FOR THE LOVE OF NUMBERS
I like to learn
“I like to learn. That’s an art and a science.” Katherine G. Johnson has made many famous statements in her remarkable life. Katherine G. Johnson is a retired @NASA astrophysicist and mathematician who through her love of numbers successfully calculated trajectories that safely put humans into space, including the Apollo 11 spaceflight that landed Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Moon in 1969. In 2015, Katherine received America’s highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, from President Barack H, Obama.
Katherine Johnson speaks with astronaut Leland Melvin during a NASA STEM education event. Source: www.nasa.gov.au
How did Katherine’s love of numbers make a difference to world history? I recently, watched ‘Hidden Figures’, the movie about three incredible women who individually made a significant contribution to space exploration. I remember watching the 1969 Apollo landing on the moon as a young child spellbound and glued to a new TV (or television as we called it back then) sitting in the lounge of our farm house with our neighbours who popped in to watch the history making mission. Imagine travelling thousands of kilometres through space and landing on the moon! My young child’s brain found this feat better than anything that could ever be imagined and I so wanted to be there too. I didn’t know back then just how important numbers and mathematical skills really were to those missions and the lives of the astronauts.
How did Katherine get to be in a position where she could influence spaceflight and safely transport astronauts into a star-studded world. There are several very good reasons. Let’s explore:
Belief and clarity
Katherine believed in her ability. In telling her story, Katherine recalls that she counted everything including steps walked, and the number of dishes and silverware washed. Katherine loved to learn and went to high school at the age of 10. Her father believed that Katherine would have a chance to achieve her full potential and drove her 120 miles to high school so that Katherine’s love of learning could be fulfilled. Katherine completed high school at the age of 14 and college at the age of 18. What an amazing achievement at that age? To what can we attribute this outcome? Probably a belief in ability and focus?
Passion
Katherine did what she loved. Katherine’s first role with NASA was as a ‘computer’ performing complex calculations needed for space flight and when she retired 33 years later, she said “I loved going to work every single day.” Imagine loving work every day, even after 33 years! It is fair to say that Katherine was immersed in her passion and every day brought further reasons to grow her passion.
Curiosity
Katherine is quoted as saying “The women did what they were told to do,” … “They didn’t ask questions or take the task any further. I asked questions; I wanted to know why.” In a way, Katherine’s curiosity helped her to add value to what was at the time a national focus – the space frontier. Talk about being in the right place and at the right time.
Action
Katherine took action. She didn’t wait. When she was tasked with calculating trajectories, she did the task thoroughly and even when computers were introduced, astronaut John Glenn asked for Katherine to recheck the calculations for his 1962 Friendship 7 voyage into space. He trusted Katherine’s ability.
What are the lessons we can learn from Katherine G. Johnson? What do you love doing that in 30 years time when you look back through your life, you can smile at your life and be happy.
Bring what you love to life now. Prepare to look back at your own life and be happy.
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