1 00:00:11,749 --> 00:00:08,799 equilateral trapezoid isosceles 2 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:11,759 tetrahedron I have never seen a mind 3 00:00:24,980 --> 00:00:14,610 like the one your daughter has you have 4 00:00:26,599 --> 00:00:24,990 to see what she becomes Katherine we all 5 00:00:28,310 --> 00:00:26,609 go end up unemployed riding around in 6 00:00:30,740 --> 00:00:28,320 this pile of junk you're welcome to walk 7 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:30,750 the sixteen men all sit in the back of 8 00:00:36,799 --> 00:00:34,890 the bus you have identification on we 9 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:36,809 just don't know where to work at NASA 10 00:00:44,869 --> 00:00:40,050 sir I had no idea they heard quite a few 11 00:00:46,639 --> 00:00:44,879 women working in the space program you 12 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:46,649 know we're doing here we're putting a 13 00:00:52,030 --> 00:00:48,690 human on top of a missile shooting into 14 00:00:56,230 --> 00:00:54,130 I need a mathematician it could look 15 00:00:58,270 --> 00:00:56,240 beyond the numbers man that doesn't yet 16 00:01:02,160 --> 00:00:58,280 exist before the Russians plant a flag 17 00:01:04,780 --> 00:01:02,170 from the damnum you have someone running 18 00:01:06,490 --> 00:01:04,790 Kathir as a gal for that she can handle 19 00:01:08,710 --> 00:01:06,500 any numbers you put in wrong don't 20 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:08,720 embarrass me this was an indeed last 21 00:01:16,660 --> 00:01:13,850 night sorry I'm not that carnal Jam is a 22 00:01:18,460 --> 00:01:16,670 tall glass of water it's coming over now 23 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:18,470 why would he be doing that Kells Mary's 24 00:01:27,070 --> 00:01:21,890 waving it Oh Jonathan slice up a file of 25 00:01:29,350 --> 00:01:27,080 what you already have a slam Hanoi your 26 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:29,360 computer at nest and then women handle 27 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:33,770 that sorted yes yes that women do some 28 00:01:39,730 --> 00:01:36,650 things at NASA mr. Johnson and it's not 29 00:01:43,389 --> 00:01:39,740 because we'll be escapes it's because we 30 00:01:45,670 --> 00:01:43,399 wear glasses we go from being our 31 00:01:48,430 --> 00:01:45,680 fathers daughters to our husbands wives 32 00:01:51,310 --> 00:01:48,440 to our babies mothers every night for 33 00:01:53,830 --> 00:01:51,320 three hundred out with Mama gone for 12 34 00:01:57,050 --> 00:01:53,840 and a half days no but it felt like it 35 00:02:03,380 --> 00:02:00,380 it's crunch time in 14 days astronauts 36 00:02:05,180 --> 00:02:03,390 will be here for training everything we 37 00:02:06,770 --> 00:02:05,190 do can matter to their wives to their 38 00:02:08,809 --> 00:02:06,780 children I believe is gonna matter to 39 00:02:12,199 --> 00:02:08,819 the whole damn country my gals are ready 40 00:02:14,090 --> 00:02:12,209 we can do the work that's John Glenn 41 00:02:16,460 --> 00:02:14,100 what do you ladies do for NASA calculate 42 00:02:17,780 --> 00:02:16,470 your margin landing sir engineer and I'm 43 00:02:20,540 --> 00:02:17,790 proud as the devil to be working with 44 00:02:22,850 --> 00:02:20,550 you how could you possibly be uh Glenn 45 00:02:26,809 --> 00:02:22,860 these white men it's equal rights I have 46 00:02:28,460 --> 00:02:26,819 no right as you find in epic there is no 47 00:02:29,930 --> 00:02:28,470 protocol for women attending there's no 48 00:02:31,640 --> 00:02:29,940 protocol for man circling the Earth 49 00:02:33,170 --> 00:02:31,650 either sir every time we have a chance 50 00:02:36,050 --> 00:02:33,180 to get ahead they move to finish me 51 00:02:40,580 --> 00:02:36,060 every time we all get there together we 52 00:02:42,470 --> 00:02:40,590 don't get there at all give it no uh 53 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:42,480 NASA and giving up on good old-fashioned 54 00:02:45,330 --> 00:02:51,240 do 55 00:02:55,980 --> 00:02:53,820 let me ask you if you were white male 56 00:02:59,420 --> 00:02:55,990 would you wish to be an engineer I 57 00:03:07,860 --> 00:02:59,430 wouldn't have to I'd already be them 58 00:03:10,230 --> 00:03:07,870 don't you know that we're able good 59 00:03:12,780 --> 00:03:10,240 morning welcome to hidden figures the 60 00:03:14,910 --> 00:03:12,790 story behind the story my name is Sarah 61 00:03:17,820 --> 00:03:14,920 Ramsey and I'm your moderator for this 62 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:17,830 event celebrating NASA's history hidden 63 00:03:22,350 --> 00:03:19,810 figures tells the story of the early 64 00:03:24,630 --> 00:03:22,360 days of NASA when computers were people 65 00:03:26,820 --> 00:03:24,640 and specifically the story of the women 66 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:26,830 who broke barriers both at NASA and in 67 00:03:31,650 --> 00:03:29,290 society we've got a great panel here 68 00:03:34,290 --> 00:03:31,660 today to talk about this story and the 69 00:03:35,550 --> 00:03:34,300 story behind the story joining us in 70 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:35,560 just a few minutes will be NASA 71 00:03:40,770 --> 00:03:38,530 Administrator Charles Bolden and then we 72 00:03:44,190 --> 00:03:40,780 have dr. bill Barry who is NASA's chief 73 00:03:46,890 --> 00:03:44,200 historian and Julie Williams Byrd who is 74 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:46,900 a senior systems analyst here at NASA's 75 00:03:51,660 --> 00:03:49,090 Langley Research Center and then joining 76 00:03:54,510 --> 00:03:51,670 us virtually is Ted Nell fee who 77 00:03:58,259 --> 00:03:54,520 directed the new film hidden figures hi 78 00:03:59,509 --> 00:03:58,269 Ted I'd like to encourage you watching 79 00:04:02,460 --> 00:03:59,519 out there to send in your questions 80 00:04:06,150 --> 00:04:02,470 during the program you can email those 81 00:04:07,949 --> 00:04:06,160 questions to d/l info channel at 82 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:07,959 gmail.com 83 00:04:17,280 --> 00:04:15,370 let's start with you the women in this 84 00:04:19,500 --> 00:04:17,290 story they played a critical role in 85 00:04:21,570 --> 00:04:19,510 NASA's history can you tell us a little 86 00:04:24,060 --> 00:04:21,580 bit about what they did and why it was 87 00:04:25,980 --> 00:04:24,070 important then well Becky you have to 88 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:25,990 remember the context of the situation 89 00:04:30,900 --> 00:04:28,570 you know we're dealing with the Cold War 90 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:30,910 situation you know time long ago for 91 00:04:36,270 --> 00:04:32,650 most people who were going to watch the 92 00:04:37,650 --> 00:04:36,280 movie but it was a very tense period of 93 00:04:39,390 --> 00:04:37,660 time between the United States and the 94 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:39,400 Soviet Union and being competitors the 95 00:04:45,810 --> 00:04:43,650 space race became a surrogate for a 96 00:04:47,909 --> 00:04:45,820 struggle between those two countries and 97 00:04:49,950 --> 00:04:47,919 so what was happening at NASA was 98 00:04:52,350 --> 00:04:49,960 critical to the country President 99 00:04:54,150 --> 00:04:52,360 Kennedy set the goal to land on the moon 100 00:04:57,300 --> 00:04:54,160 in part that proved that the United 101 00:04:58,530 --> 00:04:57,310 States had a viable socio-economic 102 00:04:59,850 --> 00:04:58,540 system because people actually thought 103 00:05:01,230 --> 00:04:59,860 that the Soviet system might be better 104 00:05:05,050 --> 00:05:01,240 than the u.s. one because they were so 105 00:05:06,310 --> 00:05:05,060 successful in space so what the 106 00:05:07,690 --> 00:05:06,320 all people at Assen we're doing but 107 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:07,700 particularly the computers who were 108 00:05:12,550 --> 00:05:09,530 working here that Langley at the time 109 00:05:14,020 --> 00:05:12,560 we're doing was they were you know 110 00:05:15,250 --> 00:05:14,030 calculating all the important 111 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:15,260 information that needed to be done to 112 00:05:19,570 --> 00:05:17,210 find out how we going to actually do 113 00:05:22,810 --> 00:05:19,580 that stuff we have done this before and 114 00:05:24,280 --> 00:05:22,820 so those calculations were absolutely 115 00:05:26,260 --> 00:05:24,290 critical to understanding how we're 116 00:05:28,810 --> 00:05:26,270 going to safely put people in and out of 117 00:05:31,230 --> 00:05:28,820 space and and that was a really critical 118 00:05:35,890 --> 00:05:31,240 role for for NASA and for our country 119 00:05:39,730 --> 00:05:35,900 great administrator bolden welcome good 120 00:05:41,650 --> 00:05:39,740 to be here if I can start you off with 121 00:05:44,020 --> 00:05:41,660 the question here we've learned a little 122 00:05:46,570 --> 00:05:44,030 bit about the history and I know that as 123 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:46,580 a pilot in an astronaut you understand 124 00:05:51,879 --> 00:05:47,930 the importance of science and math and 125 00:05:54,370 --> 00:05:51,889 how NASA uses those but I know you also 126 00:05:56,500 --> 00:05:54,380 feel strongly about how the arts and 127 00:05:58,300 --> 00:05:56,510 about how history is important to us at 128 00:06:00,850 --> 00:05:58,310 NASA so can you tell us a little bit 129 00:06:02,950 --> 00:06:00,860 about how those subjects fit into what 130 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:02,960 we do well we think they fit incredibly 131 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:05,450 well because I think I firmly believe 132 00:06:09,430 --> 00:06:07,250 that young people like the ones in the 133 00:06:12,460 --> 00:06:09,440 audience some of them don't have a clue 134 00:06:14,500 --> 00:06:12,470 that they like math and science but they 135 00:06:16,779 --> 00:06:14,510 know that they like music or they know 136 00:06:19,690 --> 00:06:16,789 they like art or they know they like 137 00:06:21,610 --> 00:06:19,700 something else and and we know that arts 138 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:21,620 come from the same side of the brain as 139 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:24,650 math and science so at NASA we talk 140 00:06:30,430 --> 00:06:27,770 about steamed which is science 141 00:06:33,130 --> 00:06:30,440 technology engineering arts math and 142 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:33,140 then we had a D for design and and you 143 00:06:37,690 --> 00:06:35,810 may say well what's design design of 144 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:37,700 spacesuit design is the interior or 145 00:06:42,310 --> 00:06:39,970 cockpit of a spacecraft so we emphasize 146 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:42,320 all of those things and that's why the 147 00:06:47,740 --> 00:06:44,810 arts are so important to us if you talk 148 00:06:49,300 --> 00:06:47,750 about the movie that we're going to talk 149 00:06:52,900 --> 00:06:49,310 about a little bit later you may have 150 00:06:54,790 --> 00:06:52,910 already started talking about you notice 151 00:06:58,750 --> 00:06:54,800 how the arts enable us to become 152 00:07:01,210 --> 00:06:58,760 storytellers Sir Rebecca here my good 153 00:07:02,830 --> 00:07:01,220 friend of many many years knows that one 154 00:07:05,050 --> 00:07:02,840 of my the things that I say all the time 155 00:07:06,909 --> 00:07:05,060 about about us NASA engineers and 156 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:06,919 scientists not about people like her she 157 00:07:10,330 --> 00:07:08,810 is a tremendous communicator we have I 158 00:07:12,010 --> 00:07:10,340 think we have the best communications 159 00:07:14,380 --> 00:07:12,020 shop in the world 160 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:14,390 it's people like me the engineers and 161 00:07:17,980 --> 00:07:15,650 scientists who don't know how to tell 162 00:07:20,500 --> 00:07:17,990 stories and so that's again where 163 00:07:22,090 --> 00:07:20,510 arts come in so for some of you again in 164 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:22,100 the audience you may think what am I 165 00:07:25,630 --> 00:07:24,050 going to do with the space program you 166 00:07:27,730 --> 00:07:25,640 can be a storyteller you know you can 167 00:07:30,250 --> 00:07:27,740 help us to tell our story you can do 168 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:30,260 what dr. bill berry does he is the 169 00:07:35,620 --> 00:07:32,090 consummate storyteller for NASA is the 170 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:35,630 NASA historian so he is in his brain and 171 00:07:41,770 --> 00:07:39,050 in and in his office back at NASA 172 00:07:45,100 --> 00:07:41,780 headquarters in Washington DC resides 173 00:07:46,060 --> 00:07:45,110 the entire history not just a NASA the 174 00:07:49,390 --> 00:07:46,070 National Aeronautics and Space 175 00:07:51,730 --> 00:07:49,400 Administration but of NACA the the 176 00:07:54,790 --> 00:07:51,740 National