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11 March 2008
Author Ethlie Ann Vare Discusses Women Inventors
Ask America webchat transcript, March 10
Ethlie Ann Vare, author of Mothers of Invention -- From the Bra to the Bomb, Forgotten Women and Their Unforgettable Ideas, answered questions in a March 10 webchat on the significance of women inventors.
Following is the transcript:
(begin transcript)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of International Information Programs
Ask America Webchat Transcript
The Next New Thing: America’s Inventive Women
Guest: Ethlie Ann Vare
Date: March 10, 2008
Time: 12:00 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT)
Moderator: Welcome to today's webchat. The live webchat will take place today beginning at 1600 GMT. You may begin sending in your questions now.
Ethlie Ann Vare: Thank you for joining me here during Women's History Month. Researching my books about women inventors, I found that women have been discovering, innovating and inventing throughout history. But because conventional wisdom states that "women don't invent," these inconvenient facts to the contrary tend to get lost. To encourage women and girls to continue seeking answers to the many problems that face us, it's vital we demonstrate that women do invent. They always have, and always will.
Question [selinawang]: Hello, I'd love to know what is the biggest difference between women inventors and men inventors?
Answer [Ethlie Ann Vare]: As a general rule, women's inventions are more practical than men's. They are also more likely to be financially successful. This is partly because the barriers they faced have always been higher. They are more likely to pursue only the best ideas.
I can add a light sidenote to that, which is that the women inventors I studied tend to live to a ripe old age. Also, I noticed that a lot of the women in my books -- especially the ones from earlier in history -- were never married or widowed young. But I refuse to say that has something to do with living a long time!
Moderator: Welcome to those of you just joining us. You may start sending in your questions now.
Q [rarasoa]: Thank you for bringing the subject in the forum. I would like to ask just some general questions:
Could you tell which field of research do women excel most?
Is there any gender oriented invention?
rarasoa
A [Ethlie Ann Vare]: Many people assume women’s would excel in domestic invention, and many important inventions for the home were patented by women. The screen door, the ice cream freezer, solar heating, drip coffee, and frozen pizza come to mind. But in the past two decades, the majority of inventions by women have been biomedical. Women hold the patents for new medicines and medical instruments treating everything from cancer to cataracts.
Q [adolatkal]: Dear Ethlie! I try to find and read your publications about women inventors. I like your efforts about displaying in 2009 this major exhibit about women inventors very much. Can you give some examples about the ideas, trends innovations in this area and who will be exhibited in Chicago Museum of Science and Industry?
A [Ethlie Ann Vare]: The Chicago Museum wants to do an interactive exhibit that appeals to all ages. We’re focusing on inventions that you can touch. I think you’ll see a cotton gin (Catherine Littlefield Greene invented it with Eli Whitney, although she never gets credit), the disposable diaper, the windshield wiper, the Barbie doll, the Roomba domestic robot… we’re still working on it.
Q [Shundori]: innovation sometimes creates criticism and barriers. How to face this challenges? I am Selima president bangladesh women chamber of commerce.
A [Ethlie Ann Vare]: There is always resistance to change. This applies to innovation and it applies to the position of women in a society. I think practical inventing is a great vehicle to introduce change. People don’t resist everyday products that make their lives easier. And they don’t much care who invents them, either.
Q [Chat Participant]: Are there any special areas of expertise for women inventors? For example we see Bill Gates or Jobbs at top of software desgin. Are there such leaders in another field but by women?
A [Ethlie Ann Vare]: Both computers and biomed are fields with great women in leadership roles. Gertrude Elion won a Nobel Prize for her medical patents, including the first immunosupressants, treatments for herpes and leukemia, and a cure for gout. A woman did the baboon heart transplant experiments, and women were on the teams creating all the current AIDS drugs. In computers, it was Lady Ada Lovelace, along with George Babbage, who designed the "difference engine" prototype computer. Grace Murray Hopper created COBOL, the first user friendly programming language.
Moderator: If you are just joining us, welcome! Ethlie Ann Vare is reviewing your questions now.
Q [Kuba]: It is interesting to read your comment about the whitney cotton processor and woman who co-invented it. In those times the society was dominated by men, correct? But today US society is more equal. If so, then is there a move to tell the story more justly in history and school books?
A [Ethlie Ann Vare]: The books are very slow to change. This is one thing I find frustrating as I lecture at colleges around the country. Specialty books are better than general education books: chemistry majors may know about Stephanie Kwolek, who invented Kevlar, and telecommunication majors may know that Hedy Lamar's 1941 patent led to cell phones. If you study US History you may learn about Catherine Littlefield Greene. But the elementary school books keep going back to default, that inventors are all men. That's why I keep writing my books :-)
Q [selinawang]: One more question: There are less women inventeors than men inventors all over the world, why?
Only because they are women?
