronaut dreams. Although Sally Ride would 262 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 1: say that the problem is not so much disasters like that, 263 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:59,240 Speaker 1: it's just that we don't push girls in math and 264 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:00,920 Speaker 1: science as well as push boys. And this is a 265 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:05,360 Speaker 1: discussion that you know, we've had several times on whether, um, 266 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:07,800 Speaker 1: whether girls are given the tools to excel in these fields. 267 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 1: But she started salary Wite Science, a corporation that teaches 268 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:15,479 Speaker 1: both teachers and girls about how to keep science interesting, 269 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:18,120 Speaker 1: um beyond the middle school in high school years. So 270 00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:21,400 Speaker 1: she's hoping that that sort of work will keep girls 271 00:15:21,400 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 1: more interested in the pursuits that could lead to a 272 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 1: space career. And then it also this whole issue also 273 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:30,160 Speaker 1: just brings up a larger societal question of why we 274 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:34,440 Speaker 1: still have trouble with the idea of putting women in 275 00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:37,840 Speaker 1: high risk situations. You know, it goes into like women 276 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:41,440 Speaker 1: being allowed into combat and the military sending women into space. 277 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:45,080 Speaker 1: You know, just anytime we position women in a life 278 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:49,560 Speaker 1: potentially life threatening arena, were far less comfortable than putting 279 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:51,920 Speaker 1: a man in the same place. Yeah, despite the fact that, 280 00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:54,440 Speaker 1: like we said, women might be better physically equipped if 281 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:57,840 Speaker 1: these studies are correct, um, then men. But then again, 282 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:00,080 Speaker 1: some people could say that the entire space program was 283 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:04,320 Speaker 1: underfunded and maybe it doesn't matter at all, maybe it's useless, um. 284 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 1: But I do think that's a valid question, is do 285 00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:08,800 Speaker 1: we not want women in space because it is you know, 286 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:12,200 Speaker 1: something that's so unknown and that makes us nervous um 287 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:14,960 Speaker 1: or you know, is there still inherent sexism in some 288 00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:18,240 Speaker 1: of these fields? You know, it's it's worth um questioning 289 00:16:18,280 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 1: whenever you see a space command going up. And of 290 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 1: course we have to mention old Lisa Noak. Oh, yeah, 291 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:29,240 Speaker 1: the bad apple of female asternaut. For all of the 292 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:32,680 Speaker 1: progress other female astronauts had made. You had to go 293 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:36,400 Speaker 1: and strap on some disposal diapers and chase down who 294 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 1: was it her? Her husband or ex husband's was just 295 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:44,320 Speaker 1: a boyfriend, a boyfriend's girlfriend, and she had a husband 296 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:46,880 Speaker 1: and some kids at home and wanted to confront her 297 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:50,680 Speaker 1: female rival for a fellow astronauts affection, and you know 298 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:53,320 Speaker 1: that might maybe that's an issue. There have been, um, 299 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:55,320 Speaker 1: you know, quotes and all these articles were reading about 300 00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:57,800 Speaker 1: how this one man said he wouldn't send just one 301 00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:01,240 Speaker 1: woman up into space. He would send three time, so 302 00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:03,840 Speaker 1: that there wouldn't be like a rivalry between two of them, 303 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:05,560 Speaker 1: and one of them just wouldn't be like the token 304 00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:08,480 Speaker 1: woman that everyone was after. Like, you know, if you 305 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 1: are up there for months at a time, what kind 306 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:15,240 Speaker 1: of dynamics sets in in such close quarters? Uh? Now, 307 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:17,800 Speaker 1: I don't know, speaking of the deprivation testing, I'm not 308 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:20,200 Speaker 1: sure which year this was, but uh yeah, it does 309 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:23,040 Speaker 1: seem like it's a bad idea to only send one 310 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:26,720 Speaker 1: woman at a time because there was deprivation testing going 311 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:30,480 Speaker 1: on in Antarctica. That was one woman among all these 312 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:33,159 Speaker 1: other men who were training to be astronauts, and apparently 313 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 1: her presence alone, they're just being one of her in 314 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:40,160 Speaker 1: these icy, barren conditions caused some violence among the men. 315 00:17:40,280 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 1: I don't know, things get weird, because get really weird sometimes, 316 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:46,320 Speaker 1: but should women be punished because the men can't can't 317 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:49,080 Speaker 1: handle their deprivation? Absolutely not. I mean it's it's only 318 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 1: that's only more of an argument to for gender parity 319 