Advisory Committee on 177 00:07:57,550 --> 00:07:54,800 Aeronautics which is what brought us if 178 00:08:01,000 --> 00:07:57,560 you will Katherine Johnson and you know 179 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:01,010 the computers and skirts all right Thank 180 00:08:09,490 --> 00:08:05,210 You Julie you've worked at NASA now for 181 00:08:11,770 --> 00:08:09,500 28 years yes and would you tell us a 182 00:08:13,690 --> 00:08:11,780 little bit about your story and what 183 00:08:15,970 --> 00:08:13,700 inspired you to pursue a career in 184 00:08:18,670 --> 00:08:15,980 science and engineering sure I'd love to 185 00:08:22,420 --> 00:08:18,680 so as you said Sara I've been here at 186 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:22,430 NASA Langley for 28 years I have a 187 00:08:27,300 --> 00:08:24,290 degree in physics from Hampton 188 00:08:30,910 --> 00:08:27,310 University and the things that I do now 189 00:08:33,100 --> 00:08:30,920 things that help NASA look at sending 190 00:08:35,110 --> 00:08:33,110 humans to Mars so the journey to Mars is 191 00:08:36,460 --> 00:08:35,120 the work that I do and so I look at 192 00:08:39,250 --> 00:08:36,470 different technologies and capabilities 193 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:39,260 that we'll need to send humans to Mars 194 00:08:43,870 --> 00:08:41,450 and it's really quite exciting and quite 195 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:43,880 challenging to think about sending 196 00:08:47,470 --> 00:08:45,890 humans safely to Mars and so the work 197 00:08:50,410 --> 00:08:47,480 that I do is really really really very 198 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:50,420 exciting how I got here and I tell the 199 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:52,370 story wherever I go I talk about my dad 200 00:08:56,530 --> 00:08:54,170 who was just the most phenomenal person 201 00:08:58,810 --> 00:08:56,540 in the whole wide world you can tell we 202 00:09:01,750 --> 00:08:58,820 were very very very close but I remember 203 00:09:03,100 --> 00:09:01,760 in high school my dad was talking to me 204 00:09:05,650 --> 00:09:03,110 and he said Julie you know you're really 205 00:09:08,410 --> 00:09:05,660 good at math and I think that you would 206 00:09:11,650 --> 00:09:08,420 be a really good engineer in high school 207 00:09:13,030 --> 00:09:11,660 I wasn't focused on engineering I was 208 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:13,040 thinking about maybe a law degree but 209 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:15,170 when dad said that that one moment it 210 00:09:19,300 --> 00:09:17,330 clicked in my heart because I was very 211 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:19,310 good at math and I really enjoyed math 212 00:09:24,070 --> 00:09:21,290 it almost came to me very naturally and 213 00:09:25,810 --> 00:09:24,080 so when dad said that I said well if dad 214 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:25,820 says I can do it then I must be able to 215 00:09:30,730 --> 00:09:28,970 do it so I forged that path and came 216 00:09:31,340 --> 00:09:30,740 here like I said I went to school at at 217 00:09:33,380 --> 00:09:31,350 ham 218 00:09:35,930 --> 00:09:33,390 université I had a lot of instructors 219 00:09:37,940 --> 00:09:35,940 and professors that saw things in me 220 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:37,950 that I didn't see and then talking to 221 00:09:40,490 --> 00:09:39,090 these young folks there's going to be 222 00:09:42,530 --> 00:09:40,500 people that are going to speak 223 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:42,540 encouraging words on you and they're 224 00:09:45,470 --> 00:09:44,130 going to see things in you that you 225 00:09:47,660 --> 00:09:45,480 don't quite see in yourselves right now 226 00:09:50,570 --> 00:09:47,670 and I encourage you to take those words 227 00:09:53,330 --> 00:09:50,580 and to build on them and to realize your 228 00:09:55,340 --> 00:09:53,340 goal and so like I said working here at 229 00:09:56,630 --> 00:09:55,350 NASA Langley has been a dream it really 230 00:09:58,880 --> 00:09:56,640 really has been a dream when I first 231 00:10:01,340 --> 00:09:58,890 started working here I was developing 232 00:10:02,690 --> 00:10:01,350 solid state lasers for remote sensing of 233 00:10:04,910 --> 00:10:02,700 the atmosphere it's always in the 234 00:10:06,470 --> 00:10:04,920 research lab and a laser lab doing that 235 00:10:08,930 --> 00:10:06,480 work and that was really really cool and 236 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:08,940 then I switched over to systems analysis 237 00:10:12,350 --> 00:10:10,410 where we look at different technologies 238 00:10:15,710 --> 00:10:12,360 and capabilities for NASA's journey to 239 00:10:18,380 --> 00:10:15,720 Mars fantastic thanks Julie all right 240 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:18,390 let's go to our virtual participant Ted 241 00:10:26,270 --> 00:10:23,010 milfy hi Ted good morning I 242 00:10:28,730 --> 00:10:26,280 so obviously the story of hidden figures 243 00:10:31,490 --> 00:10:28,740 inspired you and can you tell us a 244 00:10:33,380 --> 00:10:31,500 little bit more about how you discovered 245 00:10:37,790 --> 00:10:33,390 the story and why you decided it needed 246 00:10:40,070 --> 00:10:37,800 to be a film well it started with a book 247 00:10:43,370 --> 00:10:40,080 proposal done by the Marguerite sherry 248 00:10:47,630 --> 00:10:43,380 Morrow was Margo's father was a research 249 00:10:50,540 --> 00:10:47,640 scientist at NASA for many years and he 250 00:10:53,780 --> 00:10:50,550 grew up in Langley in the Langley campus 251 00:10:56,030 --> 00:10:53,790 in Virginia and Margo therefore grew up 252 00:10:59,240 --> 00:10:56,040 with Katherine Johnson around and 253 00:11:02,350 --> 00:10:59,250 Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson and she 254 00:11:04,490 --> 00:11:02,360 started researching these women and 255 00:11:06,980 --> 00:11:04,500 discovering the history of these women 256 00:11:10,190 --> 00:11:06,990 along with the help from NASA and dr. 257 00:11:11,780 --> 00:11:10,200 Bell and she discovered this amazing 258 00:11:13,970 --> 00:11:11,790 story about these women if you if you 259 00:11:15,590 --> 00:11:13,980 guys don't know this you guys have 260 00:11:17,270 --> 00:11:15,600 computers all the students out there you 261 00:11:20,150 --> 00:11:17,280 guys have computers but back in their 262 00:11:23,330 --> 00:11:20,160 day a human being was called a computer 263 00:11:25,850 --> 00:11:23,340 so these women were called computers 264 00:11:26,150 --> 00:11:25,860 before we had laptops or anything like 265 00:11:29,570 --> 00:11:26,160 that 266 00:11:31,490 --> 00:11:29,580 so she wrote this book proposal which 267 00:11:34,100 --> 00:11:31,500 was just so fascinating about these 268 00:11:35,269 --> 00:11:34,110 three women who were going through NASA 269 00:11:37,129 --> 00:11:35,279 at the time and 270 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:37,139 and working at NASA and helping the 271 00:11:43,639 --> 00:11:40,290 astronauts in the space race in 1960s 272 00:11:45,829 --> 00:11:43,649 and they were just an incredible journey 273 00:11:48,650 --> 00:11:45,839 together and when you read this book 274 00:11:52,249 --> 00:11:48,660 proposal you you couldn't believe first 275 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:52,259 of all that the story was true that that 276 00:11:55,910 --> 00:11:53,970 there actually were women that work at 277 00:11:57,829 --> 00:11:55,920 NASA at that time I worked in math and 278 00:12:02,090 --> 00:11:57,839 science at that time because back in 279 00:12:04,489 --> 00:12:02,100 those days a woman could get a job as a 280 00:12:06,019 --> 00:12:04,499 nurse or a teacher and so working at 281 00:12:08,509 --> 00:12:06,029 NASA was a great place for them and a 282 00:12:09,799 --> 00:12:08,519 great step up so the story was just so 283 00:12:12,350 --> 00:12:09,809 captivating and I have two daughters 284 00:12:15,139 --> 00:12:12,360 myself pretty much the same age as most 285 00:12:16,970 --> 00:12:15,149 of you guys out there so it was very 286 00:12:21,309 --> 00:12:16,980 very it was just this an amazing true 287 00:12:27,290 --> 00:12:24,860 fantastic thank you all right so we are 288 00:12:28,699 --> 00:12:27,300 going to take questions from students in 289 00:12:31,549 --> 00:12:28,709 our audience both here in the studio 290 00:12:32,299 --> 00:12:31,559 with us and tying in through our Digital 291 00:12:35,540 --> 00:12:32,309 Learning Network 292 00:12:39,019 --> 00:12:35,550 but just as a reminder you can send your 293 00:12:42,110 --> 00:12:39,029 questions to us at DL info channel at 294 00:12:49,540 --> 00:12:42,120 gmail.com but first we'd like to hear 295 00:12:49,550 --> 00:12:53,929 all right 296 00:12:59,359 --> 00:12:57,319 hi I'm taraji P Henson and my new movie 297 00:13:01,669 --> 00:12:59,369 hidden figures we learn about the 298 00:13:03,799 --> 00:13:01,679 brilliant african-american women who 299 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:03,809 used their brains to make space travel 300 00:13:08,179 --> 00:13:05,970 possible their groundbreaking 301 00:13:10,429 --> 00:13:08,189 accomplishments are an important 302 00:13:13,189 --> 00:13:10,439 reminder for all of us to learn STEM 303 00:13:16,069 --> 00:13:13,199 science technology engineering and 304 00:13:18,649 --> 00:13:16,079 mathematics these skills will make it 305 00:13:21,469 --> 00:13:18,659 possible for women and minorities to get 306 00:13:23,599 --> 00:13:21,479 careers we've only dreamed of like the 307 00:13:28,159 --> 00:13:23,609 women of hidden figures you too could 308 00:13:30,619 --> 00:13:28,169 change the world thank you now let's go 309 00:13:32,239 --> 00:13:30,629 to our first question here in our studio 310 00:13:34,549 --> 00:13:32,249 audience we've got some students from 311 00:13:36,009 --> 00:13:34,559 Bethel High School joining us today so 312 00:13:39,109 --> 00:13:36,019 let's go to our first question 313 00:13:42,349 --> 00:13:39,119 hello my name is Anil Ola Pataki and my 314 00:13:44,629 --> 00:13:42,359 question is for dr. Barry what was the 315 00:13:46,210 --> 00:13:44,639 required background of the three ladies 316 00:13:49,939 --> 00:13:46,220 that were hired for the positions 317 00:13:51,710 --> 00:13:49,949 highlighted in the movie so to be a 318 00:13:54,379 --> 00:13:51,720 computer for the NACA the National 319 00:13:58,809 --> 00:13:54,389 Advisory Committee for Aeronautics back 320 00:14:00,919 --> 00:13:58,819 in in those days typically it wasn't the 321 00:14:03,319 --> 00:14:00,929 engineering level job so you didn't have 322 00:14:06,139 --> 00:14:03,329 to have a college degree and many of the 323 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:06,149 first woman computers were hired by the 324 00:14:10,159 --> 00:14:08,970 Langley folks here starting in 1935 when 325 00:14:12,739 --> 00:14:10,169 the first woman computers were brought 326 00:14:14,179 --> 00:14:12,749 in many of them were they were college 327 00:14:17,139 --> 00:14:14,189 graduates they as a math background but 328 00:14:18,979 --> 00:14:17,149 but not a lot in 1943 when the first 329 00:14:21,949 --> 00:14:18,989 african-american woman computers were 330 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:21,959 brought in they brought in some very 331 00:14:25,399 --> 00:14:23,970 qualified people they all had advanced 332 00:14:27,710 --> 00:14:25,409 they all had college degrees of 333 00:14:29,299 --> 00:14:27,720 mathematics they're all extremely bright 334 00:14:32,359 --> 00:14:29,309 and they had a network of people that 335 00:14:33,919 --> 00:14:32,369 that they went to to find their friends 336 00:14:36,559 --> 00:14:33,929 who were also equally you know qualified 337 00:14:37,579 --> 00:14:36,569 so so the african-american woman 338 00:14:39,049 --> 00:14:37,589 computers came were actually more 339 00:14:42,949 --> 00:14:39,059 qualified than their white counterparts 340 00:14:46,699 --> 00:14:42,959 who worked in NAC at the time and and so 341 00:14:48,919 --> 00:14:46,709 they naturally flourished at the NACA 342 00:14:51,589 --> 00:14:48,929 it's an engineering institution as we 343 00:14:53,869 --> 00:14:51,599 are here at NASA now and data drives 344 00:14:54,799 --> 00:14:53,879 decisions and when you look at the data 345 00:14:56,960 --> 00:14:54,809 it's like these people are producing 346 00:14:59,479 --> 00:14:56,970 they're doing great work we need to give 347 00:15:01,879 --> 00:14:59,489 them more work so so that's what happens 348 00:15:03,799 --> 00:15:01,889 so typically most computers had some 349 00:15:04,580 --> 00:15:03,809 math background we're talented in some 350 00:15:06,710 --> 00:15:04,590 way 351 00:15:08,750 --> 00:15:06,720 math all the african-american women who 352 00:15:11,060 --> 00:15:08,760 came into actually had at least a 353 00:15:12,770 --> 00:15:11,070 bachelor's degree in in mathematics and 354 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:12,780 we're incredibly qualified many were 355 00:15:16,510 --> 00:15:15,210 extremely brilliant and gifted in many 356 00:15:19,670 --> 00:15:16,520 many