A [Ethlie Ann Vare]: Yes, and generally because of the economic place of women in society. Patenting an invention is simply a way to guarantee that you get the income from your idea. Until very recently -- and even now, in many countries -- women are not legally entitled to their earned income. So what's the point of a patent? In my opinion, women are just as innovative as men and invent things to make life easier every day. They just don't patent it and put it on the market.
Moderator: Thank you for your questions! Ms. Vare continues to review them.
Q [Regina]: Thank you for the interesting information. How can teachers around the world give girls the view that they can be inventors too? Especially in a patriach society there may be a challnge for girls to go to school in the first place let-alone to be an inventor.
A [Ethlie Ann Vare]: One of the most fun chapters in my latest book, PATENTLY FEMALE, is about girls who have had successful inventions. They are great role models. There was an 8-year-old who invented a simple appliance for cooking bacon and made her family rich. A 6-year-old who came up with a better stepstool for the bathroom. A 10-year-old who patented writing paper that glows in the dark. I like to work with kids and challenge them to solve an everyday problem -- build a better alarm clock, or make a machine to do a chore you hate -- and it's amazing how the ideas flow from boys and girls alike.
Of course, changing a social structure that keeps girls from the classroom altogether is a much greater challenge and requires the effort of a majority of women in a culture to support the change.
Moderator: Participants in today's webchat may be interested in the following U.S. State Department online publication, "Women of Influence". View this publication at: http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/womeninfln/
Q [Regina]: would you reccomend for students to learn about how to be a invetor?
A [Ethlie Ann Vare]: Inventing is a great mental challenge for students. It's problem-solving on a very practical level, and I find they love handling everyday challenges. It gives them a feeling of control over their world. In general, inventions by kids have been ways to make their daily chores easier. And kids are natural innovators, because they haven't yet learned all the rules about what you can't do. Sometimes, it's better not to know that you can't do something; then you just go ahead and do it.
Q [Regina]: Do you see an part of the world where woman inventors are most active?
A [Ethlie Ann Vare]: Most of my research has been in the US, because that's where I live and work. And of course the women's movement has been very active and vocal here. I did find a great number of famous inventions by German women -- everything from tampons to flight controls.
I know the book MOTHERS OF INVENTION was translated into German as PATENTE FRAUEN and popular in Germany and Austria. Both were also particularly popular in their Korean translations.
Moderator: We continue to accept your questions.
Our guest speaker is reviewing your questions. Answers will appear here as soon as they are posted.
Q [adolatkal: Camiel]: What is a typical portrait of American women innovators? What are their age, profession and ethnicity? What are some very necessary features and skills for recognizing and then educating Women inventors?
A [Ethlie Ann Vare]: There is no typical woman inventor. A rich young debutante patented the bra. A washerwoman became the first African-American millionaire by inventing a line of hair-care products. A lifelong aerospace chemist patented the common household product Scotchguard. A secretary patented Liquid Paper. A housewife patented the dishwasher. A Latina engineer has patents on items you'll find on the space station. Yet a sculptor designed the space suits.
I believe that knowing about these women is the most important way to educate future women inventors. No one should feel they are the first to try something. That's too much of a hurdle to face.
Moderator: Thank you for your questions. Ms. Vare continues to review and answer them.
Q [rarasoa]: I would like to ask another question. In some countries, we find classes for high IQ children. Does invention or innovation have something to relate with the IQ thing? thank you
A [Ethlie Ann Vare]: My experience has been that creativity, innovation and originality are associated with high IQ, in part because IQ tests measure exactly these things. But I believe anyone can have a great idea.
Q [Joanna2]: What do you think is the most important to learn from the experiences of inventors for designing a better life in the future? What is the best way to create new solutions in workplace? Thank you.
A [Ethlie Ann Vare]: That's a great wrap-up question, so I'll try to address it in a nice, sweeping manner :-)
What we learn from inventors is that nothing needs to be done a certain way just because it has always been done that way. This applies to the better mousetrap and it also applies to the place of women in society.
That common wisdom says "women don't invent" doesn't make it right -- it doesn't even make it true. When Rosalyn Yalow accepted the Nobel in 1977 for her invention of radioimmunoassay, she said, in essence, you can't dismiss the brain power of half the population if you want to make a better world.
The challenge I always leave to students, and the challenge I leave with you -- active minds from all over the world -- is twofold. You have to go out there and rewrite the history books. But even more, you have to go out there and make history.
Moderator: We wish to thank Ethlie Ann Vare for joining us today. The webchat is now closed. A full transcript of today's webchat will be published (usually within one business day) to our Ask America Homepage at: http://www.america.gov/multimedia/askamerica.html
(Speakers are chosen for their expertise and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of State.)
More information on Ethlie Ann Vare can be found at her website: www.ethlieannvare.com/
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
