This week, we discuss how the history of NASA was shaped by racial inequality. The stories of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, the three women highlighted in this film by Theodore Melfi, remind us that science has never been a neutral subject. Listen to hear about the civil rights protests against the Cold War space race, NASA's collaboration with Nazi scientists, and what this means for technological progress today. We recorded this episode in October, which is Black History Month in the UK: an annual reminder to seek out historical figures that still remain hidden from conventional narratives about the past.

References:

• My Remarkable Journey: A Memoir by Katherine Johnson
• Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped W ...