ways 357 00:15:22,340 --> 00:15:19,680 great thank you all right we're going to 358 00:15:25,460 --> 00:15:22,350 go to our deal in now and we're going to 359 00:15:26,570 --> 00:15:25,470 go to our first high school bland County 360 00:15:31,460 --> 00:15:26,580 High School 361 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:31,470 bland County are you I say hi to 362 00:15:39,770 --> 00:15:35,730 everyone give them just a second here to 363 00:15:42,470 --> 00:15:39,780 get online and we'll let them say hi and 364 00:15:47,660 --> 00:15:42,480 then we will have them ask their 365 00:15:49,460 --> 00:15:47,670 question all right so after bland County 366 00:15:57,440 --> 00:15:49,470 we're going to go to Avon intermediate 367 00:15:59,840 --> 00:15:57,450 West so you guys get ready and we'll 368 00:16:03,460 --> 00:15:59,850 take a question actually 369 00:16:09,830 --> 00:16:03,470 we've got a couple of questions from 370 00:16:11,450 --> 00:16:09,840 town all right we're gonna go to a 371 00:16:13,130 --> 00:16:11,460 question from our studio audience here 372 00:16:17,329 --> 00:16:13,140 so while we're getting blamed pounding 373 00:16:21,900 --> 00:16:20,190 to kill the last to check the 374 00:16:23,730 --> 00:16:21,910 calculations of the human computers and 375 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:23,740 how would you guys determine which 376 00:16:29,250 --> 00:16:27,970 calculations were Valley that's a great 377 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:29,260 question and when you see the movie 378 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:30,490 you'll see that that plays an important 379 00:16:36,090 --> 00:16:32,410 role in the movie is lauded as this Ted 380 00:16:39,389 --> 00:16:36,100 will tell us as well but of course in 381 00:16:41,310 --> 00:16:39,399 the 1930s and 40s the computers really 382 00:16:43,019 --> 00:16:41,320 didn't exist in any you know electronic 383 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:43,029 computers didn't exist yet and they were 384 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:45,730 just being developed the NACA bought its 385 00:16:50,880 --> 00:16:48,730 first computer in the late 1940s and it 386 00:16:53,370 --> 00:16:50,890 was one of these giant room sized univac 387 00:16:56,579 --> 00:16:53,380 computers it took a very long time to 388 00:16:58,620 --> 00:16:56,589 program it to tell it what to do and so 389 00:17:01,500 --> 00:16:58,630 it wasn't used very much and it wasn't 390 00:17:02,940 --> 00:17:01,510 until the nineteen in the 50s that the 391 00:17:05,159 --> 00:17:02,950 computers started being used for 392 00:17:07,319 --> 00:17:05,169 scientific research but they were again 393 00:17:08,789 --> 00:17:07,329 slow not highly reliable you'd have to 394 00:17:10,530 --> 00:17:08,799 have a human computer check to make sure 395 00:17:12,890 --> 00:17:10,540 that the calculations were correct 396 00:17:16,949 --> 00:17:12,900 before you ran your run on the computer 397 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:16,959 and and getting time on them was was 398 00:17:21,539 --> 00:17:18,490 limited because there's so few of them 399 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:21,549 so electronic computers really didn't 400 00:17:26,069 --> 00:17:24,010 play a role until early 60s and 401 00:17:28,140 --> 00:17:26,079 fortunately for us they became more 402 00:17:29,909 --> 00:17:28,150 usable in the 60s because you needed 403 00:17:31,830 --> 00:17:29,919 electronic computers to calculate things 404 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:31,840 very quickly for space flight you really 405 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:33,250 you really can't do spaceflight without 406 00:17:37,500 --> 00:17:35,290 electronic computers so electronic 407 00:17:39,150 --> 00:17:37,510 appears just coming out as we're 408 00:17:40,799 --> 00:17:39,160 starting to send humans into space good 409 00:17:44,570 --> 00:17:40,809 time it those things merge together well 410 00:17:46,799 --> 00:17:44,580 and as you'll see in the movie the the 411 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:46,809 question of whether the software that 412 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:48,730 that calculated John Glenn's trajectory 413 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:51,490 correct was the correct software was a 414 00:17:55,950 --> 00:17:53,290 question and were the computers 415 00:17:58,820 --> 00:17:55,960 producing the right data and Katherine 416 00:18:00,720 --> 00:17:58,830 Johnson played a critical role in 417 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:00,730 proving that in fact the software that 418 00:18:06,930 --> 00:18:04,890 we're using for John Glenn's flight was 419 00:18:10,650 --> 00:18:06,940 accurate and produced the right answers 420 00:18:12,990 --> 00:18:10,660 I I want to challenge all of you okay 421 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:13,000 pay attention to the movie remember his 422 00:18:17,909 --> 00:18:15,730 question and then at the end if I find 423 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:17,919 you all I'm going to ask you what was 424 00:18:23,700 --> 00:18:21,250 the lesson that you learned from what 425 00:18:25,740 --> 00:18:23,710 happened between humans and computers 426 00:18:28,409 --> 00:18:25,750 over the course of the movie that's 427 00:18:31,049 --> 00:18:28,419 applicable to today okay 428 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:31,059 we should be learning from things like 429 00:18:34,860 --> 00:18:33,250 this book in this movie there's a very 430 00:18:37,260 --> 00:18:34,870 important lesson I think that's 431 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:37,270 applicable to today to all of you so I'm 432 00:18:41,700 --> 00:18:38,650 gonna ask you about it after you see the 433 00:18:43,549 --> 00:18:41,710 movie excellent I felt like we should 434 00:18:48,360 --> 00:18:43,559 have put a spoiler alert 435 00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:48,370 sorry said alright um let's see if we've 436 00:18:53,010 --> 00:18:50,490 got bland County we're going to go 437 00:18:55,860 --> 00:18:53,020 actually I've got a question from from 438 00:18:59,700 --> 00:18:55,870 Gmail so let's take one of our submitted 439 00:19:00,990 --> 00:18:59,710 questions because III think this is 440 00:19:03,360 --> 00:19:01,000 actually a really great question and 441 00:19:05,610 --> 00:19:03,370 Charlie this one I think you might want 442 00:19:07,860 --> 00:19:05,620 to answer how many people does it take 443 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:07,870 to build a rocket today thousands 444 00:19:12,780 --> 00:19:10,450 literally thousands and thousands and 445 00:19:16,500 --> 00:19:12,790 thousands of people to build a rocket in 446 00:19:18,140 --> 00:19:16,510 NASA we have 17,000 give or take civil 447 00:19:21,150 --> 00:19:18,150 servants who are employees and about 448 00:19:23,820 --> 00:19:21,160 40,000 contractors that support us now 449 00:19:25,230 --> 00:19:23,830 they're not all working on say the heavy 450 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:25,240 lift launch vehicle that we're building 451 00:19:29,159 --> 00:19:27,730 to carry humans to Mars some of them are 452 00:19:30,780 --> 00:19:29,169 working on the capsule some of them are 453 00:19:32,190 --> 00:19:30,790 working on the ground systems but there 454 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:32,200 are literally thousands of people 455 00:19:36,870 --> 00:19:34,210 required to build a rocket or an 456 00:19:39,360 --> 00:19:36,880 airplane or or anything today in spite 457 00:19:40,950 --> 00:19:39,370 of the fact that technology has really 458 00:19:43,250 --> 00:19:40,960 come to the fore and a lot of it is 459 00:19:47,940 --> 00:19:43,260 automated but still thousands of people 460 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:47,950 definitely all right let's that we 461 00:19:53,669 --> 00:19:49,210 actually have another question from 462 00:19:57,210 --> 00:19:53,679 Gmail for Ted if this one is for you it 463 00:20:00,000 --> 00:19:57,220 seems very difficult to convey detailed 464 00:20:01,830 --> 00:20:00,010 scientific information in a film so how 465 00:20:03,899 --> 00:20:01,840 did you approach that challenge as a 466 00:20:06,450 --> 00:20:03,909 director and what techniques did you use 467 00:20:08,190 --> 00:20:06,460 to communicate communicate the complex 468 00:20:12,419 --> 00:20:08,200 technical nature of the work of these 469 00:20:15,630 --> 00:20:12,429 women to a general audience oh well yeah 470 00:20:17,130 --> 00:20:15,640 it's a very hard question and a very big 471 00:20:20,430 --> 00:20:17,140 challenge for us for making the film 472 00:20:22,310 --> 00:20:20,440 because you know in theory or when you 473 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:22,320 think about you think math is not very 474 00:20:26,789 --> 00:20:24,970 cinematic per se mean its numbers and 475 00:20:30,659 --> 00:20:26,799 its numbers on the board so our 476 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:30,669 challenge was to make the math cinematic 477 00:20:36,380 --> 00:20:33,490 and explain the math and the problems 478 00:20:38,630 --> 00:20:36,390 that and NASA was facing together 479 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:38,640 rocket into space at that time in 480 00:20:43,570 --> 00:20:40,170 layman's terms in terms that everyone 481 00:20:46,250 --> 00:20:43,580 can understand which you know took me 482 00:20:49,190 --> 00:20:46,260 months to actually understand it and 483 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:49,200 even though bill explained it to me you 484 00:20:54,350 --> 00:20:52,050 know a bunch of times it takes a long 485 00:20:57,710 --> 00:20:54,360 time for it to sink in so we wrote a 486 00:21:00,770 --> 00:20:57,720 scene which you'll see in the movie that 487 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:00,780 Jim Parsons explains the main problem 488 00:21:07,550 --> 00:21:04,410 that NASA was facing with going from a 489 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:07,560 suborbital flight to an orbital flight 490 00:21:12,860 --> 00:21:10,530 and that was a huge jump in the space 491 00:21:15,860 --> 00:21:12,870 program to get to that point to go from 492 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:15,870 sub orbit which essentially if you think 493 00:21:19,430 --> 00:21:17,970 of a sub orbit and and I'm probably 494 00:21:21,980 --> 00:21:19,440 going to butcher this because I'm not a 495 00:21:23,510 --> 00:21:21,990 scientist but a sub orbit you know you 496 00:21:26,510 --> 00:21:23,520 start on the earth and the rocket takes 497 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:26,520 off goes up into the sub or but not into 498 00:21:30,770 --> 00:21:28,170 the atmosphere somewhere and comes 499 00:21:34,340 --> 00:21:30,780 straight back down so in layman's terms 500 00:21:36,170 --> 00:21:34,350 that math is a triangle and that's 501 00:21:38,300 --> 00:21:36,180 something every one of you knows right 502 00:21:41,120 --> 00:21:38,310 as a triangle and so those angles and 503 00:21:46,340 --> 00:21:41,130 that that math is known with an orbital 504 00:21:48,890 --> 00:21:46,350 flight the rocket shoots the capsule out 505 00:21:50,990 --> 00:21:48,900 into the orbit past the sub orbit and 506 00:21:53,390 --> 00:21:51,000 then they'll you could jump in here from 507 00:21:55,820 --> 00:21:53,400 bombing on this one book and and what it 508 00:21:58,520 --> 00:21:55,830 does is it it it gets caught in the 509 00:22:01,280 --> 00:21:58,530 Earth's atmosphere and it goes around 510 00:22:03,530 --> 00:22:01,290 like that in elliptical orbit right 511 00:22:06,680 --> 00:22:03,540 so and this elliptical orbit the theory 512 00:22:09,170 --> 00:22:06,690 is the capsule will spin around the 513 00:22:11,570 --> 00:22:09,180 earth forever because there's nothing to 514 00:22:13,310 --> 00:22:11,580 bring it back down and so that was the 515 00:22:16,970 --> 00:22:13,320 main problem that NASA was facing is how 516 00:22:19,070 --> 00:22:16,980 to get this elliptical orbit back into 517 00:22:21,410 --> 00:22:19,080 Earth's atmosphere back onto the ground 518 00:22:23,150 --> 00:22:21,420 safely and so we have a scene in the 519 00:22:25,970 --> 00:22:23,160 movie where Jim Parsons explains that 520 00:22:28,790 --> 00:22:25,980 and uh you know we tried to make it as 521 00:22:29,930 --> 00:22:28,800 cinematic as possible um I hope we did a 522 00:22:34,220 --> 00:22:29,940 good job you'll have to let me know if 523 00:22:35,690 --> 00:22:34,230 we did great thank you 524 00:22:40,580 --> 00:22:35,700 all right let's take another question 525 00:22:42,740 --> 00:22:40,590 from our in-studio audience hi my name 526 00:22:46,100 --> 00:22:42,750 is Calvin Harris and my questions for 527 00:22:48,710 --> 00:22:46,110 mr. Melfi all right Ted we have another 528 00:22:49,820 --> 00:22:48,720 question for you go ahead what technical 529 00:22:52,990 --> 00:22:49,830 advisors were in poor 530 00:22:55,549 --> 00:22:53,000 and for the development of this movie 531 00:22:56,960 --> 00:22:55,559 