African-American scientists and inventors

In honor of Black History month, below is a list of African-American scientists and inventors.  As I viewed web pages of the links below, I learned a lot and I am sure you will too! Enjoy!

Patricia Bath  Apparatus to Remove Cataracts

Bessie Blount  Self-Feeding Device for Amputees

Otis F. Boykin  Electrical Resistor and Variable Resistor

George Carruthers  Far-ultraviolet camera/spectrograph

George Washington Carver  Agricultural Innovations

David Crosthwait  Heating, Air Conditioning and Ventilation

George Crum  Potato Chip

Mark Edward Dean (and Dennis Moeller)  Industry Standard Architecture Bus

Ronald Demon  Smart Shoe

Charles Richard Drew  Blood Bank

Meredith C. Gourdine  Electrogasdynamics Systems

Joanna Hardin  CompUrest

W. Lincoln Hawkins  Chemical Additive for Telecommunications Cables

Lonnie Johnson  Super Soaker

Howard Jones  Conformal Antenna Systems

Percy Lavon Julian  Synthesis of Cortisone

Lewis H. Latimer  Carbon-filament Light Bulb

Jan Matzeliger  Shoe Lasting Machine

Elijah McCoy  Automatic Oil Cup

James McLurkin  Robot Ants

Garrett A. Morgan  Safety Hood

Lyda Newman  Synthetic-Bristled Hairbrush

Jessie T. Pope  Thermostatically Controlled Curling Iron

Norbert Rillieux  Sugar Processing Evaporator

Valerie Thomas   Illusion Transmitter

Madam C.J. Walker  Hair Care Products

Hildreth "Hal" Walker  Laser Telemetry and Targeting Systems

Cardinal Warde  Optical Information Processing Technology

Dennis W. Weatherby  Automatic Dishwasher Detergent

Rufus J. Weaver  Stair-Climbing Wheelchair

James Edward West (and Gerhard M. Sessler)  Foil Electret Microphone

Eli Whitney  Cotton Gin

Granville T. Woods  Multiplex Telegraph

Ivan Yaeger  Prosthetic Arm 

Information source:  
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Inventor Archive.

The Importance of Role Models And Mentors

The article, Reaching Gender Equity in Science: The Importance of Role Models And Mentors - Science Careers - Biotech, Pharmaceutical, Faculty, Postdoc jobs on Science Careers, by Laura Bonetta is a great read. Excerpt from the article:

"The number of women embarking on science careers has been increasing steadily during the past several decades. Although women scientists continue to be underrepresented at the faculty level, many women have established rewarding and successful careers in science—thanks in part to having had role models and mentors whose paths they could follow."

Reaching Gender Equity in Science also reminds me of a post I made entitled, "Build your team: How to get mentors" it which I also urged readers to assemble a team of mentors and advisors to help you advance your career in the sciences.
Read the full article.

Singing the lab blues

I am having some difficulties with my project. I am in some kind of slump in which none of my experiments are working. I mean the simple PCR reaction is not working.  The cells are not proliferating fast enough. And on top of everything, I placed an order with the person in the lab who is responsible for ordering reagents and due to no fault of his own, the order did not go through. It turns out there was some kind of computer glitch that day and the email to place the order never was received by the company, but I found this out like two weeks after I requested the reagent to be ordered.  (And I thought that I gave myself enough cushion room for this by placing the order before I ran out of the supply I had in the lab.)  So, that experiment is on hold for at least a month because the reagent is made-to-order.  To top everything off, I am not getting any attention from my PI because I do not have any NEW data. Sigh. I need some encouraging words because right now, it is all bad.