Melinda: Hello, today I will be interviewing Mrs. Mary Fairfax Somerville a women in history that deserves recognition as a great scientist.
Mary Somerville: Thank you child, I'm happy to answer any questions you have.
Melinda: On with the interview then. First of all I'd like to ask you what events in your life do you think started your interest in science?
Mary Somerville: I suppose my interest formed from my interest in algebra. I hadn't had any formal education until I was sent to a Edinburgh boarding school in adolescence, and my first experience seeing algebraic formulas was in a fashion magazine when I was only 15. I began to study and make sense of the equations by myself.
Melinda: Wow I don't think I'd be able to handle educating myself, anyway onto the next question, what role did your mentors have in developing your talents or interests?
Mary Somerville: Actually I had no mentors, I taught myself. I read the Bible myself, I studied the area around myself by myself and I made sense of algebra by myself.
Melinda: Thirdly, what were your major accomplishments, the methodologies you used and the principals if science that you upheld?
Mary Somerville: I actually have written several scientific books and papers. I wrote a paper entitled "The Magnetic Properties of the Violet Rays of the Solar Spectrum" based on experiments I had done on magnetism in my summer garden, it was the first paper presented to the Royal Society by a woman. Also Caroline Herschel and I were elected to the Royal Astronomical Society, we were the first women in this society.
Melinda: Amazing! What were your limitations as a scientist or a person?
Mary Somerville: Because I am a woman, not many people at that time were as accepting of my studying of mathematics, not even my family had approved. I did overcome this however, my second husband supported me and because he was in the medical department of the army stationed in London 1815 I accompanied him to lectures at the Royal Institution. Also because of the traditional gender roles members of my family had disapproved of my studies.
Melinda: What were the "accepted" philosophical and/or religious beliefs at the time?
Mary Somerville: I suppose that Christianity was the most prevalent religion at my time, but the religions had become more accepting of science because of the Enlightenment.
Melinda: How did your ideas fit or differ from the beliefs in the last question?
Mary Somerville: I did read the Bible and pray as a child, I did not differ much from religious beliefs at the time, I had never contradicted religious beliefs with my work.
Melinda: I see, what major cultural, economic, and political situations were taking place at the time of your work?
Mary Somerville: Enlightenment had spread, Industrialization was also taking place, depending on your class you could have been either very rich or very poor, my second husband was a doctor so we were very well off.
Melinda: What artists, musicians, and writers were working at the same time and in the same country as you?
Mary Somerville: David Cox, Thomas Creswick, are a few artists I can think of, Chopin and Schuman were a few musicians and Walter Savage Landor and Frances Trollope are a few writers who come to mind.
Melinda:What were the basic demographics of the country during the time you were working?
Mary Somerville: According to the census there was a population of about 12 million people in England when I first started working and a population of about 20 million or more people when I died, but I died in Italy, not England.
Melinda: How were gender and class roles defined during this time frame?
Mary Somerville: To be quite blunt, women did not have as many rights as men and were not thought of as high as men were, men worked and women stayed home and cooked, cleaned and raised the children, this was the case in most classes as well. The highest classes rarely worked and socialized often, the middle class worked often and socialized little, and the lower classes worked the most.
Melinda: That's to be expected. Thank you Mrs. Somerville for letting me interview you.
Mary Somerville: The pleasure was all mine.
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Fantastic interview! I really liked the way you used your research and creative voice to present information about your scientist.
ReplyDeleteI believe that you said the accepted religion of your time was Christianity.Being that you are a woman of science, what is your view upon Christianity?
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed learning about you. What do you as a scientist think our contributions to society have in common?
ReplyDeleteI think a similarity between the two of us is that we were both young people when we were first interested in our areas of concentration. I believe I was fifteen, the same age you were when you were first interested in science and mathematics.
ReplyDeleteThe style of King Louis XIV, and the Baroque and neoclassical styles of architecture influenced my work because they were some of the main styles of time in France where I lived. I think that because you are a woman, that it would be creative of you to be interested in studying science and mathematics because not a lot of women did that during your time. I think that you had a little more creativity with your work than I did.
ReplyDeleteYou as a scientist explore science and mathematics because that is what interest you. I as an architect explore architecture because that is what interest me. This is the difference in how we learn more about our fields.
ReplyDeleteI am wondering what you think of the artists and musicians during your time. Thomas Jefferson was an architect and the president of the United States during my time. I think he was really skillful and talented in his work. I know of a poet who is really talented in her writing. She is very descriptive because she writes about her feelings and observations in her society, being a slave. Did you know any of the artists during your era that you mentioned? I see that during your time it was not very common for women to be scientists, so women in the scientific field would not be treated as fairly as men. And during the Enlightenment new ideas were being published such as new thoughts and discoveries in science, so knowing more about science helps you as a scientist in your discoveries. Most of my work was influenced by the other styles of architecture during my time. And as an artist and you as a scientist, we know that economic issues also influence our work and contributions because you have to have money to buy the materials you need in order to discover something about science or construct a building. I see that the religious aspects of your society would not provide very much support to science. Is there anything else during your era involving science and mathematics that influenced or affected your work?
ReplyDeleteWow, impresive! I can tell you were a intelligent and fantastic woman! Like you I too didn't have mentors, but being a French woman it wasn't hard to find people excepting of me as an equal, I cannot fathom having to educate myself! You deserve a standing ovation!
ReplyDeleteHello Mary. I love an intelligent woman and I know one when I see one. I can tell you are very smart. I like that you took intrerest in science when you were in math and you started to put things together and started answering questions for myself. I am just like that, I take what I learn and turn it into something I can or want to do or what I think is best or right. You however went to school along time to become a scientist while I spent few years in school and more in a dance studio studying dance rather than a text book. I see that you really like the artist David Cox. I have not heard of him, but I would love to see his work. If you know who he is you must like his work alot and the art of our time. I feel bad that you are trying to get out there now, seeing that women do not play a big role in or society. It is very good that you never went against Christianity with your work even though at the time things were becoming less religious.
ReplyDeleteits obvious your a brillant scientist. now i had a mentor as an actor but you did not,what was it like not having a mentor and trying to figure things out on your own?
ReplyDeleteMy god miss you are truly an insperation... Your a fasninating woman, and a great scientist. I am terribly sorry you struggled being a woman at your time, but you accomplished a great deal. I myself accomplished a great deal, so from one intellectual to another way to go. mabye sometime we could have a chat and I could publish a research article of your's in a speech of mine, or we could collaborate on builind a science lab?
ReplyDelete-Thomas
Women have always stuggled to be the best they can, while trying to deal with what society wants women to be. You are truly an inspiration to scientists and women in general. Fantastic interview.
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ReplyDeleteHi Mary I highly respect the work that you have accomplished. I know that it has been a hard road being a woman and being trated equally for your hard work. I think its great that have written several scientific books and papers. "The Magnetic Properties of the Violet Rays of the Solar Spectrum" was very interesting. Being elected to the Royal Astronomical Society as the first woman is very commendable. I alos think that having been self taught with no mentors is a great accomplishment.
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