the question is what technical advisors 532 00:23:01,639 --> 00:22:56,970 were important in the development of the 533 00:23:05,539 --> 00:23:01,649 movie yeah yes Oh while you're staring 534 00:23:09,019 --> 00:23:05,549 at one of them the dr. berry there and 535 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:09,029 dr. Ullrich were tremendously helpful in 536 00:23:13,789 --> 00:23:12,690 explaining everything that NASA was 537 00:23:15,529 --> 00:23:13,799 going through especially what I just 538 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:15,539 talked about it's an elliptical orbit - 539 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:18,450 a parabolic orbit without them I don't 540 00:23:23,029 --> 00:23:20,490 know if we have a movie we just have a 541 00:23:26,419 --> 00:23:23,039 you know a bunch of Hollywood rigmarole 542 00:23:29,450 --> 00:23:26,429 but they made it real we also had a math 543 00:23:31,310 --> 00:23:29,460 specialist dr. Rudy horn who is a math 544 00:23:34,039 --> 00:23:31,320 specialist out of Morehouse College in 545 00:23:36,409 --> 00:23:34,049 Atlanta who really worked hard on 546 00:23:40,220 --> 00:23:36,419 getting us to understand the actual math 547 00:23:42,350 --> 00:23:40,230 bind so dr. berry explained the science 548 00:23:44,750 --> 00:23:42,360 behind it and the problems behind it and 549 00:23:46,940 --> 00:23:44,760 dr. rudi horne explained the math behind 550 00:23:49,149 --> 00:23:46,950 it which was even more confusing if you 551 00:23:52,669 --> 00:23:49,159 could imagine it's a lot of math but 552 00:23:55,090 --> 00:23:52,679 between the two of them and nasa support 553 00:23:57,529 --> 00:23:55,100 we got a pretty good understanding of 554 00:23:58,820 --> 00:23:57,539 what of what it would take 555 00:24:00,940 --> 00:23:58,830 well what nasa was going through at that 556 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:00,950 time so those were our main advisors 557 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:04,970 NASA's NASA's how and dr. Rudi horn 558 00:24:11,769 --> 00:24:08,970 great thank you so uh we have another 559 00:24:14,120 --> 00:24:11,779 question from gmail here and I'm gonna 560 00:24:17,389 --> 00:24:14,130 actually give it a little bit of context 561 00:24:19,370 --> 00:24:17,399 first we call the story is called hidden 562 00:24:23,899 --> 00:24:19,380 figures and of course that refers to 563 00:24:25,519 --> 00:24:23,909 these women who were hidden at NASA who 564 00:24:27,230 --> 00:24:25,529 weren't widely recognized at the time 565 00:24:30,889 --> 00:24:27,240 and this story they were such an 566 00:24:32,750 --> 00:24:30,899 important part of NASA's work but the 567 00:24:35,450 --> 00:24:32,760 story wasn't widely known until more 568 00:24:39,379 --> 00:24:35,460 recently so could you talk a little bit 569 00:24:42,669 --> 00:24:39,389 about how NASA and others have 570 00:24:45,470 --> 00:24:42,679 recognized the work that these women did 571 00:24:49,549 --> 00:24:45,480 since then and and why this is a story 572 00:24:52,460 --> 00:24:49,559 now I'll start I guess we actually had 573 00:24:54,379 --> 00:24:52,470 started prior to hidden figures trying 574 00:24:56,029 --> 00:24:54,389 to we didn't know the term hidden 575 00:24:58,610 --> 00:24:56,039 figures but for a number of years now 576 00:25:01,820 --> 00:24:58,620 nASA has really been focusing on women 577 00:25:03,470 --> 00:25:01,830 in aerospace and women at NASA we 578 00:25:05,090 --> 00:25:03,480 actually on our website for 579 00:25:07,460 --> 00:25:05,100 a number of years now have had a feature 580 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:07,470 that's called women at NASA where we 581 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:10,410 tried to feature people that most folk 582 00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:13,050 who look at NASA would not think about 583 00:25:18,310 --> 00:25:15,450 when the movie hidden figures came along 584 00:25:21,350 --> 00:25:18,320 in the book it was a perfect match 585 00:25:26,420 --> 00:25:21,360 because it enabled us to then Blanche a 586 00:25:31,430 --> 00:25:26,430 key can you please who just happened to 587 00:25:34,610 --> 00:25:31,440 be women and minority so it was a it was 588 00:25:37,730 --> 00:25:34,620 a perfect for a or a perfect segue for 589 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:37,740 us to go from the moon into featuring 590 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:41,490 even even more importantly the women and 591 00:25:48,260 --> 00:25:44,250 minorities who are a critical critical 592 00:25:50,660 --> 00:25:48,270 important part of the agency Becky if 593 00:25:51,860 --> 00:25:50,670 you read Margo's book which is a great 594 00:25:54,500 --> 00:25:51,870 book by the way 595 00:25:57,170 --> 00:25:54,510 hidden figures she actually in the 596 00:25:58,880 --> 00:25:57,180 epilogue at the end mentions that she 597 00:26:01,460 --> 00:25:58,890 really liked the title but it's kind of 598 00:26:03,740 --> 00:26:01,470 a misnomer because they weren't actively 599 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:03,750 hidden figures so much as they were just 600 00:26:07,700 --> 00:26:06,450 sort of overlooked as as well as a 601 00:26:09,110 --> 00:26:07,710 historian I can tell you they're there 602 00:26:12,790 --> 00:26:09,120 there were thousands of people work for 603 00:26:15,470 --> 00:26:12,800 the NACA and for NASA whose stories are 604 00:26:19,190 --> 00:26:15,480 wonderful and and should be told but 605 00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:19,200 just haven't come out yet so early in 606 00:26:22,850 --> 00:26:21,330 the 90s actually the the historian that 607 00:26:24,950 --> 00:26:22,860 was working here at Langley at the time 608 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:24,960 actually did some early interviews with 609 00:26:29,060 --> 00:26:27,330 so in 1990 there some taped interviews 610 00:26:31,250 --> 00:26:29,070 with women computers who had worked at 611 00:26:33,410 --> 00:26:31,260 at Langley and there was some there's 612 00:26:35,120 --> 00:26:33,420 some interest in the subject as a 613 00:26:37,580 --> 00:26:35,130 master's thesis written about the women 614 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:37,590 computers who worked here and so that's 615 00:26:41,090 --> 00:26:39,210 been a subject that we've collected data 616 00:26:43,010 --> 00:26:41,100 on and hope that someone would tell the 617 00:26:45,770 --> 00:26:43,020 story about and boy did we get lucky 618 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:45,780 that that a daughter of a former langley 619 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:47,930 employee you're retired Langley employee 620 00:26:51,890 --> 00:26:50,010 picked this thing up and did such a 621 00:26:53,450 --> 00:26:51,900 great job telling the story that that 622 00:26:55,550 --> 00:26:53,460 it's become a great book and that it 623 00:26:57,800 --> 00:26:55,560 attracted Ted's attention and it's 624 00:26:59,780 --> 00:26:57,810 become a great movie you know that's a 625 00:27:01,190 --> 00:26:59,790 great way to get our story told a number 626 00:27:02,750 --> 00:27:01,200 of years ago there was another book an 627 00:27:05,390 --> 00:27:02,760 earlier book called they could not fail 628 00:27:09,110 --> 00:27:05,400 and it focused on the african-american 629 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:09,120 engineer in the very very early days of 630 00:27:16,370 --> 00:27:12,930 NASA guess it was missing 631 00:27:18,290 --> 00:27:16,380 women because it did not occur to them 632 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:18,300 that there may have been women engineers 633 00:27:22,430 --> 00:27:20,850 and the like and you know the author of 634 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:22,440 the book I've heard her in interviews 635 00:27:26,810 --> 00:27:25,170 when she says she kept going back to 636 00:27:28,970 --> 00:27:26,820 what bill says about him and Becky about 637 00:27:30,110 --> 00:27:28,980 them not really being hidden she said 638 00:27:31,130 --> 00:27:30,120 she couldn't understand what people were 639 00:27:34,310 --> 00:27:31,140 talking about about there being no 640 00:27:35,630 --> 00:27:34,320 minorities no women at Langley or in 641 00:27:37,850 --> 00:27:35,640 NASA because she went to church with 642 00:27:39,260 --> 00:27:37,860 them you know she went to school with 643 00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:39,270 their kids so it was a matter of 644 00:27:44,750 --> 00:27:41,850 somebody again I'll go back to my need 645 00:27:47,210 --> 00:27:44,760 for communicators we needed someone who 646 00:27:49,430 --> 00:27:47,220 was able to tell the story and bring 647 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:49,440 them out of the shadows if you will they 648 00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:52,650 were there doing their jobs just nobody 649 00:27:59,000 --> 00:27:55,650 told their story to follow up with that 650 00:28:01,910 --> 00:27:59,010 and another question from from online 651 00:28:03,620 --> 00:28:01,920 how did NACA find these women they were 652 00:28:06,620 --> 00:28:03,630 you know they were homemakers they were 653 00:28:09,590 --> 00:28:06,630 teachers they they didn't live here in 654 00:28:12,170 --> 00:28:09,600 this area they traveled so how how did 655 00:28:14,330 --> 00:28:12,180 how are they convinced to come and do 656 00:28:16,490 --> 00:28:14,340 this work that's a really good question 657 00:28:18,790 --> 00:28:16,500 and Margo does a great job in the book 658 00:28:21,410 --> 00:28:18,800 of explaining that I think but 659 00:28:22,790 --> 00:28:21,420 essentially most of the particular the 660 00:28:26,030 --> 00:28:22,800 african-american woman who came during 661 00:28:29,180 --> 00:28:26,040 the war part of this is driven by world 662 00:28:31,460 --> 00:28:29,190 war ii a long time ago there were huge 663 00:28:32,500 --> 00:28:31,470 shortages of people most american men 664 00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:32,510 were off fighting the war 665 00:28:36,650 --> 00:28:34,650 there weren't many left here in America 666 00:28:38,870 --> 00:28:36,660 and so more and more the burden of doing 667 00:28:42,620 --> 00:28:38,880 important war work here on the homefront 668 00:28:43,550 --> 00:28:42,630 fell to women and so all companies and 669 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:43,560 government agencies were out there 670 00:28:51,650 --> 00:28:47,490 looking for women in early in the war in 671 00:28:53,810 --> 00:28:51,660 1941 President Roosevelt issued an 672 00:28:56,060 --> 00:28:53,820 executive order requiring the federal 673 00:28:57,620 --> 00:28:56,070 government to to bring African Americans 674 00:29:00,380 --> 00:28:57,630 into the federal work force working on 675 00:29:02,210 --> 00:29:00,390 the war effort you'd think that wouldn't 676 00:29:03,470 --> 00:29:02,220 you would need to have a executive order 677 00:29:04,790 --> 00:29:03,480 to tell you to do that because it seems 678 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:04,800 like an obvious solution but in fact 679 00:29:09,740 --> 00:29:06,570 that was it that was a difficult thing 680 00:29:11,540 --> 00:29:09,750 to do and and and so that that happened 681 00:29:15,350 --> 00:29:11,550 and so once that happened that folks at 682 00:29:18,140 --> 00:29:15,360 NACA who already hired women computers 683 00:29:19,850 --> 00:29:18,150 to start with in the 30s said well can 684 00:29:21,350 --> 00:29:19,860 we find you know some more women and 685 00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:21,360 they start looking around and they found 686 00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:23,130 mostly actually there were mostly high 687 00:29:26,049 --> 00:29:25,170 school teachers or grade school teachers 688 00:29:28,330 --> 00:29:26,059 in fact who were 689 00:29:31,419 --> 00:29:28,340 in the in the segregated black school 690 00:29:33,549 --> 00:29:31,429 systems here in the south and once and 691 00:29:34,930 --> 00:29:33,559 once they get there you know that first 692 00:29:36,639 --> 00:29:34,940 connection made the first five woman 693 00:29:38,950 --> 00:29:36,649 came to work here at Langley in June in 694 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:38,960 1943 once they got that connection 695 00:29:43,089 --> 00:29:41,210 established that Network grew rapidly 696 00:29:45,279 --> 00:29:43,099 because these were really good jobs that 697 00:29:48,789 --> 00:29:45,289 paid more than twice what a teacher was 698 00:29:50,349 --> 00:29:48,799 paid in the school system and so women 699 00:29:52,450 --> 00:29:50,359 who were qualified for it and had the 700 00:29:54,519 --> 00:29:52,460 skills and the interest in doing that it 701 00:29:55,839 --> 00:29:54,529 wasn't hard to attract them the hard 702 00:29:57,999 --> 00:29:55,849 part was when they got here finding a 703 00:29:59,560 --> 00:29:58,009 place for him to live because Hampton 704 00:30:01,659 --> 00:29:59,570 was growing rapidly during World War two 705 00:30:04,499 --> 00:30:01,669 housing was short and there are other 706 