Overview
Our galaxy, the Milky Way, has a diameter of about 100,000 light yearsāa figure we can calculate because of the work of Henrietta Leavitt (1868ā1921), who spent decades studying glass plate photographs of the night sky. Visual artist and researcher Anna Von Mertensās Attention Is Discovery is a fascinating portrait of this remarkable woman who laid the foundation for modern cosmology, as well as an exploration of the power of looking and its revelatory role at the center of scientific discovery. Ushering us into the scientific community of women who worked alongside Leavitt, now known as the Harvard Computers, Von Mertens describes the inventive methodologies Leavitt devised to negotiate the eraās emerging photographic technology.
Interspersed with Von Mertensās meticulously researched and lyrically written essays are collaborations with art historian Jennifer Roberts, cosmologist Wendy Freedman, astrophysicist JoĆ£o Alves, and novelist Rebecca Dinerstein Knight. Alongside Leavittās process, evident in her astronomical logbooks and ink notations on the glass plates, Von Mertens includes details of the hand-stitched quilts and graphite drawings that she made in response to Leavittās legacy. This interweaving of text and image engages and rewards the readerās own close attention. Highlighting ways that subtle, repeated actions build meaningāwhether skilled, technical observation, the crafting of an object, or the mundane tasks that construct our exquisite livesāVon Mertensās pairing of close looking with close reading creates a layered portrait of Henrietta Leavitt that acknowledges the significance of her discovery and the richness of its inheritance.
This book title, Attention Is Discovery (The Life and Legacy of Astronomer Henrietta Leavitt), ISBN: 9780262049382, by Anna Von Mertens, published by MIT Press (September 17, 2024) is available in hardcover. Our minimum order quantity is 25 copies. All standard bulk book orders ship FREE in the continental USA and delivered in 4-10 business days.
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