Chronicling the lives of influential and often forgotten figures.
Shaking up the World.
Trailblazers in
Science
Dear History Lover,
Women’s History Month was a whirlwind. Returning to a life on the road after years of virtual programs was well-welcomed. Last month, we embraced the opportunity to research women's history to identify trailblazers, who changed the fields of science, arts, government and more. Behind the front pages of the newspapers (and beyond search engines’ top results), we also learned of aftershocks occurring throughout
the devastated regions within Turkey and Syria. In fact, just five days ago, a “miracle baby,” who survived the initial February 6 earthquake, after being buried in the rubble for more than five days was reunited with her mother and last week, another aftershock, measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale, added to the 11,000 aftershocks that have struck the region since the initial quake that claimed the lives of nearly
60,000 people.
No stranger to earthquakes, Turkey suffered its last major quake in 1999 near Istanbul, which claimed the lives of nearly 17,000 people, while in Aleppo, quakes dating back to
1138 A.D., were some of the deadliest in history, even by modern standards. A 2018 study, conducted by seismologists from Turkey’s Boğaziçi and America’s Stanford Universities, determined that earthquakes cannot be predicted by “foreshocks.” Assistant professor of geodesy Fatih Bulut agrees that “we’d all like to find a scientifically valid way to warn the public before an earthquake… unfortunately, our study doesn’t lead to new optimism about the science of earthquake
prediction.”
Dr. Ayşe Edinçliler, Boğaziçi University Department of Earthquake
Engineering
Understanding the exact timing of earthquakes is yet to be determined; yet, seismologists at Boğaziçi University’s Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute are not attempting to prevent earthquakes, rather aiming
to design cities that withstandthem. Women scientists, such as Dr. Ayşe Edinçlile, a researcher who works in the Department of Earthquake Engineering, focuses on geosynthetic design to engineer alternative building foundations to
withstand intense tremors. Further south in Damascus, Dr. Hala Hasan’s research revolves around improving preexisting structures, fortifying them to withstand the intensity of seismic shocks. In the meantime, Drs. Tulay Kaya Eken and Gülüm Tanırcan specialize in analyzing seismic hazards, studying the makeup of the layers of the earth from crust to core. Their work would look
entirely different if it were not for a major discovery nearly a century ago.
Inge Lehmann, Danish seismologist. (Photo: Oxford University Museum of Natural History)
Prior to 1929, it was believed that Earth was made up of a molten liquid core
surrounded by a solid mantle. That was until Danish seismologist Inge
Lehmannanalysed the seismic waves of a large earthquake near New Zealand, and was shocked to find that the waves traveled through the Earth. These waves traveled so far that they caused a pickup of activity on European seismographs on the other side of the globe, a phenomenon inconsistent with a liquid core. Lehmann’s ground-breaking (literally!) hypothesis suggested that there was a
small, solid, inner core within the liquid core, nearly 3,200 miles inside the Earth. Her theory, confirmed over forty years laterin 1970, revolutionized the way we understand earth.
Without the dedication of these researchers, many of whom are female, our understanding of earthquakes might be limited. As we review the contributions of women scientists, it is paramount to recognize that women must also enjoy equal access to STEM. Even in the U.S., women make up only 27% of the science, technology, engineering, and math workforce (based on a 2019 U.S. Census Bureau), an increase of just 8% from 1970. With this newsletter, we honor women, who yearn to embark upon careers in the sciences.
With support from Olivia Winters, Marketing Coordinator.
STORY HIGHLIGHT!
In our last newsletter, we asked readers to share
intriguing historical anecdotes. The winner, Ollie Bordallo, from Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai’i, enjoys a complimentary viewing of an
On Demand performance from the HAP repertoire. Ollie shared information about the Massie Trial and how it united the Hawaiian people in the realization that the supposed offenders, who were of varying ethnicity, were likely
framed for the crime. Read articles about the
Massie Trial in the links provided above. Congratulations, Ollie, and email BoxOffice@HistoryAtPlay.com to claim your
prize!
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This list reflects the most up-to-date schedule of PUBLIC events. All events are IN-PERSON unless indicated otherwise.
We would love to #MakeHistory while we're in the City of Brotherly Love! From April 20-23, HAP will be in
Philadelphia, PA for a private event. Peruse our PROGRAM MANUAL and email or call 617.752.2859 to book a reduced price performance or a mix and
mingle event occurring that weekend!
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