00:30:06,399 --> 00:30:04,509 issues that impinge on things but 707 00:30:14,259 --> 00:30:06,409 attracting them wasn't actually that big 708 00:30:16,779 --> 00:30:14,269 of a problem um sorry we're going to go 709 00:30:18,099 --> 00:30:16,789 to questions from our schools but I'm 710 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:18,109 going to ask the questions from our 711 00:30:22,299 --> 00:30:20,690 schools apparently we need Katherine 712 00:30:25,419 --> 00:30:22,309 Johnson to come help us out with the 713 00:30:27,159 --> 00:30:25,429 technical side of this today so I've got 714 00:30:29,289 --> 00:30:27,169 the questions here from our schools the 715 00:30:33,599 --> 00:30:29,299 on our deal and so hopefully they are 716 00:30:36,810 --> 00:30:33,609 they're listening in it can hear us but 717 00:30:41,379 --> 00:30:36,820 actually if we can go back to Ted for 718 00:30:43,479 --> 00:30:41,389 another question why so this is from 719 00:30:46,570 --> 00:30:43,489 Newcastle junior senior high school and 720 00:30:49,479 --> 00:30:46,580 the question is why did you choose those 721 00:30:54,899 --> 00:30:49,489 specific women for the movie and how did 722 00:31:00,759 --> 00:30:58,389 you know casting is everything in the 723 00:31:02,259 --> 00:31:00,769 movie everyone as all of you know as you 724 00:31:04,269 --> 00:31:02,269 watch a movie the first thing you see 725 00:31:07,029 --> 00:31:04,279 and the first thing you catch on to are 726 00:31:08,979 --> 00:31:07,039 the actors playing those parts so it's 727 00:31:10,959 --> 00:31:08,989 very critical that you get the casting 728 00:31:14,229 --> 00:31:10,969 right and take your time to do it 729 00:31:16,690 --> 00:31:14,239 I've been a huge fan of taraji piensan 730 00:31:18,599 --> 00:31:16,700 since her first work in the movie called 731 00:31:21,489 --> 00:31:18,609 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 732 00:31:24,070 --> 00:31:21,499 where she played Brad Pitt's mom and I 733 00:31:26,799 --> 00:31:24,080 just fell in love with her work in that 734 00:31:30,180 --> 00:31:26,809 movie and just she's a phenomenally 735 00:31:32,529 --> 00:31:30,190 powerful actress and and then I know you 736 00:31:35,109 --> 00:31:32,539 some of you probably know her from a 737 00:31:39,460 --> 00:31:35,119 recent television series on Empire which 738 00:31:40,250 --> 00:31:39,470 is night and day I mean not to they 739 00:31:44,600 --> 00:31:40,260 couldn't be 740 00:31:46,910 --> 00:31:44,610 and to think that she can do that body 741 00:31:48,740 --> 00:31:46,920 of work and that range I thought to 742 00:31:50,930 --> 00:31:48,750 myself whether whether what a beautiful 743 00:31:53,420 --> 00:31:50,940 and fresh choice to play the very 744 00:31:56,120 --> 00:31:53,430 elegant and reserved Catherine Johnson 745 00:31:59,450 --> 00:31:56,130 and and they really worked out for us 746 00:32:00,920 --> 00:31:59,460 because taraji is just a powerhouse I 747 00:32:03,410 --> 00:32:00,930 was able to play Catherine with such 748 00:32:05,470 --> 00:32:03,420 poise and such elegance and she really 749 00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:05,480 dug into the math and she was fantastic 750 00:32:10,820 --> 00:32:08,370 Octavia Spencer plays Dorothy Vaughan 751 00:32:13,160 --> 00:32:10,830 and Octavia Spencer is to me one of the 752 00:32:15,290 --> 00:32:13,170 greatest actors in the world she can do 753 00:32:16,700 --> 00:32:15,300 no wrong ever ever since she broke out 754 00:32:18,790 --> 00:32:16,710 of the scene with the movie the help 755 00:32:21,470 --> 00:32:18,800 which I'm sure a lot of you have seen 756 00:32:23,930 --> 00:32:21,480 she's just a fantastic town and a 757 00:32:27,170 --> 00:32:23,940 wonderful human being and she represents 758 00:32:32,140 --> 00:32:27,180 the maternal character because Dorothy 759 00:32:35,630 --> 00:32:32,150 Vaughn at her times at NASA put herself 760 00:32:37,550 --> 00:32:35,640 about put others above herself and so 761 00:32:39,230 --> 00:32:37,560 was always looking out for her women and 762 00:32:41,810 --> 00:32:39,240 getting them helping them get promotions 763 00:32:43,820 --> 00:32:41,820 and helping them learn and so the Wonder 764 00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:43,830 the maternal person there and Octavia 765 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:46,290 really has that energy and then I'm sure 766 00:32:50,450 --> 00:32:47,970 some of you know Janelle Monae from her 767 00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:50,460 work in music and Janelle Monae plays 768 00:32:59,780 --> 00:32:53,730 Mary Jackson and Mary Jackson represents 769 00:33:02,540 --> 00:32:59,790 the in my mind the fire of a person not 770 00:33:04,760 --> 00:33:02,550 willing to take no for an answer and 771 00:33:07,010 --> 00:33:04,770 wanting to fight for what was right and 772 00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:07,020 from what she deserved and Janelle Monae 773 00:33:13,100 --> 00:33:10,170 is an activist and a fighter for all 774 00:33:15,950 --> 00:33:13,110 four causes and she really really really 775 00:33:18,890 --> 00:33:15,960 came into the came into the part when 776 00:33:20,510 --> 00:33:18,900 such passion is such vim she just won 777 00:33:22,670 --> 00:33:20,520 this over so she was a great choice for 778 00:33:24,610 --> 00:33:22,680 that and then for NASA's administrator 779 00:33:27,260 --> 00:33:24,620 at the time we went with Kevin Costner 780 00:33:30,410 --> 00:33:27,270 yes and I'm sure most of you know Kevin 781 00:33:32,660 --> 00:33:30,420 Costner Kevin Costner is one of the last 782 00:33:35,300 --> 00:33:32,670 remaining movie stars in my mind he sees 783 00:33:37,340 --> 00:33:35,310 just a one of the most stand-up human 784 00:33:39,440 --> 00:33:37,350 beings I've ever met and we wanted 785 00:33:41,900 --> 00:33:39,450 someone really stoic and strong to play 786 00:33:42,620 --> 00:33:41,910 the NASA Administrator and Kevin was 787 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:42,630 fantastic 788 00:33:46,640 --> 00:33:44,490 with that as well and then the rest of 789 00:33:50,300 --> 00:33:46,650 the cast is filled out by Jim Parsons 790 00:33:52,940 --> 00:33:50,310 who you most of you know from a show 791 00:33:53,850 --> 00:33:52,950 called Big Bang Theory and he plays a 792 00:33:55,110 --> 00:33:53,860 scientist on the 793 00:33:57,690 --> 00:33:55,120 Big Bang Theory so it's kind of a 794 00:33:59,400 --> 00:33:57,700 perfect perfect transition to play a 795 00:34:03,419 --> 00:33:59,410 scientist for NASA and then kirsten 796 00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:03,429 dunst plays vivian mitchell the the head 797 00:34:07,770 --> 00:34:05,890 of the female computing group and she 798 00:34:09,450 --> 00:34:07,780 does a fantastic job too and these 799 00:34:11,879 --> 00:34:09,460 people playing against type because 800 00:34:14,879 --> 00:34:11,889 there are there are themes in the movie 801 00:34:17,159 --> 00:34:14,889 that are tough they will be tough for 802 00:34:20,300 --> 00:34:17,169 you to watch because a lot of you are 803 00:34:22,770 --> 00:34:20,310 young enough to not understand what 804 00:34:25,740 --> 00:34:22,780 racism was at that time and what sexism 805 00:34:29,369 --> 00:34:25,750 was at that time but growing up in in 806 00:34:31,139 --> 00:34:29,379 the segregated state of Virginia at that 807 00:34:34,349 --> 00:34:31,149 time is very very challenging for these 808 00:34:36,720 --> 00:34:34,359 women and you guys will not understand 809 00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:36,730 that because you don't live in that time 810 00:34:42,240 --> 00:34:40,570 thank God so it was really hard for Jim 811 00:34:44,669 --> 00:34:42,250 Parsons and really hard for Kirsten does 812 00:34:47,010 --> 00:34:44,679 to play characters that are so opposite 813 00:34:48,540 --> 00:34:47,020 of who they are as human beings and I 814 00:34:50,700 --> 00:34:48,550 really wanted character actors that were 815 00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:50,710 likeable to play roles that were 816 00:34:57,599 --> 00:34:53,530 unlikable though would make it more more 817 00:35:00,750 --> 00:34:57,609 it would make it easier to take all 818 00:35:03,359 --> 00:35:00,760 right thank you all right we are gonna 819 00:35:06,960 --> 00:35:03,369 go to a question from Winthrop 820 00:35:09,210 --> 00:35:06,970 Elementary School and to get back into a 821 00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:09,220 little bit more of the science and math 822 00:35:15,690 --> 00:35:12,970 side of this let's talk about what kind 823 00:35:18,780 --> 00:35:15,700 of math these women were computing to 824 00:35:20,940 --> 00:35:18,790 help these launches so let's talk a 825 00:35:22,770 --> 00:35:20,950 little bit about the the actual numbers 826 00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:22,780 so what kind of math were they doing 827 00:35:28,890 --> 00:35:26,290 well in fact as you'll see in the movie 828 00:35:31,230 --> 00:35:28,900 the thing that really threw them a loop 829 00:35:33,180 --> 00:35:31,240 was they had been doing parabolic 830 00:35:35,220 --> 00:35:33,190 computations which is you know 831 00:35:37,470 --> 00:35:35,230 suborbital spaceflight and they went 832 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:37,480 into a type of math that that goes to 833 00:35:41,730 --> 00:35:39,570 what's called orbital mechanics 834 00:35:45,359 --> 00:35:41,740 something that not a lot of people do 835 00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:45,369 anything at all about in those days you 836 00:35:51,300 --> 00:35:47,290 know all of a sudden things don't in 837 00:35:53,580 --> 00:35:51,310 fact when you fly in space and orbital 838 00:35:55,920 --> 00:35:53,590 mechanics comes into play you find that 839 00:35:57,810 --> 00:35:55,930 things can work it's not an airplane 840 00:36:00,780 --> 00:35:57,820 flying a spaceship around because it 841 00:36:02,430 --> 00:36:00,790 doesn't behave the way that an airplane 842 00:36:04,440 --> 00:36:02,440 does because your planes are using 843 00:36:06,330 --> 00:36:04,450 geometry and trigonometry and we're 844 00:36:09,060 --> 00:36:06,340 we're subject to the laws of 845 00:36:11,330 --> 00:36:09,070 mechanics so that was the biggest 846 00:36:14,490 --> 00:36:11,340 difference was the fact of going from 847 00:36:16,230 --> 00:36:14,500 where all you had to worry about was 848 00:36:19,350 --> 00:36:16,240 gravity and all of a sudden now you 849 00:36:19,950 --> 00:36:19,360 don't my speed gravity curvature of the 850 00:36:24,270 --> 00:36:19,960 earth 851 00:36:25,890 --> 00:36:24,280 the gravity field is different in 852 00:36:29,010 --> 00:36:25,900 different places as lots of things to be 853 00:36:30,750 --> 00:36:29,020 conservative and ask the mathematician I 854 00:36:33,060 --> 00:36:30,760 was gonna see really tell us a little 855 00:36:35,040 --> 00:36:33,070 bit about what kind of math you do today 856 00:36:37,560 --> 00:36:35,050 in the projects that you're working on 857 00:36:40,680 --> 00:36:37,570 okay that's a good question so we do a 858 00:36:43,440 --> 00:36:40,690 lot of computations and we do a lot of 859 00:36:46,350 --> 00:36:43,450 developing of tools to look at different 860 00:36:49,230 --> 00:36:46,360 systems and so it's a system approach to 861 00:36:51,180 --> 00:36:49,240 see look at a system perturb that system 862 00:36:53,070 --> 00:36:51,190 and so that takes a lot of a lot of 863 00:36:55,460 --> 00:36:53,080 algebra a lot of calculus there's a lot 864 00:36:58,590 --> 00:36:55,470 of unknowns and so we use those type of 865 00:37:00,180 --> 00:36:58,600 mathematical tools to help us design and 866 00:37:03,690 --> 00:37:00,190 do the analysis that we need to figure 867 00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:03,700 out how for instance a robotic mission 868 00:37:11,010 --> 00:37:08,530 might work or how for instance a vehicle 869 00:37:14,190 --> 00:37:11,020 might work on the surface of Mars or how 870 00:37:16,220 --> 00:37:14,200 we might do research resource 871 00:37:19,020 --> 00:37:16,230 utilization and things of that nature so 872 00:37:22,920 --> 00:37:19,030 so what would you say to one of these 873 00:37:25,860 --> 00:37:22,930 students here today who says math a lot 874 00:37:27,780 --> 00:37:25,870 of computer do that for me so so 875 00:37:29,250 --> 00:37:27,790 computers are great right computers are 876 00:37:33,330 --> 00:37:29,260 very very great but if we don't 877 00:37:35,040 --> 00:37:33,340 understand the information that we are 878 00:37:36,720 --> 00:37:35,050 putting into the computers then we never 879 00:37:38,070 --> 00:37:36,730 know what we're getting out of it and so 880 00:37:40,140 --> 00:37:38,080 for instance you can plug plenty of 881 00:37:42,510 --> 00:37:40,150 numbers in hit a couple of plus signs 882 00:37:44,010 --> 00:37:42,520 and if you don't understand what you're 883 00:37:46,260 --> 00:37:44,020 trying to get out of it then it's just a 884 00:37:48,240 --> 00:37:46,270 black box right it's just a box and so 885 00:37:49,890 --> 00:37:48,250 you really do have to have understanding 886 00:37:52,140 --> 00:37:49,900 of the mathematics and so as 887 