Tag: women

Book Review: The Elements of Marie Curie by Dava Sobel

~ Olivia Hill ~ Leave a comment

If you love a book that has everything – joy, sadness, romance, science, determination, illness, health, and human decency – look no further than this book. Sobel paints a stunning picture of the life of Marie Curie and the lives of those she affected. Her work and passion for science echoed outwards to her friends, family, colleagues, and complete strangers. She worked hard to save lives during the war with mobile x-ray units, and supported her daughters in their exploits both in and out of the lab. Her love for her husband and understanding nature propelled her through discoveries that ultimately led us to where we are today in our knowledge of radioactive elements. I cannot think of a better book to sit down and read when I need motivation, a little science, and a lot of belief in the kindness and integrity of others. I cannot ask for a better role model than the woman who helped pave the way for science, and women in science. I hope many more people get to experience reading The Elements of Marie Curie – How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science by Dava Sobel.

An image of the cover of "The Elements of Marie Curie, How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science" Dava Sobel - Author of Longitude & the Glass Universe with those words spread across the book cover featuring a blue background with a radiographic photo of Marie Curie

Compliment, Not Creepy

~ Olivia Hill ~ 1 Comment
Daily writing prompt
Describe a random encounter with a stranger that stuck out positively to you.
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The internet is flooded with stories of men who seem like they’re trying to compliment a woman, but end up scaring her instead. It can be frightening to be approached by someone who seems kind at first, but then won’t leave you alone to go about your day. I’ve been on that end of things: herded by a group of men into a corner, to (thankfully) have a key to a building they didn’t expect me to have and get away. That interaction started with a simple compliment from one of them.

You can imagine, after that experience, compliments from men on the street might provoke more caution. I was on my way to class from a parking lot, and a young man approached me who wouldn’t stop staring. Bracing myself, I waited for him to get within comment distance, and he said “Wow, you’re beautiful!” I said thank you and waited for him to stop and expect me to stay and chat. I was pleasantly surprised when he said “I hope you have a great day!” and walked on his way.

It was the first time in my entire life that a random guy had said something kind, and didn’t expect anything from me in return. Where I was treated like a human being by someone who didn’t know me, and not a commodity to be gained. He wanted to say something considerate, without passing on his information or asking for mine, and go about his day. It wasn’t the compliment, it was the way he went about it that was important to me. Feeling like a person and not a conquest is a much better feeling than just feeling beautiful; I’m glad he passed my way that day.