As the weather grows colder and the nights get longer (or at least that is what is happening here in Idaho), it’s time to grab a cozy beverage, settle in by the fire, and read something interesting. If you’re lucky, perhaps you can find something that also challenges you and teaches you something new. In honor of that quest, here are some ideas for science-y things to watch or read this winter. Most of these titles focus on women and other underrepresented groups in STEM.  

Things to Watch:  

Picture a Scientist is a documentary following several women scientists and the challenges they face as women working in the male-dominated fields of STEM. It was an official selection at the Tribeca Film Festival and is excellently made. The Boston Globe called it “quietly devastating” and I have to say that I agree. This powerful film shows both the extreme prejudice many women scientists face, but also their remarkable perseverance and brilliance in contributing to their fields despite such hostilities. It is also hopeful, sharing the progress that has been made over the past 50 years, while still pointing out the distance we still have to go. 

She Changed Astronomy Forever. He Won the Nobel Prize For It is a 15 minute NYT Opinion video essay that is a fascinating look into Jocelyn Bell Burnell’s career and search to get the credit she deserves for discovering radio pulsars.  

Things to Read:  

You can also check out the movie version, but we all know you should start with the book. Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly is a must-read for those interested in space, math, or untold histories.  

Again, there is a movie version, but the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot is riveting. If you have ever wondered why we have Institutional Review Boards (IRB), this book will provide some answers.   

You might have missed the Science and Technology Section Book Club discussion about Braiding Sweetgrass by botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer but it’s not too late to pick up this collection of essays that weave together indigenous ways of knowing, nature, and people.  

X+Y: A Mathematician’s Manifesto For Rethinking Gender by Eugenia Cheng takes a deep look into how we teach math and why “bias over biology” has led to generations of people thinking that men are better than women at solving equations.  

How much do we really know about pregnancy? Not that much, it turns out. Investigate the science and lack-thereof in Like A Mother: A Feminist Journey Through The Science And Culture Of Pregnancy by Angela Garbes. If you have an extra 5 minutes, you could also watch the author’s TED Talk: What working parents really need from workplaces  

For more great science reads, check out these lists:  

AAAS/Subaru Science Book Award 

NPR’s Book Concierge (linked to the Science! selections) 

If you have additional recommendations, please share in the comments below!

Jessica Martinez, University of Idaho

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