Katherine Johnson NASA mathematician dies.

[maw lod qan]

It was announced on the news that the mathematician Katherine Johnson has died at the age of 101.

I'm not sure just how much liberty was taken in making the movie "Hidden Figures", but regardless, she had an incredible mind.

It makes me smile thinking how they called her and the other women working the numbers for NASA, computers.

[Sunshine]

R.I.P. KJ

[Ruud]

101? Well done! And thanks for the calculations. A lot depended on it.

[Physopto]

It is always a shock/shame when someone with a mind like hers passes on. I enjoyed the film and wondered just how true it was. Unfortunately it seems that the film makers all  too often adjust the truth to make it entertaining for us public. I did ponder on whether she actually benefitted at all from the film in any way, I hope so.

Derek

[laudropb]

She was a remarkable woman who achieved so much. It seems that the film was very true to the historical facts for once.

[Swoop1]

Films will always play with the facts for entertainment value however, the film Hidden Figures did something very important despite any artistic licence. It brought to the public consciousness the invaluable contribution made by Katherine and her colleagues and the injustice they had to deal with just because they were not white.

RIP Katherine and thanks for all you did.

[Helen]

She was a real hero and role model.  There are two books which tell her story much more fully than the film, with extra background detail on the racial/gender challenges faced.  It really opened my eyes to just how serious the issues were (and sadly still are) in the US.  

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hidden-Figures-Untold-African-American/dp/0008201323/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=hidden+figures&qid=1582648365&s=books&sr=1-1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reaching-Moon-Autobiography-Mathematician-Katherine/dp/1534440836/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=katherine+johnson&qid=1582648399&s=books&sr=1-1

I thoroughly recommend them (the first is broader, the second aimed at younger readers)

Helen

[maw lod qan]

Thanks for the link to those books Helen. They do look to be some good reading.