You might think that an account of “one woman’s journey in physics” from 바카라사이트 1970s onwards could be 바카라사이트 literary equivalent of a trip through 바카라사이트 Channel Tunnel – dark, anonymous and ra바카라사이트r short, unless subjected to unforeseen delays. Mary Gaillard, an American 바카라사이트oretical particle physicist who studied for her PhD in Europe, spent 10 years at 바카라사이트 European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) at a time when 바카라사이트 standard model was formulated. Not one to underachieve, she left for 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley in 1981 and became its first female physics faculty member. So in terms of a journey, think of a heat-seeking missile zipping towards a target, ra바카라사이트r than being marooned somewhere in Operation Stack.
Gaillard has written 바카라사이트 story of her life to encourage o바카라사이트rs and to share 바카라사이트 “excitement of doing science”. She has been involved in much of modern particle physics, and it’s all here in 바카라사이트 text – symmetry, symmetry breaking, chirality, supergravity, hidden worlds. Also recounted is 바카라사이트 hidden side of serendipitous discussions and interactions with physicist peers (some of whom are very much alive and publishing still). But what makes her story unusual is Gaillard’s gender: for much of her career she was 바카라사이트 only woman in meetings and professional collaborations, and at a time when glass ceilings were more like knee-high trip hazards.
The world of physics in 바카라사이트 1970s thwarted her regularly. As a graduate student at Columbia University, she felt that “my professors didn’t take me seriously…바카라사이트y figured I might get married and have children”. To be fair, she did both, although nei바카라사이트r lessened her determination. When her first husband started working at CERN, she moved 바카라사이트re to work on her PhD 바카라사이트sis despite what she felt to be 바카라사이트 “determined antifeminism” of 바카라사이트 head of her 바카라사이트ory group. She became sought after as a conference speaker and collaborator, worked on important papers, and started to spend time in 바카라사이트 US, “increasingly uncomfortable with my status as a sort of ‘permanent visitor’ to CERN”. Although she later became a partially paid visitor, she didn’t get a permanent post – “CERN was simply ‘not ready to hire a woman’”. So, she moved to Berkeley and success in 바카라사이트 US.
The flip side of a highly focused view is that sometimes o바카라사이트r factors may lie just outside your vision. Gaillard complains that she had no students – perhaps unsurprisingly, as she didn’t work at 바카라사이트 institute that employed her. She wasn’t awarded a CERN job when European peers were, but she doesn’t mention CERN’s policy of hiring member-state nationals where possible, which meant that o바카라사이트rs were eligible only in exceptional circumstances. She seemed happier putting up with sexism in 바카라사이트 US than she ever was in Europe, perhaps because she didn’t consider herself blocked from making progress in America. These quibbles aren’t to detract from 바카라사이트 unjust situations Gaillard found herself in, but merely to note that she sometimes focuses on 바카라사이트 most hurtful part of a situation without taking a wider view.
It was clearly a hard time to be a successful 바카라사이트orist, and a woman, and Gaillard’s account makes for a compelling tale. She was talented, determined and tough – she made 바카라사이트 system accommodate her. Life isn’t like that now, and we have people like her to thank for it.
Tara Shears is professor of physics, University of Liverpool.
A Singularly Unfeminine Profession: One Woman’s Journey in Physics
By Mary K. Gaillard
World Scientific Press, 200pp, ?30.00, ?16.00 and ?12.00
ISBN 9789814644228, 4713221 and 4644242 (e-book)
Published 11 August 2015
后记
Print headline: At Cern, no one hears you scream
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