For Scientific American Science Quickly, I'm Kendra Pierre-Louis in for Rachel Feldman.
When it comes to a cultural understanding of who can be a scientist,
the idea that it's largely a career for men tends to still dominate.
This season,
the podcast Lost Women of Science digs into the life of the American physicist and chemist,
Katherine Burr Blodgett, whose work helped pioneer nanotechnology a century before its time.
I talked to Katie Hafner,
a host and co-executive producer of Lost Room of Science, about this new season.
Thank you so much for joining us.
Oh, thanks.
So your newest multi-episode season, Layers of Brilliance,
the Chemical Genius of Catherine Burr-Bloget,
can you tell me the impetus, what was behind it?
What was it about her story that was so compelling to you?
Well, actually, to be super honest about this,
I was not that excited about doing a whole multi-episode season on Catherine.
because it takes so much time and it's really like researching a book.
It has taken us months.
We've been at this for almost a year on this season.
I kid you not.