Dava Sobel remembers a conversation with a woman who thought the work the women did in the movie “Hidden Figures” was “cute.”
This showed a level of internalized misogyny many women have, she said. Sobel even sees it in herself.
Despite this, women should still pursue careers they are passionate about and refuse to let men take their credit away, Sobel said.
About 200 UF students, faculty and public members came to see Sobel, the No. 1 New York Times best-selling author of “Galileo’s Daughter,” Thursday night at Ustler Hall. The event was sponsored by the UF College of Liberal Arts and Sciences using private foundation funds, said Mary Watt, an associate dean of the college.
“I feel very fortunate that I was able to put my interest in science together with my love of writing,” Sobel said. “It’s difficult, in a strange way, but it’s fun.”
Sobel also discussed the groundbreaking achievements of women in astronomy such as Williamina Fleming, who devised a system for classifying stars in the Harvard College Observatory.
Rachel Kalicharan, a 19-year-old UF biology sophomore, said science fields are typically white male-dominated, so it’s challenging to be seen as credible in the field as a woman of color, noting her Indian ethnicity.
“Sometimes the accomplishments of women can be downplayed or discredited, and this can make you downplay your work,” she said. “What (Sobel) said makes me feel like my achievements are credible.”
About 200 UF students, faculty and local fans came to see Dava Sobel, the No. 1 New York Times best-selling author of “Galileo’s Daughter,” Thursday night at Ustler Hall. Sobel’s other novels include “The Glass Universe” and “Longitude.”