00:37:54,300 --> 00:37:52,150 administrator bolden said that chicken 888 00:37:55,920 --> 00:37:54,310 domination trigonometry so you have to 889 00:37:58,200 --> 00:37:55,930 know the triangles and the circles and 890 00:37:59,940 --> 00:37:58,210 isosceles triangles the calculus you 891 00:38:01,380 --> 00:37:59,950 have to be able to find X you know you 892 00:38:03,720 --> 00:38:01,390 have all these different variables and 893 00:38:07,020 --> 00:38:03,730 you have to be able to see you guys are 894 00:38:10,020 --> 00:38:07,030 surviving finding access so it is really 895 00:38:12,990 --> 00:38:10,030 really important to understand the math 896 00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:13,000 so that you can do modeling so that you 897 00:38:16,710 --> 00:38:15,130 can do what they call now coding I used 898 00:38:19,350 --> 00:38:16,720 to call it software but it's coding now 899 00:38:19,810 --> 00:38:19,360 and so it is understanding of the math 900 00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:19,820 and so and 901 00:38:24,070 --> 00:38:22,010 really truly important to understand 902 00:38:26,470 --> 00:38:24,080 that math and it's also very important 903 00:38:28,480 --> 00:38:26,480 to understand the science behind it so 904 00:38:30,370 --> 00:38:28,490 as a physicist you have to understand 905 00:38:32,620 --> 00:38:30,380 things like gravity and you have to 906 00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:32,630 understand the laws of science to help 907 00:38:36,070 --> 00:38:35,090 you to help you understand exactly what 908 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:36,080 you're trying to get out of that 909 00:38:41,890 --> 00:38:38,810 solution I'll get one thing you cannot 910 00:38:44,710 --> 00:38:41,900 go forward unless you understand the 911 00:38:47,200 --> 00:38:44,720 basics you've got to understand addition 912 00:38:49,420 --> 00:38:47,210 subtraction multiplication and division 913 00:38:51,520 --> 00:38:49,430 calculus is something that drives some 914 00:38:53,650 --> 00:38:51,530 of you crazy if you're taking it and it 915 00:38:55,240 --> 00:38:53,660 did the same for me until I had a 916 00:38:56,920 --> 00:38:55,250 professor one time who said look all 917 00:38:59,860 --> 00:38:56,930 you're doing is adding it's just 918 00:39:02,770 --> 00:38:59,870 infinite addition your calculus is is a 919 00:39:05,680 --> 00:39:02,780 mathematics that allows you to take 920 00:39:08,770 --> 00:39:05,690 infinite slices of something and come up 921 00:39:12,310 --> 00:39:08,780 to solve a plain old problem of addition 922 00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:12,320 so you got to understand the basics as 923 00:39:17,800 --> 00:39:15,170 Julie was saying you can think in your 924 00:39:19,300 --> 00:39:17,810 brain and use critical thinking to say 925 00:39:21,580 --> 00:39:19,310 okay does this answer that the computer 926 00:39:23,050 --> 00:39:21,590 just gave me make sense if you don't 927 00:39:24,430 --> 00:39:23,060 understand the basic if you don't 928 00:39:25,930 --> 00:39:24,440 understand what you're trying to do and 929 00:39:28,030 --> 00:39:25,940 what you're looking for the computer 930 00:39:29,950 --> 00:39:28,040 will give you anything and and and 931 00:39:33,730 --> 00:39:29,960 you'll buy it so you don't want to do 932 00:39:36,010 --> 00:39:33,740 that so we have a question here from 933 00:39:38,320 --> 00:39:36,020 Avon intermediate west some of our 934 00:39:40,330 --> 00:39:38,330 students on the DLN and we've been 935 00:39:42,790 --> 00:39:40,340 talking about math and how we used math 936 00:39:46,210 --> 00:39:42,800 up orbital mechanics to calculate 937 00:39:48,100 --> 00:39:46,220 trajectories I imagine that might be 938 00:39:52,090 --> 00:39:48,110 useful for future space exploration 939 00:39:54,340 --> 00:39:52,100 missions as well so what what's the 940 00:39:57,520 --> 00:39:54,350 difference in the actual math of going 941 00:40:00,880 --> 00:39:57,530 to the moon going to Mars going going 942 00:40:03,850 --> 00:40:00,890 further going out there I can take a 943 00:40:05,290 --> 00:40:03,860 shot at that so we do have in the branch 944 00:40:07,840 --> 00:40:05,300 that I work in we do have a group of 945 00:40:10,060 --> 00:40:07,850 folks who have expertise in trajectory 946 00:40:11,620 --> 00:40:10,070 analysis and it is really really 947 00:40:13,330 --> 00:40:11,630 important that when we are trying to go 948 00:40:15,970 --> 00:40:13,340 to Mars when we need to go there as 949 00:40:18,430 --> 00:40:15,980 efficiently as we possibly can because 950 00:40:19,630 --> 00:40:18,440 when you think about going to Mars right 951 00:40:21,910 --> 00:40:19,640 there's nothing there so you have to 952 00:40:24,490 --> 00:40:21,920 bring everything with you and so there's 953 00:40:27,310 --> 00:40:24,500 a there's a constraint on how much you 954 00:40:29,950 --> 00:40:27,320 can actually lift off the surface of the 955 00:40:31,990 --> 00:40:29,960 planet and get into space and so what 956 00:40:33,550 --> 00:40:32,000 you want to do is be able to optimize 957 00:40:36,850 --> 00:40:33,560 all of those different two 958 00:40:38,770 --> 00:40:36,860 Jeffery's all those all of that going 959 00:40:40,750 --> 00:40:38,780 around the going around the earth and 960 00:40:42,820 --> 00:40:40,760 using that trajectory to help you get to 961 00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:42,830 Mars because it's not a straight shot to 962 00:40:47,020 --> 00:40:44,570 Mars it's not like getting on 95 and 963 00:40:49,870 --> 00:40:47,030 going from Earth to Mars is it's a much 964 00:40:51,490 --> 00:40:49,880 different process is a much different 965 00:40:54,220 --> 00:40:51,500 way to go and you have to understand 966 00:40:56,380 --> 00:40:54,230 again that whole orbital trajectory and 967 00:40:57,760 --> 00:40:56,390 orbital mechanics and there are people 968 00:40:59,320 --> 00:40:57,770 like I said in my brands that do that 969 00:41:01,240 --> 00:40:59,330 and they use computers and they're 970 00:41:03,550 --> 00:41:01,250 experts and so when I think about the 971 00:41:05,890 --> 00:41:03,560 movie hidden figures and I think about 972 00:41:07,300 --> 00:41:05,900 Miss Johnson and those folks who were 973 00:41:09,520 --> 00:41:07,310 doing those calculations she could 974 00:41:11,230 --> 00:41:09,530 actually see that all in her head and 975 00:41:12,910 --> 00:41:11,240 she could even not only see it in her 976 00:41:14,020 --> 00:41:12,920 head but she could explain it and when 977 00:41:16,510 --> 00:41:14,030 you see the movie you can see her 978 00:41:18,130 --> 00:41:16,520 writing these things out and so yes it's 979 00:41:21,010 --> 00:41:18,140 all very very important and same 980 00:41:23,440 --> 00:41:21,020 application same things that you know we 981 00:41:26,140 --> 00:41:23,450 need to do to go to Mars as a matter of 982 00:41:27,640 --> 00:41:26,150 fact I read Margo's book and it was an 983 00:41:29,740 --> 00:41:27,650 awesome book and at the end of the book 984 00:41:32,020 --> 00:41:29,750 when the astronauts had successfully 985 00:41:33,400 --> 00:41:32,030 landed on the moon Kathryn and the folks 986 00:41:35,200 --> 00:41:33,410 that she was working with were actually 987 00:41:37,210 --> 00:41:35,210 thinking about sending humans to other 988 00:41:38,770 --> 00:41:37,220 planets so I think that is really so 989 00:41:40,230 --> 00:41:38,780 cool she was thinking about that so many 990 00:41:43,360 --> 00:41:40,240 years ago 991 00:41:45,970 --> 00:41:43,370 so a question from our friends at 992 00:41:47,980 --> 00:41:45,980 Mountain elementary school in Los Alamos 993 00:41:50,740 --> 00:41:47,990 and they want to know how many people 994 00:41:53,230 --> 00:41:50,750 were human computers how many people did 995 00:41:54,970 --> 00:41:53,240 we have doing these calculations well 996 00:41:56,470 --> 00:41:54,980 that's a really interesting question and 997 00:41:57,820 --> 00:41:56,480 I'm glad they asked it because we don't 998 00:42:01,330 --> 00:41:57,830 really have a really good answer to that 999 00:42:04,060 --> 00:42:01,340 question I'm afraid we do know that the 1000 00:42:06,370 --> 00:42:04,070 first woman computers were hired by the 1001 00:42:08,290 --> 00:42:06,380 NACA in 1935 there were five of them and 1002 00:42:09,790 --> 00:42:08,300 interesting enough in 1943 when I hired 1003 00:42:12,760 --> 00:42:09,800 the first african-american computers 1004 00:42:15,040 --> 00:42:12,770 they also hired five but the computers 1005 00:42:17,320 --> 00:42:15,050 worked at that point they normally 1006 00:42:19,150 --> 00:42:17,330 started working in a pool so there'd be 1007 00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:19,160 a group of computers and engineers would 1008 00:42:23,260 --> 00:42:21,410 bring them things that they needed you 1009 00:42:25,180 --> 00:42:23,270 know resolve from the results from 1010 00:42:26,650 --> 00:42:25,190 Windtunnel tests and they'd do the 1011 00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:26,660 calculations for those things and send 1012 00:42:32,830 --> 00:42:31,010 them back but typically a computer would 1013 00:42:34,870 --> 00:42:32,840 work in the pool for a while and then at 1014 00:42:36,460 --> 00:42:34,880 some point if they get really good or an 1015 00:42:37,960 --> 00:42:36,470 engineer happens to like working with 1016 00:42:39,730 --> 00:42:37,970 such a person a particular skill that 1017 00:42:41,050 --> 00:42:39,740 some certain sort of thing they would 1018 00:42:42,730 --> 00:42:41,060 get pulled out of the pool and sent off 1019 00:42:46,860 --> 00:42:42,740 to work in a laboratory someplace or 1020 00:42:49,350 --> 00:42:46,870 things and eventually NASA after 1021 00:42:50,430 --> 00:42:49,360 after that that period in the 60s NASA 1022 00:42:52,230 --> 00:42:50,440 eventually did away with the pool 1023 00:42:54,410 --> 00:42:52,240 concept at all and sort of hired one 1024 00:42:56,340 --> 00:42:54,420 directly into those positions and 1025 00:42:59,520 --> 00:42:56,350 unfortunately the personnel records from 1026 00:43:01,310 --> 00:42:59,530 those days aren't very complete in 1027 00:43:03,270 --> 00:43:01,320 Margo's book she talks about how many 1028 00:43:05,370 --> 00:43:03,280 african-american woman computers and she 1029 00:43:07,560 --> 00:43:05,380 thinks she's identified about 50 of them 1030 00:43:10,140 --> 00:43:07,570 from her research and she's done a lot 1031 00:43:11,970 --> 00:43:10,150 of research but she says there may be as 1032 00:43:13,170 --> 00:43:11,980 many as 20 more that she hasn't been 1033 00:43:17,670 --> 00:43:13,180 able to identify in terms of the 1034 00:43:19,230 --> 00:43:17,680 african-american Peters the the alt of 1035 00:43:22,050 --> 00:43:19,240 all the computers that worked on neo 1036 00:43:23,910 --> 00:43:22,060 calculations for the NACA in NASA they 1037 00:43:25,620 --> 00:43:23,920 were probably on the order of thousands 1038 00:43:27,110 --> 00:43:25,630 of you know thousand a couple thousand 1039 00:43:29,640 --> 00:43:27,120 maybe that kind of came in and went out 1040 00:43:32,940 --> 00:43:29,650 interesting enough most woman computers 1041 00:43:36,060 --> 00:43:32,950 who worked at at NASA when they got a 1042 00:43:37,800 --> 00:43:36,070 job here they stayed and so some people 1043 00:43:38,940 --> 00:43:37,810 came in and went out and that's that as 1044 00:43:41,550 --> 00:43:38,950 of the confusion because you'd have 1045 00:43:44,070 --> 00:43:41,560 women who would leave to get married and 1046 00:43:45,450 --> 00:43:44,080 then decided they liked the job and NASA 1047 00:43:47,160 --> 00:43:45,460 was happy to hire the back because they 1048 00:43:48,720 --> 00:43:47,170 were skilled and good at their job and 1049 00:43:51,060 --> 00:43:48,730 so we brought it back and when they had 1050 00:43:53,400 --> 00:43:51,070 babies frequently women in the workforce 1051 00:43:55,800 --> 00:43:53,410 in the 40s and 50s if you had a baby you 1052 00:43:57,870 --> 00:43:55,810 were fired that was that was just that 1053 00:43:59,370 --> 00:43:57,880 was not that was not considered 1054 00:44:00,870 --> 00:43:59,380 discrimination that time in fact that 1055 00:44:04,770 --> 00:44:00,880 rule wasn't changed until the late 60s 1056 00:44:06,720 --> 00:44:04,780 long after the movie was over so a woman 1057 00:44:08,700 --> 00:44:06,730 would would oftentimes lose their job if 1058 00:44:10,380 --> 00:44:08,710 they became pregnant well that didn't 1059 00:44:12,260 --> 00:44:10,390 happen at NASA because these women were 1060 00:44:14,700 --> 00:44:12,270 so skilled and in demand 1061 00:44:16,110 --> 00:44:14,710 heywhat they would cover the work that 1062 00:44:18,150 --> 00:44:16,120 takes some time off to have a baby and 1063 00:44:20,880 --> 00:44:18,160 come back to work and it was daycare on 1064 00:44:23,160 --> 00:44:20,890 site and and off they went so it's an 1065 00:44:24,720 --> 00:44:23,170 interest it's very hard to nail down how 1066 00:44:27,510 --> 00:44:24,730 many people actually worked here because 1067 00:44:30,330 --> 00:44:27,520 they came and went and our records 1068 00:44:31,770 --> 00:44:30,340 aren't aren't that great and Margo who's 1069 00:44:34,530 --> 00:44:31,780 a great researcher hasn't even