Blog #10

“A Feeling for the Organism,” is a significant milestone within this course as it introduces the personal life of not only a scientist, but a female scientist. This is particularly fascinating as it brings forth another factor that molded this individual into the iconic scientist that they are. This is also a unique book as it is a biography as opposed to an autobiography; this is a perspective that has not been explored until now. Within these pages, Keller introduces and delves deep into the life of geneticist, Barbara McClintock. Prior to reading this section, we had explored the lives of Benjamin Franklin and Charles Darwin, so gender was previously not considered an issue. However, reading this section, I noted how significant the concept of gender and its roles were for McClintock. In particular, Chapter 4 in the book is titled “ A Career for Women,” thus depicting the significant impact her gender played in her journey towards becoming a successful scientist. In particular, the author notes the openness of Cornell towards accepting “ ‘any person in any study’ ” (Keller 29); the openness of this establishment is significant, as it became the focal point for McClintock’s studies and her growth as an individual. The author mentions the ways she strayed away from conventional female roles, as she notes McClintocks neutral perspective towards marriage and even clothing styles (Keller 34). I believe that by distancing herself from her gender label, she was able to flourish as she began to only view and identify herself as purely a scientist. Initially, she notes how the scientific community questioned her credibility, but as she built up her reputation until she became highly respected and admired by men and women alike.

This section of this biography further illuminated a more personal side to McClintock, which is significant in understanding her scientific virtues and the values she placed into practice, of which many of them mirrored that of other scientists. Her determination was evident in the way that she approached her objective of becoming a professor; she notes that regardless of potential consequences, she was willing to face it all to accomplish her task (Keller 28). Her willingness to give up aspects of her life in order to focus on science is similar to that of Darwin, who notes that although he had moments where he doubted his transition away from God, he had no regrets as it brought him closer to the scientific realm.

As a future member of the scientific field, this book resonated something very personal for me, especially as McClintock’s experiences highlights the role of women in the scientific community. She notes that regardless of her accomplishments, she would always be viewed as a woman; this is significant as it highlights that McClintock’s gender was an obstacle in her path of being viewed/treated as a scientist, compared to other brilliant minds like Darwin and Franklin, who were accepted without question. This aspect introduces an interesting thought: what are some other obstacles/stigmas that scientists currently face and how has this influenced their individual stories and the scientific community as a whole? On a final note, as we have previously discussed the lives of prominent male scientists in this course, it’s interesting to think about how their stories might have changed if they were women.