Showing titles in Science & Technology

All throughout history, Black men have made important contributions to scientific discovery. This collection of biographies for kids explores 15 of these intelligent men and the extraordinary scientific accomplishments they achieved—even when they faced huge challenges. You’ll learn how they stood up against racism and inequality and never stopped following their passions for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Growing up in the 1920s on a dirt-poor farm in North Dakota, Mary Sherman's life was filled with chores—until she finally began school and discovered she loved to learn. Mary excelled at science, especially chemistry, and leaped at the chance to work in a laboratory during World War II designing rocket fuels. And when the US decided to enter the space race, Mary was chosen over her male colleagues to create the fuel to launch a rocket carrying America's first satellite.

Mary Myers always dreamed of flying, but she lived when women were often told to stay put and stay quiet. Determined and fearless, Mary wouldn’t stay tied down. With the help of her husband, she transformed into Carlotta, the famous aeronaut, and took to the skies. Carlotta performed much more than aerial feats in her gas balloons. A skybound scientist, she collected information on currents, weather, and atmospheric pressure.

Formaldehyde, borax, salicylic acid. Today these chemicals are used in embalming fluids, cleaning supplies, and acne medications. But just over a hundred years ago, they were routinely added to all kinds of food by unregulated and unethical companies. Noted science and history writer Gail Jarrow introduces listeners to the relentless work of U.S. government chemist Dr. Harvey Washington Wiley, who mounted a thirty-year campaign to protect consumers from harmful food and drugs. As part of his research, he tested food additives by serving them to a squad of volunteers—the poison eaters.

In 1752, the sky in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, darkened. A thunderstorm was coming. Benjamin Franklin was ready to perform an experiment. He wanted to show the electrical nature of lightning. His experiment was a success, but he didn’t discover electricity that day. Myths about Franklin and his experiment have been told for years. Discover what’s real and what’s fiction through infographics, primary sources, and expertly leveled text.

Stay curious with Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African American woman to travel to space and participate in NASA’s space program.

Dutch student Boyan Slat always loved inventing. A visit to the oceans of Greece inspired his greatest invention ever. Why were there more plastic bags than fish? How could he save the sea? Learn more about Boyan’s Great Pacific Garbage Patch project; The Ocean Cleanup and his plastic cleanup invention, System 001; and the challenges behind removing trash from our oceans and rivers.

In 1949, Dorothy Vaughan became the first African American woman to lead a team at NASA's Langley Research Center. Her work as a mathematician was an important part of helping the United States explore space. Learn more about Vaughan's life as a famous mathematician!

Scott Kelly, an American astronaut, went to space in the 1990s and 2000s. In 2015, he spent nearly a year in space. While there, his body was compared to his twin's on the ground. The data helped us learn about the impacts of space on the human body. Learn more about Kelly's life as an astronaut!

Nikola Tesla was a scientist and inventor in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Among his many inventions and experiments, he helped create the modern electricity system. Learn more about Tesla's life as a famous inventor!

How much do you know about Benjamin Franklin? Find out the facts you need to know about this Founding Father, author, and inventor. You'll learn about the early life, challenges, and major accomplishments of this important American.

Ilumina tu curiosidad con la Doctora Mae Jemison, la primera mujer afroamericana que viajó al espacio y participó en el programa espacial de NASA.

Stephen Hawking was one of the greatest minds of our time. His theories about the universe have changed the way we think about black holes and the Big Bang. Learn more about the physicist on wheels who traveled the world.

Embark with us on a powerful journey where we walk side by side with some of the most iconic entrepreneurs in history, both male and female!

How did a boy with limited resources and a curious mind change the world? Meet Lewis Latimer, the inventor who made train journeys more comfortable and brought brighter light to our homes! In Bright Ideas for a Better World—Lewis Latimer, listeners ages 4 to 8 discover the amazing story of this unsung hero of invention. Lewis started his journey surrounded by the blueprints and ideas of others, and his own inventions soon followed! His biggest breakthrough came when he joined forces with Thomas Edison to make better lightbulbs.

From childhood, Sally Ride was a daring adventurer, and her parents encouraged her to pursue the things she loved. Those things included science and math, fast rides, and the stars in the sky. Eventually her passions and her hard work led her to NASA, where she became the country's first female astronaut, inspiring generations of young people to follow their own dreams of space exploration.

Yvonne Clark had an engineering spark—an instinct for figuring out how things worked. Broken lamp? She screwed, rewired, and wrenched until…light! Wrecked radio? She twisted, snipped, and hammered until…music! Clogged furnace? She picked, plucked, and cleared until…heat! When she grew up, Yvonne’s problem-solving power took her to NASA, where fellow engineers had a serious problem with the Saturn V rocket’s F-1 engine: It had hot spots—high temperatures in the engine. Can Yvonne Clark and her engineering spark solve the problem?

Le destin d'une grande dame de la science, première lauréate du prix Nobel et à ce jour la seule femme à en avoir reçu deux. Scientifique d'exception, son travail sur la radioactivité a sauvé des millions de vies humaines.

Discover some of the many contributions women, people of color, immigrants, and people with disabilities made to space exploration. From an engineer in the control room to a mission specialist that went on four space flights, these heroes are transforming how we think of space.

Tech is everywhere! Learn more about the innovators who created the technology world. These innovators are women, people of color, immigrants, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community who are ready to be recognized.