come up 1070 00:44:35,610 --> 00:44:34,540 with a good answer yet so so I hesitate 1071 00:44:40,590 --> 00:44:35,620 to even think about coming up with 1072 00:44:42,150 --> 00:44:40,600 answer myself all right we have a 1073 00:44:45,330 --> 00:44:42,160 question here from Carver Middle School 1074 00:44:48,150 --> 00:44:45,340 in Tulsa Oklahoma and it's kind of a 1075 00:44:51,240 --> 00:44:48,160 follow-on to that in the obviously these 1076 00:44:53,700 --> 00:44:51,250 women were treated somewhat differently 1077 00:44:54,900 --> 00:44:53,710 because of who they were because of the 1078 00:44:59,790 --> 00:44:54,910 color their skin and the fact that they 1079 00:45:00,640 --> 00:44:59,800 were women so that we like to think that 1080 00:45:02,529 --> 00:45:00,650 we've moved 1081 00:45:04,779 --> 00:45:02,539 past that a lot and we treat people 1082 00:45:08,019 --> 00:45:04,789 based on how smart they are and what 1083 00:45:10,029 --> 00:45:08,029 their skills are but for anyone on our 1084 00:45:12,940 --> 00:45:10,039 panel here do you have advice for these 1085 00:45:15,279 --> 00:45:12,950 students on how to deal with people that 1086 00:45:16,890 --> 00:45:15,289 may not treat you that way that may 1087 00:45:19,930 --> 00:45:16,900 dismiss you based on the way you look 1088 00:45:21,960 --> 00:45:19,940 instead of treating on dealing with you 1089 00:45:24,789 --> 00:45:21,970 on how based on how smart you are how 1090 00:45:28,510 --> 00:45:24,799 defer to Julie first thing I have a 1091 00:45:29,950 --> 00:45:28,520 philosophy that I preach to to women and 1092 00:45:34,150 --> 00:45:29,960 minorities and I'll offer that after 1093 00:45:35,289 --> 00:45:34,160 julie has a chance to say so when you 1094 00:45:37,089 --> 00:45:35,299 deal with people you have to recognize 1095 00:45:39,609 --> 00:45:37,099 everybody has their own their own 1096 00:45:41,470 --> 00:45:39,619 perspective and so you have to be 1097 00:45:44,950 --> 00:45:41,480 confident in yourself and who you are 1098 00:45:46,359 --> 00:45:44,960 again you get to working at NASA and you 1099 00:45:49,420 --> 00:45:46,369 get to working at different industry 1100 00:45:51,130 --> 00:45:49,430 because you bring a skill to that area 1101 00:45:53,109 --> 00:45:51,140 and so you have to be confident in who 1102 00:45:55,120 --> 00:45:53,119 you are the background that you have 1103 00:45:57,039 --> 00:45:55,130 think about those people who have 1104 00:45:59,890 --> 00:45:57,049 encouraged you your parents your 1105 00:46:02,500 --> 00:45:59,900 teachers and be able to use that as as 1106 00:46:04,299 --> 00:46:02,510 as confidence that you can move on and 1107 00:46:06,760 --> 00:46:04,309 do the things that that you need to do 1108 00:46:09,160 --> 00:46:06,770 and I'm a little more blunt particularly 1109 00:46:11,109 --> 00:46:09,170 for women don't waste your time trying 1110 00:46:14,260 --> 00:46:11,119 to explain to somebody why you're in the 1111 00:46:16,539 --> 00:46:14,270 room or in the in the laboratory you are 1112 00:46:19,150 --> 00:46:16,549 not going to change someone's mind by 1113 00:46:21,730 --> 00:46:19,160 trying to talk them out of a bias or out 1114 00:46:24,730 --> 00:46:21,740 of being discriminatory what convinces 1115 00:46:27,339 --> 00:46:24,740 them is your performance so really study 1116 00:46:30,069 --> 00:46:27,349 hard become the best that you can be in 1117 00:46:31,510 --> 00:46:30,079 your field and then go do your work and 1118 00:46:34,299 --> 00:46:31,520 do it incredibly well so that people 1119 00:46:36,940 --> 00:46:34,309 recognize you is the best I don't want 1120 00:46:39,609 --> 00:46:36,950 to be a spoiler here but again a 1121 00:46:43,539 --> 00:46:39,619 critical lesson in the movie is watch 1122 00:46:46,539 --> 00:46:43,549 Catherine Johnson and watch the women as 1123 00:46:48,490 --> 00:46:46,549 they adjust to the circumstances where 1124 00:46:50,500 --> 00:46:48,500 people do not want to accept them and 1125 00:46:53,710 --> 00:46:50,510 and they don't do a lot of talking they 1126 00:46:56,109 --> 00:46:53,720 just act and and they perform and that's 1127 00:46:57,460 --> 00:46:56,119 that's my advice to you don't wait don't 1128 00:46:59,980 --> 00:46:57,470 waste your time trying to convince 1129 00:47:02,470 --> 00:46:59,990 somebody that you belong and I also 1130 00:47:04,750 --> 00:47:02,480 think administrator bolden that it was 1131 00:47:07,660 --> 00:47:04,760 because of people like Catherine Johnson 1132 00:47:10,120 --> 00:47:07,670 and Dorothy and Mary Jackson who came to 1133 00:47:12,190 --> 00:47:10,130 NASA and we're technically excellent 1134 00:47:13,510 --> 00:47:12,200 they were technically excellent and 1135 00:47:15,220 --> 00:47:13,520 because of them 1136 00:47:18,310 --> 00:47:15,230 and the excellence that they brought to 1137 00:47:20,080 --> 00:47:18,320 the job and to the challenges that they 1138 00:47:22,870 --> 00:47:20,090 had they opened the doors for people 1139 00:47:24,490 --> 00:47:22,880 like myself and I and I feel like I am 1140 00:47:26,050 --> 00:47:24,500 standing on their shoulders because if 1141 00:47:27,940 --> 00:47:26,060 they hadn't brought that excellence 1142 00:47:29,920 --> 00:47:27,950 if they hadn't brought that perfection 1143 00:47:31,960 --> 00:47:29,930 if they hadn't brought those skills and 1144 00:47:34,510 --> 00:47:31,970 people understood that they that they 1145 00:47:36,250 --> 00:47:34,520 are that they are an advocate and they 1146 00:47:38,200 --> 00:47:36,260 are helping the team get to the 1147 00:47:40,390 --> 00:47:38,210 solutions that they need and so those 1148 00:47:42,490 --> 00:47:40,400 those women and I you know I applaud 1149 00:47:45,550 --> 00:47:42,500 them and I'm so thankful for the things 1150 00:47:47,050 --> 00:47:45,560 that they do because you know we deal 1151 00:47:48,370 --> 00:47:47,060 with biases now but the things that 1152 00:47:51,550 --> 00:47:48,380 those women dealt with at that time 1153 00:47:53,470 --> 00:47:51,560 we're much more overt and they were much 1154 00:47:55,180 --> 00:47:53,480 more challenging but they were able to 1155 00:47:57,430 --> 00:47:55,190 bring that technical excellence they 1156 00:47:59,350 --> 00:47:57,440 were able to you know send a human to 1157 00:48:01,090 --> 00:47:59,360 the moon and because of those things the 1158 00:48:03,550 --> 00:48:01,100 doors are wide open for people like 1159 00:48:10,960 --> 00:48:03,560 myself administrator bullit and all of 1160 00:48:12,340 --> 00:48:10,970 you guys living on that - Dorothy plays 1161 00:48:14,550 --> 00:48:12,350 a really critical role in all this 1162 00:48:17,470 --> 00:48:14,560 confused the personal supervisor of the 1163 00:48:19,660 --> 00:48:17,480 woman the african-american woman who 1164 00:48:20,710 --> 00:48:19,670 worked in the West competing in it was 1165 00:48:22,270 --> 00:48:20,720 she wasn't the first provides but she 1166 00:48:23,710 --> 00:48:22,280 was the first african-american who 1167 00:48:25,690 --> 00:48:23,720 supervises that unit there was a white 1168 00:48:27,910 --> 00:48:25,700 supervisor that before and when that 1169 00:48:28,990 --> 00:48:27,920 woman became sick Dorothy was stuck in a 1170 00:48:30,910 --> 00:48:29,000 job at being the supervisor without 1171 00:48:32,140 --> 00:48:30,920 being promoted to the job and then she 1172 00:48:36,070 --> 00:48:32,150 was eventually eventually they 1173 00:48:38,530 --> 00:48:36,080 recognized her but what strikes me about 1174 00:48:41,620 --> 00:48:38,540 Dorothy that's so compelling about her 1175 00:48:43,570 --> 00:48:41,630 story is that that she was constantly 1176 00:48:46,210 --> 00:48:43,580 sacrificing her own interest for the 1177 00:48:47,260 --> 00:48:46,220 woman who worked for her and and I mean 1178 00:48:49,420 --> 00:48:47,270 the woman it didn't work for it 1179 00:48:51,820 --> 00:48:49,430 she went to bat as a supervisor she 1180 00:48:53,950 --> 00:48:51,830 could do this at some considerable risk 1181 00:48:55,420 --> 00:48:53,960 to her own future career by the way but 1182 00:48:56,740 --> 00:48:55,430 she could go to bat for other woman so 1183 00:48:58,720 --> 00:48:56,750 she actually went to bat for both 1184 00:49:01,630 --> 00:48:58,730 African American computers and white 1185 00:49:04,090 --> 00:49:01,640 woman computers who were not getting pay 1186 00:49:07,000 --> 00:49:04,100 raises they were supposed to get and and 1187 00:49:08,830 --> 00:49:07,010 in her willingness to sacrifice emotions 1188 00:49:10,090 --> 00:49:08,840 for herself and key jobs that she could 1189 00:49:13,510 --> 00:49:10,100 have taken for herself because of her 1190 00:49:15,520 --> 00:49:13,520 position but instead she did what she 1191 00:49:16,990 --> 00:49:15,530 could for everybody else and and did 1192 00:49:18,970 --> 00:49:17,000 build that foundation that we're all 1193 00:49:20,620 --> 00:49:18,980 standing on now you know because nasa's 1194 00:49:23,230 --> 00:49:20,630 got a much more diverse and effective 1195 00:49:24,760 --> 00:49:23,240 workforce because people like that you 1196 00:49:27,400 --> 00:49:24,770 know did the hard things and made in 1197 00:49:30,180 --> 00:49:27,410 tough decisions and did what was right 1198 00:49:33,700 --> 00:49:30,190 a Ted would you like to add something to 1199 00:49:35,200 --> 00:49:33,710 this discussion yeah yeah I had the 1200 00:49:37,990 --> 00:49:35,210 great pleasure of interviewing Katherine 1201 00:49:41,230 --> 00:49:38,000 Johnson twice to as research for the 1202 00:49:43,630 --> 00:49:41,240 movie she is 98 years old and at the 1203 00:49:46,839 --> 00:49:43,640 time I said Katherine what was it like 1204 00:49:48,579 --> 00:49:46,849 to experience racism in the workplace 1205 00:49:50,349 --> 00:49:48,589 how was it for you what was it like to 1206 00:49:53,170 --> 00:49:50,359 experience sexism in the workplace and 1207 00:49:55,870 --> 00:49:53,180 that was it for you and she paused and 1208 00:49:58,509 --> 00:49:55,880 she looked at me very very strangely and 1209 00:50:01,450 --> 00:49:58,519 said oh I didn't I didn't see any of 1210 00:50:03,220 --> 00:50:01,460 that I I just did my work and I put my 1211 00:50:05,559 --> 00:50:03,230 head down and I and I did my work and 1212 00:50:08,890 --> 00:50:05,569 everyone was so nice to me and so the 1213 00:50:10,329 --> 00:50:08,900 lesson I think really is the character 1214 00:50:13,990 --> 00:50:10,339 of Katherine Johnson and the lesson for 1215 00:50:17,230 --> 00:50:14,000 you guys do your work do your work 1216 00:50:19,779 --> 00:50:17,240 dig in find your dream reach for it and 1217 00:50:21,759 --> 00:50:19,789 do the work and don't look left or right 1218 00:50:22,870 --> 00:50:21,769 and go straight through and that's what 1219 00:50:26,140 --> 00:50:22,880 NASA did and that's what Katherine 1220 00:50:27,700 --> 00:50:26,150 Johnson did great that is excellent 1221 00:50:29,650 --> 00:50:27,710 advice thank you 1222 00:50:31,690 --> 00:50:29,660 all right we're going to go back to our 1223 00:50:37,359 --> 00:50:31,700 studio audience here for another 1224 00:50:39,450 --> 00:50:37,369 question hello my name is Ania own 1225 00:50:42,190 --> 00:50:39,460 Clayton my questions for Charles Bolden 1226 00:50:45,099 --> 00:50:42,200 how did these three ladies cause change 1227 00:50:47,470 --> 00:50:45,109 the NASA that's prevalent today and I 1228 00:50:49,960 --> 00:50:47,480 think one of the things they did is 1229 00:50:52,319 --> 00:50:49,970 Julie has mentioned and and Ted even 1230 00:50:55,359 --> 00:50:52,329 talked about it was they performed they 1231 00:50:57,190 --> 00:50:55,369 they they essentially put their heads 1232 00:51:00,940 --> 00:50:57,200 down and did what they were asked to do 1233 00:51:03,339 --> 00:51:00,950 they set goals as you will see and they 1234 00:51:04,870 --> 00:51:03,349 went after those goals without paying 1235 00:51:07,509 --> 00:51:04,880 any attention to people who said it 1236 00:51:09,730 --> 00:51:07,519 could not be done and I think they 1237 00:51:12,009 --> 00:51:09,740 provide a model a role model or role 1238 00:51:13,920 --> 00:51:12,019 models for all of us I joined Julianne 1239 00:51:16,720 --> 00:51:13,930 saying we all stand on their shoulders 1240 00:51:19,450 --> 00:51:16,730 we're just trying to do what we saw them 1241 00:51:21,190 --> 00:51:19,460 do and you know when you when you look 1242 00:51:23,019 --> 00:51:21,200 at Katherine's story as an example 1243 00:51:24,670 --> 00:51:23,029 Katherine I doubt if she ever dreamed 1244 00:51:26,950 --> 00:51:24,680 that she was going to do anything that 1245 00:51:29,200 --> 00:51:26,960 she did she came her father brought her 1246 00:51:33,309 --> 00:51:29,210 here from White Sulphur Springs West 1247 00:51:35,370 --> 00:51:33,319 Virginia or not here but but to where 1248 00:51:37,650 --> 00:51:35,380 West Virginia State University is now 1249 00:51:40,930 --> 00:51:37,660 because he wanted to put his son in 1250 00:51:43,120 --> 00:51:40,940 college and it was while Katherine was 1251 00:51:45,670 --> 00:51:43,130 going to school with her brother her 1252 00:51:47,050 --> 00:51:45,680 older brother she had an opportunity to 1253 00:51:50,650 --> 00:51:47,060 do some things in the classroom and the 1254 00:51:53,260 --> 00:51:50,660 teacher said wow you know you need to be 1255 