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Ainissa Ramirez - Four Way Interview

Ainissa Ramirez is a materials scientist and sought-after public speaker and science communicator. A Brown and Stanford graduate, she has worked as a research scientist at Bell Labs and held academic positions at Yale University and MIT. She has written for Time, Scientific American, the American Scientist, and Forbes, and makes regular appearances on PBS's SciTech Now. Her new book is The Alchemy of Us.

Why science?

 All children start off as scientists with their perpetual curiosity about the world. Long ago, I was no different. I was an inquisitive little girl and loved science because it was a way of understanding my surroundings. But as an adult I have come to understand that the importance of science is not solely because of the answers it provides, but because it offers a much needed forum for asking questions. Asking questions is a critical skill we need in our society today, in order to best shape it. 

 I have come to this belief because we live in a world where new discoveries and innovations abound, but many of us are not asking critical questions about them, and those questions are needed to create our future.  In my book, The Alchemy of Us, I explore how old technologies shaped us and I uncover some surprising outcomes. For example, I show how the telegraph modified language and how the clock changed how we sleep. If simple devices can have such results, the complex algorithms of AI and facial recognition will certainly sculpt culture, too. This is why it is prudent to probe the past for the lessons it provides. This type of thinking was suggested long ago by William Shakespeare when he said 'What's past is prologue.' In order to create the finest version of ourselves we must examine the tools around us. As such, the act of asking questions about how present technologies will shape our future is one of the most important endeavors we should be embarking on in the 21st century, so that we can make sure that technologies are serving all of humanity well. It was in this spirit of encouraging us to interrogate the things around us that I wrote my book. My intention was to invite readers to re-adopt their curiosity about the world that they once had as a child and the science mindset they once employed so vigorously. 

 So, why science? Because the act of asking questions encouraged by science gives humanity its best shot of creating a better world. 

 Why this book?

 The Alchemy of Us is an invitation into the world of science and shows the impact that technology has had on our lives. This book shows many tales of how technology shaped us and these lessons from the past provide a map of how to create a better future. But in order to create our best society, people of all stripes must be brought to the table. As such, The Alchemy of Us extends a hand out to those who may be familiar with science as well as those who may not be.  In this book, those who are already acquainted with science will find newly unearthed details about inventors as well as a fresh vantage regarding their work. For those who may have long felt excluded from science, they will find themselves ushered into an engaging world.  By using storytelling, all readers will walk along side the book’s characters, living in their time in history. With this approach, a communal understanding about the ramifications of innovation will take root, which can only help in making our world a better place.

 I wrote The Alchemy of Us as a way to reestablish a relationship to science, to the world, and to each other. Currently, we live in an age where many people feel disconnected from science and, as history shows, that is a dangerous place to be.  Much has been written about future technologies, such as AI and Big Data, but the complexity of these technologies doesn't often engender questions about how to change things.  The Alchemy of Us explores older and simpler innovations and shows how they altered society, encouraging the asking of questions. The aim of the book is that examinations of simple gadgets will empower a reader to ask questions about newer technologies of the present and the future.

 What’s next?

 I have another book in me that I wish to write in my efforts to make science compelling to readers. One of my favorite books is Primo Levi’s The Periodic Table. My plan is to craft a book inspired by his style. Levi used chemistry as a metaphor for his life. My plan is to use materials as a metaphor for mine. In addition to this new book, I am working on a number of projects spun-off from The Alchemy of Us, which include a children’s book, a podcast, as well as a documentary. Lastly, there is another story that is very important to me that I must put to paper. While writing The Alchemy of Us, I stumbled onto the tale of an African American woman inventor from the 19th century. One day when I was in my local library, a slip of paper fell out of the local history folder which mentioned her. I found out that she had been born a slave and in 1892 received a patent for an invention that is in everyone’s home. She was the Hidden Figure of her era, but little has been written about her.  After years of research, I now have enough to craft her story and am so excited that soon others will discover her too.

 What’s exciting you at the moment?

 As we emerge from this troubling time, I think there will be a great reset in culture, which I find exciting. This horrible event [COVID-19 pandemic] has provided a time to reflect on what is important to us and it has also illuminated some of the inequities in our world. I am eager to see how things will unfold as we create a 'new normal.'

 I am also excited about the wakeup call brought about by this crisis that scientists received in how they engage with the public. One reason why many nations, like the US, are in the place they are today, is because their cultures are partly anti-science.  This pandemic has put a spotlight on this. Now there is a chance to fix it. Personally, I am even more committed to making science compelling to the general public, which I had planned to do by writing more science books. But, this crisis is forcing me to explore new ways to connect with people. I don’t have the answers yet, but I am excited about whatever they will be.

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