A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred
by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Mar 2021
336 pages
Genre: Science, Health and the Environment
Publication Information
From a star theoretical physicist, a journey into the world of particle physics and the cosmos -- and a call for a more just practice of science.
In The Disordered Cosmos, Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein shares her love for physics, from the Standard Model of Particle Physics and what lies beyond it, to the physics of melanin in skin, to the latest theories of dark matter -- all with a new spin informed by history, politics, and the wisdom of Star Trek.
One of the leading physicists of her generation, Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is also one of fewer than one hundred Black American women to earn a PhD from a department of physics. Her vision of the cosmos is vibrant, buoyantly non-traditional, and grounded in Black feminist traditions.
Prescod-Weinstein urges us to recognize how science, like most fields, is rife with racism, sexism, and other dehumanizing systems. She lays out a bold new approach to science and society that begins with the belief that we all have a fundamental right to know and love the night sky. The Disordered Cosmos dreams into existence a world that allows everyone to experience and understand the wonders of the universe.
"Prescod-Weinstein, a particle cosmologist, debuts with an eye-popping and innovative look into the nature of the universe and her 'awakening as a Black scientist'...a resonant paean to the beauties of the cosmos and a persuasive appeal for solutions to injustices in science." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"In a pleasing combination of passionate and cogent prose, the author demonstrates the entanglement of scientific pursuit and colonial histories and explains how her own exploration of math and physics cannot be separated from the history of racism and oppression...A timely, necessary, stellar book—a game-changer." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Particle physicist Prescod-Weinstein presents a provocative and richly detailed critique of the largely white and male scientific community and her place in it as a Black queer woman…A fascinating and disquieting look at a discipline that often holds itself above interrogation." - Booklist (starred review)
"Part introduction to quantum mechanics and cosmology, part memoir, and part sociological study...For general science readers, gender and feminist studies students, and those concerned about the role feminist and racial politics plays in STEM professions." - Library Journal
"Celebrated scientist Dr. Prescod-Weinstein uncovers how systematic racism limits humanity's potential. Using the universe as her classroom, she highlights the value of equality in laboratories and society at large." - Essence
"There are very few books that will ignite the finest poets, memoirists, scientists, novelists, and folks who love reading. The Disordered Cosmos does all that, but what's most otherworldly is that it's a book that families in this world must read. It will change how we talk, think, communicate, and, most of all, imagine." - Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy: An American Memoir
"What a cosmic testimony this is! A science-sermon to the Black, the queer, the trans, the disabled and all others who seek to be as free as the cosmos allows. This book proves that there is plenty of room in the universe for those who, on Earth, are forced to fold themselves up. Rejoice! For we have the space." - Robert Jones, Jr., author of The Prophets
"Breathtakingly expansive and intimate…Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is a griot of the universe, and her powerful storytelling will reignite your commitment to creating a world in which we all have the spacetime to think and dream." - Ruha Benjamin, author of Race After Technology
This information about The Disordered Cosmos was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is an Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Core Faculty in Women's and Gender Studies at the University of New Hampshire. She is also a columnist for New Scientist and Physics World. Her research in theoretical physics focuses on cosmology, neutron stars, and particles beyond the standard model. She also conducts research in Black feminist science, technology, and society studies. Essence magazine recognized her as one of 15 Black Women Who Are Paving the Way in STEM and Breaking Barriers. She has been profiled in several venues, including Tech Crunch, Ms. magazine, Huffington Post, Gizmodo, Nylon, and the African-American Intellectual History Society's Black Perspectives. She received the 2017 LGBT+ Physicists Acknowledgement of Excellence Award "For Years of Dedicated Effort in Changing Physics Culture to be More Inclusive and Understanding Toward All Marginalized Peoples." She divides her time between New Hampshire's Seacoast and Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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