Podcast
Questions and Answers
Who were the three women that worked at NASA?
Who were the three women that worked at NASA?
Mary Jackson, Katherine Goble (Johnson), Dorothy Vaughan
Who was the engineer?
Who was the engineer?
Mary Jackson
Who was the computer scientist?
Who was the computer scientist?
Dorothy Vaughan
Who was the mathematician?
Who was the mathematician?
Who was the head of the whole Space Task Group?
Who was the head of the whole Space Task Group?
The engineer who is 'second in command' in the Space Task Group is...
The engineer who is 'second in command' in the Space Task Group is...
Where does this movie take place?
Where does this movie take place?
When does this movie take place?
When does this movie take place?
Is this movie non-fiction, fiction, or somewhere in between?
Is this movie non-fiction, fiction, or somewhere in between?
Who was the US president during this time?
Who was the US president during this time?
Was MLK Jr. still alive during this time?
Was MLK Jr. still alive during this time?
Were 'colored' people treated the same as whites?
Were 'colored' people treated the same as whites?
Give an example(s) of the inequality.
Give an example(s) of the inequality.
Were women treated the same as men?
Were women treated the same as men?
Give an example of the inequality.
Give an example of the inequality.
Why does Katherine get an assignment from the Space Task Group?
Why does Katherine get an assignment from the Space Task Group?
What kind of math can she do?
What kind of math can she do?
Where does Mary take classes to become an engineer?
Where does Mary take classes to become an engineer?
Who does Mary have to convince to allow her to enroll into the school?
Who does Mary have to convince to allow her to enroll into the school?
What type of book does Dorothy sneak out of the library?
What type of book does Dorothy sneak out of the library?
Why does Dorothy have to sneak the book out?
Why does Dorothy have to sneak the book out?
Why does Dorothy need this book?
Why does Dorothy need this book?
Who was the first Russian to orbit the Earth?
Who was the first Russian to orbit the Earth?
How many times did the Russians orbit?
How many times did the Russians orbit?
Who was the first American to orbit the Earth?
Who was the first American to orbit the Earth?
How many times did the Americans orbit?
How many times did the Americans orbit?
Who orbited Earth first, a Russian or an American?
Who orbited Earth first, a Russian or an American?
What does 'IBM' stand for?
What does 'IBM' stand for?
Who got the IBM to work?
Who got the IBM to work?
How many multiplications can the IBM compute per second?
How many multiplications can the IBM compute per second?
Who figured out the landing coordinates?
Who figured out the landing coordinates?
What method did Katherine use to find the coordinates?
What method did Katherine use to find the coordinates?
Was this method new or old math?
Was this method new or old math?
Who knocked down the 'colored ladies room' sign?
Who knocked down the 'colored ladies room' sign?
Why did he knock down the sign?
Why did he knock down the sign?
What parting gift does Katherine get right before her wedding?
What parting gift does Katherine get right before her wedding?
What is the significance of this gift?
What is the significance of this gift?
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Study Notes
Key Figures
- Mary Jackson, Katherine Goble Johnson, and Dorothy Vaughan were pivotal women at NASA.
- Mary Jackson served as an engineer.
- Dorothy Vaughan was a computer scientist.
- Katherine Johnson worked as a mathematician.
- Al Harrison led the Space Task Group, with Paul Stafford as the engineer second in command.
Historical Context
- The narrative unfolds in 1961-62, primarily set in Hampton, Virginia, and Langley Air Force Base.
- John F. Kennedy was the US president during this era.
- Martin Luther King Jr. was alive, advocating for civil rights.
Social Inequality
- Racial segregation was prevalent; "colored" individuals faced extreme discrimination and separate facilities.
- Examples of inequality included forced segregation on buses, separate bathrooms, lunchrooms, and workplaces for people of color.
- Gender inequality was evident; women faced barriers in the workplace, often occupying lower positions.
Academic and Professional Challenges
- Katherine Johnson excelled in analytic geometry, earning her a role in the Space Task Group due to her mathematical prowess.
- Mary Jackson pursued engineering classes at an all-white high school, needing approval from a judge to enroll.
- Dorothy Vaughan took initiative by sneaking an IBM programming book from the library, since it was in the "white" section.
Technological Milestones
- Yuri Gagarin was the first Russian to orbit the Earth, completing one orbit.
- John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth, completing three orbits.
- Dorothy Vaughan successfully operated the IBM, which could compute 24,000 multiplications per second.
Methodologies and Innovations
- Katherine Johnson calculated landing coordinates utilizing Euler's Method, an ancient mathematical approach.
- Al Harrison's actions, such as removing the "colored ladies room" sign, highlighted a shift towards addressing racial discrimination in the workplace.
Personal Moments
- Katherine received pearls as a wedding gift, symbolizing her aspiration and adherence to the dress code permitting only pearls as jewelry.
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