The road to a Nobel Prize began for one scientist in elementary school when his father placed a sign on his bedroom door proclaiming him to be a “doctor.” For another Nobel laureate, it was a childhood breakfast with the famous scientist (and Nobelist) Linus Pauling. Another noted researcher went against all expectations of her day to pursue science in school, even though she was a woman. Yet another took inspiration from a yellow sweater knitted by his mother. Those are among the experiences that helped launch the careers of scientists from diverse backgrounds who are featured in a new video series launched today by the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world’s largest scientific society. Entitled
Spellbound: How Kids Became Scientists.
Spellbound Episode 1—A Sign on the Door: Ahmed Zewail, Ph.D.
Spellbound Episode 2 —Finding Her Way: Kristala L. Jones Prather, Ph.D.
Spellbound Episode 3—A Yellow Sweater: Bassam Shakhashiri, Ph.D.
Spellbound Episode 4—When Girls Didn’t “Do” Science: Mamie Moy
Spellbound Episode 5— A Born Chemist: Isiah Warner, Ph.D.
Spellbound Episode 6 —Mentors Made the Difference: Nancy Jackson, Ph.D.
Spellbound Episode 7—Heroes Made the Difference: Peter Agre, M.D.
Spellbound Episode 8—The Winds of War: Helen M. Free: Helen Free, Ph.D.
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More from science for children
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inside the cell
The booklet Inside the Cell…provides an excellent primer on the fundamental roles of cells in the life and death of human beings
Download free booklet pdf – inside the cell
Do some folk arrive in the world with better math skills than others?
Take the test
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Latest news
What steers vampires to blood
Scientists have known for years that when vampire bats tear through an animal’s skin with their razor-sharp teeth, their noses guide them to the best spots…
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Pollinators make critical contribution to healthy diets
Fruits and vegetables that provide the highest levels of vitamins and minerals to the human diet globally depend heavily on bees and other pollinating animals….
Dolphins use double sonar
Researchers from Sweden and the US have now discovered that dolphins can generate two sound beam projections simultaneously.
Latitude and rain dictated where species lived
More than 200 million years ago, nearly all the land on Earth was part of Pangaea. Animals could roam freely, yet they appear to have sorted themselves into regions.
Seals sense shapes using their whiskers to feel wakes
Hunting in the North Sea, harbour seals often encounter murky water that impedes their vision; but it doesn’t affect their ability to chase prey. Extending their vibration-sensitive whiskers, the mammals are almost as efficient at pursuing their quarry as they would be if guided by sight…..Full story
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No nuts for ‘Nutcracker Man’
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