00:51:54,640 --> 00:51:53,270 here she was 14 years old and and the 1256 00:51:56,530 --> 00:51:54,650 teacher talked to her father and 1257 00:51:59,500 --> 00:51:56,540 convinced them to put her in college she 1258 00:52:02,410 --> 00:51:59,510 graduated at the age of 18 and and then 1259 00:52:04,180 --> 00:52:02,420 came to Langley looking for a job I you 1260 00:52:07,270 --> 00:52:04,190 know like bill says there was there was 1261 00:52:09,069 --> 00:52:07,280 no shortage for NACA and NASA to pick 1262 00:52:11,770 --> 00:52:09,079 from because there were women of color 1263 00:52:13,660 --> 00:52:11,780 who wanted to work and Katherine was one 1264 00:52:15,970 --> 00:52:13,670 of those and she saw an opening and she 1265 00:52:18,280 --> 00:52:15,980 she went after it so I think the three 1266 00:52:20,380 --> 00:52:18,290 of them and and all the women you'll see 1267 00:52:23,620 --> 00:52:20,390 in the movie they just provide 1268 00:52:25,660 --> 00:52:23,630 incredible role models for us in the way 1269 00:52:27,790 --> 00:52:25,670 that they just bore through all of the 1270 00:52:29,950 --> 00:52:27,800 resistance and all the bias and the 1271 00:52:31,300 --> 00:52:29,960 discrimination and I will echo what what 1272 00:52:34,150 --> 00:52:31,310 Katherine said when you're doing your 1273 00:52:35,440 --> 00:52:34,160 work and you're having fun there's a lot 1274 00:52:37,750 --> 00:52:35,450 of stuff going on around you you don't 1275 00:52:39,910 --> 00:52:37,760 notice people ask you about you go I 1276 00:52:42,010 --> 00:52:39,920 didn't notice that and I really didn't 1277 00:52:44,640 --> 00:52:42,020 because I was just doing what I love 1278 00:52:48,190 --> 00:52:44,650 doing and I was having fun 1279 00:52:50,109 --> 00:52:48,200 sorry Nia to another question from Gmail 1280 00:52:52,960 --> 00:52:50,119 from online and to talk a little bit 1281 00:52:54,550 --> 00:52:52,970 about how the women were trained did 1282 00:52:56,740 --> 00:52:54,560 they they came in a lot of them were 1283 00:52:58,690 --> 00:52:56,750 teachers they had some background what 1284 00:53:01,960 --> 00:52:58,700 kind of training did they get when they 1285 00:53:03,370 --> 00:53:01,970 actually got here well Becky most of 1286 00:53:05,859 --> 00:53:03,380 that was on-the-job training 1287 00:53:06,880 --> 00:53:05,869 so they'd arrive particularly in the 1288 00:53:08,829 --> 00:53:06,890 case of the African miracle woman they 1289 00:53:11,920 --> 00:53:08,839 all had degrees in math and they've been 1290 00:53:13,660 --> 00:53:11,930 math teachers largely in schools so they 1291 00:53:16,510 --> 00:53:13,670 came in they're well versed in sort of 1292 00:53:18,069 --> 00:53:16,520 the basics of what needed to be done and 1293 00:53:18,970 --> 00:53:18,079 there were training programs when they 1294 00:53:20,770 --> 00:53:18,980 came into the pool 1295 00:53:22,300 --> 00:53:20,780 Dorothy Vaughn for example was the head 1296 00:53:24,760 --> 00:53:22,310 of the West computing unit would have 1297 00:53:26,290 --> 00:53:24,770 helped those women to understand you 1298 00:53:29,290 --> 00:53:26,300 know what kind of calculations they 1299 00:53:31,089 --> 00:53:29,300 needed to be you need to be doing women 1300 00:53:32,620 --> 00:53:31,099 who had particular skills in certain 1301 00:53:33,880 --> 00:53:32,630 kinds of things would be directed to 1302 00:53:35,680 --> 00:53:33,890 that work and a woman who didn't have 1303 00:53:37,240 --> 00:53:35,690 those skills would often be teamed up 1304 00:53:41,079 --> 00:53:37,250 with somebody to learn how to how to do 1305 00:53:42,400 --> 00:53:41,089 that and her most of the work was pretty 1306 00:53:43,870 --> 00:53:42,410 straightforward I mean that's part of 1307 00:53:45,579 --> 00:53:43,880 the reason why they hired women to do 1308 00:53:47,339 --> 00:53:45,589 these jobs because the engineers didn't 1309 00:53:49,690 --> 00:53:47,349 want to have to do the work right in 1310 00:53:51,849 --> 00:53:49,700 1935 when it did the first experiment 1311 00:53:53,079 --> 00:53:51,859 with women computers that started 1312 00:53:54,880 --> 00:53:53,089 largely because the engineers were 1313 00:53:57,759 --> 00:53:54,890 complaining about all the time they were 1314 00:53:58,900 --> 00:53:57,769 sting doing you know mathematical work 1315 00:54:00,460 --> 00:53:58,910 and that they wanted to be able to do 1316 00:54:03,670 --> 00:54:00,470 the fun stuff running the wind tunnel 1317 00:54:05,589 --> 00:54:03,680 and and doing other things and so they 1318 00:54:07,359 --> 00:54:05,599 happen is it tried the women computers 1319 00:54:08,950 --> 00:54:07,369 is an experiment and it turns out they 1320 00:54:10,569 --> 00:54:08,960 were much when they when they were done 1321 00:54:12,160 --> 00:54:10,579 with the experiment after a few months 1322 00:54:14,410 --> 00:54:12,170 they realize the women were much more 1323 00:54:17,259 --> 00:54:14,420 accurate much faster and did a better 1324 00:54:19,089 --> 00:54:17,269 job and didn't complain and you could 1325 00:54:21,009 --> 00:54:19,099 pay them less and it actually got put in 1326 00:54:25,390 --> 00:54:21,019 a memo that isn't as great they do this 1327 00:54:27,250 --> 00:54:25,400 great work and within her cheap so the 1328 00:54:29,319 --> 00:54:27,260 training process was fairly 1329 00:54:31,299 --> 00:54:29,329 straightforward and done largely as 1330 00:54:32,710 --> 00:54:31,309 on-the-job training for those things but 1331 00:54:34,089 --> 00:54:32,720 they think most of had the skills they 1332 00:54:37,480 --> 00:54:34,099 needed to do that work to start with 1333 00:54:38,890 --> 00:54:37,490 okay Julie could you we've got a couple 1334 00:54:40,769 --> 00:54:38,900 of questions about this could you tell 1335 00:54:45,279 --> 00:54:40,779 us a little more about what kind of 1336 00:54:46,809 --> 00:54:45,289 training engineers at NASA do today both 1337 00:54:48,549 --> 00:54:46,819 in your degree and then when you when 1338 00:54:51,190 --> 00:54:48,559 you actually get here how do you keep 1339 00:54:53,019 --> 00:54:51,200 learning we have a variety of training 1340 00:54:56,319 --> 00:54:53,029 that we can we can do here at NASA 1341 00:54:58,059 --> 00:54:56,329 Langley both technical and and on the 1342 00:54:59,289 --> 00:54:58,069 art side and so I remember when I first 1343 00:55:01,539 --> 00:54:59,299 started here you know I had the 1344 00:55:03,279 --> 00:55:01,549 technical background but I understood 1345 00:55:05,380 --> 00:55:03,289 that there was a need to be a good 1346 00:55:07,720 --> 00:55:05,390 communicator as administrative all that 1347 00:55:09,579 --> 00:55:07,730 said so I I took many communication 1348 00:55:11,829 --> 00:55:09,589 classes because typically you work in a 1349 00:55:13,720 --> 00:55:11,839 team with a team of people and you have 1350 00:55:15,880 --> 00:55:13,730 to communicate effectively with them 1351 00:55:18,370 --> 00:55:15,890 when you're writing technical papers you 1352 00:55:20,740 --> 00:55:18,380 need to have that English and that that 1353 00:55:22,749 --> 00:55:20,750 that structure written down so that 1354 00:55:24,970 --> 00:55:22,759 known in your head so that you can write 1355 00:55:26,740 --> 00:55:24,980 technical papers and also at NASA you're 1356 00:55:29,049 --> 00:55:26,750 given a lot of opportunity to go to 1357 00:55:30,670 --> 00:55:29,059 international conferences and to 1358 00:55:32,019 --> 00:55:30,680 technical conferences and again you have 1359 00:55:34,269 --> 00:55:32,029 to be really really good at 1360 00:55:36,999 --> 00:55:34,279 communicating the work that you do and 1361 00:55:38,589 --> 00:55:37,009 so not only the technical work I can 1362 00:55:41,980 --> 00:55:38,599 always you can always go back to the 1363 00:55:43,480 --> 00:55:41,990 school there's programs for PhDs if you 1364 00:55:45,519 --> 00:55:43,490 don't have a PhD or you can get your 1365 00:55:47,829 --> 00:55:45,529 advanced degrees there's a you know 1366 00:55:49,809 --> 00:55:47,839 there's a wealth of executive classes 1367 00:55:52,749 --> 00:55:49,819 that you can take as far as team 1368 00:55:54,460 --> 00:55:52,759 building and and in just the whole 1369 00:55:58,150 --> 00:55:54,470 wealth of classes as a matter of fact I 1370 00:55:59,829 --> 00:55:58,160 just signed up for a Python programming 1371 00:56:01,509 --> 00:55:59,839 class for January and I'm really looking 1372 00:56:05,450 --> 00:56:01,519 forward to that because the last time I 1373 00:56:08,280 --> 00:56:05,460 did any programming was 19 1374 00:56:09,780 --> 00:56:08,290 and I and I learned how to do Fortran 1375 00:56:12,200 --> 00:56:09,790 and I'm sure nobody here knows what no 1376 00:56:15,030 --> 00:56:12,210 Fortran is but I'm really excited about 1377 00:56:16,950 --> 00:56:15,040 about about Python so the training 1378 00:56:19,140 --> 00:56:16,960 continues you know you can continue to 1379 00:56:20,670 --> 00:56:19,150 do whatever you want to do and that's 1380 00:56:23,039 --> 00:56:20,680 one of the one of the great things of 1381 00:56:25,289 --> 00:56:23,049 working here at NASA is that they allow 1382 00:56:27,930 --> 00:56:25,299 you to continue to build and to grow and 1383 00:56:29,460 --> 00:56:27,940 to continue to you know contribute to 1384 00:56:34,260 --> 00:56:29,470 all of the different challenges that we 1385 00:56:37,470 --> 00:56:34,270 have as an organization so as we get 1386 00:56:40,319 --> 00:56:37,480 close to wrapping up here one more 1387 00:56:42,930 --> 00:56:40,329 question from Gmail how much your the 1388 00:56:45,510 --> 00:56:42,940 movie is true how much of this movie 1389 00:56:48,180 --> 00:56:45,520 actually happened I think we should ask 1390 00:56:49,620 --> 00:56:48,190 Ted that question I am Ted if you could 1391 00:56:51,480 --> 00:56:49,630 tell us just a little bit about you know 1392 00:56:54,120 --> 00:56:51,490 how much of this movie is real and why 1393 00:56:57,120 --> 00:56:54,130 you made the choices you did and telling 1394 00:57:00,450 --> 00:56:57,130 the story well I I think a lot of the 1395 00:57:03,720 --> 00:57:00,460 movie is accurate we worked very hard 1396 00:57:05,370 --> 00:57:03,730 with NASA with dr. berry and a lot of 1397 00:57:07,470 --> 00:57:05,380 it's accurate you know there are things 1398 00:57:10,140 --> 00:57:07,480 you there are things you do in a movie 1399 00:57:11,220 --> 00:57:10,150 that you have to do so like like let's 1400 00:57:13,829 --> 00:57:11,230 I'll give you an example 1401 00:57:17,250 --> 00:57:13,839 Catherine Johnson was confirming John 1402 00:57:20,460 --> 00:57:17,260 Glenn's numbers for his first orbital 1403 00:57:23,670 --> 00:57:20,470 flight that those calculations took 1404 00:57:26,099 --> 00:57:23,680 three days I don't think anyone want to 1405 00:57:29,819 --> 00:57:26,109 sit through a three day movie so we 1406 00:57:31,859 --> 00:57:29,829 compress that three days into 25 seconds 1407 00:57:33,809 --> 00:57:31,869 those are the things that you have to 1408 00:57:35,789 --> 00:57:33,819 stretch and change in the movie in order 1409 00:57:38,069 --> 00:57:35,799 for a movie at work but in terms of the 1410 00:57:40,079 --> 00:57:38,079 facts and what happened in the movie and 1411 00:57:43,620 --> 00:57:40,089 how all the characters live their lives 1412 00:57:46,559 --> 00:57:43,630 that is all 100% accurate and a lot of 1413 00:57:48,450 --> 00:57:46,569 the big quotes what John Glenn said 1414 00:57:51,839 --> 00:57:48,460 about Katherine get get the girl to run 1415 00:57:53,640 --> 00:57:51,849 the numbers what jim johnson says to his 1416 00:57:55,799 --> 00:57:53,650 wife of what before he marries in which 1417 00:57:57,780 --> 00:57:55,809 i won't give away cuz it's a spoiler but 1418 00:57:59,609 --> 00:57:57,790 these things are all hundred percent 1419 00:58:01,740 --> 00:57:59,619 accurate so we did the very best we 1420 00:58:04,410 --> 00:58:01,750 could but you know granted it is a movie 1421 00:58:06,599 --> 00:58:04,420 as it is meant to entertain so we hope 1422 00:58:09,690 --> 00:58:06,609 we hope we did a good job that bill 1423 00:58:12,329 --> 00:58:09,700 would know how close we got a lot of the 1424 00:58:15,180 --> 00:58:12,339 technical things all right bill you want 1425 00:58:17,910 --> 00:58:15,190 to add anything in a few seconds I'll 1426 00:58:20,940 --> 00:58:17,920 say that I was stunned by the degree to 1427 00:58:23,490 --> 00:58:20,950 Ted and his team of production staff as 1428 00:58:25,230 --> 00:58:23,500 well we're focused on every little 1429 00:58:27,450 --> 00:58:25,240 detail about things trying to get the 1430 00:58:30,180 --> 00:58:27,460 look in the field and the equipment that 1431 00:58:32,370 --> 00:58:30,190 was being used and the conversation the 1432 00:58:35,039 --> 00:58:32,380 technology all those faces they did a 1433 00:58:36,030 --> 00:58:35,049 phenomenal job and and made a great 1434 00:58:38,430 --> 00:58:36,040 movie out of it as well 1435 00:58:39,690 --> 00:58:38,440 great all right well thank you all so 1436 00:58:41,819 --> 00:58:39,700 much that's all the time we have for 1437 00:58:46,200 --> 00:58:41,829 today but for more information on this 1438 00:58:49,710 --> 00:58:46,210 part of nasa's history visit WWN a Sega 1439 00:58:51,630 --> 00:58:49,720 / modern figures thanks to our panel for