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:55,880 Speaker 1: even out the ratios, and maybe dudes won't flip out 320 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:58,040 Speaker 1: so much. I know that's so sexist of me to say, 321 00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:00,600 Speaker 1: but that's kind of it's kind of that will make 322 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:03,320 Speaker 1: up for that bobbing breast quote there We good take 323 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:07,879 Speaker 1: that dreamy astronaut man? Who who was someone who wrote that? 324 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:26,040 Speaker 1: Michael Colin, Michael Collins. Well that's what we've got on 325 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:28,439 Speaker 1: female astronauts. We'd love to hear from you guys, if 326 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:30,359 Speaker 1: you wanted to be an astronaut. If you never wanted 327 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:31,879 Speaker 1: to be an astronaut, If you still want to be 328 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:35,640 Speaker 1: an astronaut, tell us your dreams about shooting among the stars, 329 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:37,840 Speaker 1: and you can write us at mom Stuff at how 330 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:40,880 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com and we shall read some emails. 331 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:47,600 Speaker 1: I have one here from Victoria, and she writes, I 332 00:18:47,640 --> 00:18:49,280 Speaker 1: was listening to your podcast when I heard want of 333 00:18:49,320 --> 00:18:52,240 Speaker 1: you used the colloquialism rule of thumb. I thought that 334 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:54,640 Speaker 1: you might appreciate the history behind it. Many people still 335 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:56,280 Speaker 1: use it, and I feel like the history needs to 336 00:18:56,320 --> 00:18:59,480 Speaker 1: get out. In the late eighteen hundreds and early nineteen hundreds, 337 00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:01,520 Speaker 1: it was a common practice and actually became a law 338 00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:03,720 Speaker 1: in Virginia that men could only beat their wives with 339 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:06,680 Speaker 1: a stick there was the width of their thumb or less. 340 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:08,800 Speaker 1: When I heard of this fact, I was horrified, And 341 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:10,840 Speaker 1: I know the general population doesn't know about this, So 342 00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:12,600 Speaker 1: I thought, if you read this on your podcast, you 343 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:16,200 Speaker 1: can enlighten your listeners. This stems from generations of misogyny 344 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:18,639 Speaker 1: and sexism, but little by little, we're all doing our 345 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:20,879 Speaker 1: best at five backs with this my one to punch 346 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:25,080 Speaker 1: to sexism for today. Well, I have an email here 347 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:27,960 Speaker 1: from Melissa, and this is about our podcast on hyman's 348 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:32,120 Speaker 1: and she writes, I found your hyman podcast very interesting. However, 349 00:19:32,359 --> 00:19:35,159 Speaker 1: I think you should have covered a few problems that 350 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:38,760 Speaker 1: can result in having to have minor surgery to have 351 00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:42,159 Speaker 1: your hyman removed. You made it sound like it was 352 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:44,600 Speaker 1: never a big deal, and it can be. There at 353 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:47,639 Speaker 1: least three cases where the hyman may have to be 354 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:51,199 Speaker 1: removed by a doctor. These are an imperfort hyman, a 355 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:55,000 Speaker 1: microprofert hyman, and acceptate hyman. You can find out more 356 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:58,840 Speaker 1: about those three types of hyman at Young Women's Health 357 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:01,119 Speaker 1: dot org. You might want to check them out and 358 00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:03,760 Speaker 1: address them. I know I had a micro perforate hyman 359 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:06,199 Speaker 1: in my teens and had to have it removed by 360 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:08,840 Speaker 1: a doctor. I remember it being a big scary deal 361 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 1: to me at the time and feeling like a freak. 362 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:11,880 Speaker 1: I think it would be nice to do a follow 363 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 1: up podcast on these conditions. Perhaps you will, or if anything, 364 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:18,959 Speaker 1: we could do a follow up blog post. So if 365 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:21,600 Speaker 1: you have any suggestions or ideas or stories to send 366 00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:24,159 Speaker 1: our way again, our email addresses mom Stuff at how 367 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:26,919 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com. You can also head over to 368 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:30,680 Speaker 1: Facebook and like us there and converse with other moms 369 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:33,760 Speaker 1: Stuff listeners, and you can follow us on Twitter as well. 370 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 1: Our handle is at mom Stuff Podcast. Then, finally, you 371 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:40,400 Speaker 1: can read our blog during the week, It's Stuff Mom 372 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:47,159 Speaker 1: Never told You from how Stuff Works dot com. Be 373 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:49,880 Speaker 1: sure to check out our new video podcast, Stuff from 374 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:52,760 Speaker 1: the Future. Join how Stuff Work staff as we explore 375 00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:56,880 Speaker 1: the most promising and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow. The house 376 00:20:56,880 --> 00:20:59,760 Speaker 1: Stuff Works iPhone app has a ride. Download it today 377 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:00,680 Speaker 1: on iTunes.