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. Her research in theoretical physics focuses on cosmology, neutron stars, and particles beyond the standard model. She also does research on feminist science studies, with a specific focus on the experiences of Black women in physics. 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 Durham, New Hampshire, and Cambridge, Massachusetts.
"The Disordered Cosmos is equal parts critical analysis, personal
essay, and popular science...Prescod-Weinstein not only narrates
her struggle to become a cosmologist, she advocates for all peoples
whom physicists have undervalued...Prescod-Weinstein's most vital
work, in the end, is the emancipation of Black and brown children
who still cannot see their futures in the stars."--Undark
"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
"In her ode to physics, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, Ph.D., entices
readers to join in her love affair with science. Peppered with a
healthy dose of Black feminism and pride, Disordered Cosmos offers
a deeper understanding of a fascinating field while also sparking
wonder about the night sky."--Ebony
"The Disordered Cosmos is the type of book that compels us to
shatter our preconceptions about science, scientists, and
academia."--Physics Today
"[A] wide-ranging book that is both a scientific explainer and an
argument that unjust power structures shape the world of
physics."--Vox
"The Disordered Cosmos is a fierce reminder that science does not
exist in a vacuum; rather, it is a practice firmly rooted in
humanity--and access to the night sky is perhaps the most
fundamental human right of all. The book is a love letter to the
wondrous universe we call home, and an urge to think critically
about how we explore its depths."--Smithsonian Magazine
"Particle cosmologist Prescod-Weinstein's debut is a dazzling
introduction to particle physics. In wonder-filled prose, she
describes quantum mechanics, string theory, and gravity. She also
takes a trenchant stand against the inequalities that run rampant
in the field, making a moving plea that the cosmos be accessible to
all."--Publishers Weekly, Best Books of 2021 - Nonfiction
"Prescod-Weinstein delves into the culture of the mainstream
scientific community, and how it has influenced the progress of
science...with this book she achieves an astonishing blend of
scientific depth and an intricate understanding of the interplay
between science and society."--Physics World
"The Disordered Cosmos, more than most other science books, is an
urgently needed call for justice. It is brave, passionate and
angry, and rightly so. If the book and documentary A Brief History
of Time were influential in making a wider public accept and
celebrate disabled scientists, Prescod-Weinstein's book will
hopefully do the same for people of colour and other marginalized
groups."--Nature Astronomy
"Her book is a tour of particles like quarks and leptons, as well
as the axions that Prescod-Weinstein specializes in, but it also
explores the various structural oppressions that affect who gets to
study and discover them -- and even who gets to name those
discoveries."--CNN
"In this one-of-a-kind book, Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
simultaneously discusses her love of physics while placing that
love in tension with science as a discipline that is deeply marred
by racism...the author shows us that the field of science can do
amazing things, but also, if placed in the wrong hands, can be
deeply damaging to people of color."--Book Riot
"We live in a golden age of science books that artfully escape
their usual bounds -- merging astrophysics with poetry, biology
with philosophy -- and still The Disordered Cosmos stands apart for
its interweaving of history and its righteous argument that we can
do better."--The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Physics and astronomy are often seen as abstract and universal,
but this wide-ranging corrective, by a particle cosmologist,
emphasizes the fact that they are also 'a human, social enterprise,
' shaped by the same racism and sexism that plague society as a
whole."--The New Yorker
"In this eye-opening book Prescod-Weinstein describes her work
studying particle physics, dark matter and cosmology, as well as
how that work is affected by being a 'queer agender Black woman' in
physics. She has faced abuse most of her colleagues have not--told
by advisers she was not smart enough to be a physicist and
subjected to racism and even physical assault from fellow
researchers. Somehow her awe at the cosmos remained intact, and it
illuminates this fascinating tour of the universe, from cosmic
inflation to the physics of melanin."--Scientific American
"Part introduction to quantum mechanics and cosmology, part memoir,
and part sociological study, this work challenges readers to
question the nature of how science is done in contemporary society,
as well as what it means when everyone has a seat at the
cosmological table. 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
"Both scientist and humanist, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein integrates
her personal experience as a Black woman growing up in an America
filled with social injustice with her quest to understand the
cosmos. For me, she embodies Star Trek: The Next Generation."
--Gates McFadden, actress and director
"This kind of science book is all too rare, and all too
necessary."
--Clifford Johnson, author of The Dialogues: Conversations about
the Nature of the Universe
"A resonant paean to the beauties of the cosmos and a persuasive
appeal for solutions to injustices in science."--Publishers Weekly
(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)
"A groundbreaking work of science and art--a clarion call to think
rigorously, to question fearlessly, to challenge what we've long
been told and reimagine what could exist in our search to better
understand ourselves and our universe."
--Nicole Chung, author of All You Can Ever Know
"A rethinking of what time, space and matter mean when we
understand the systems of oppression and exploitation that
structure our realities. We've never more needed a map of the stars
to guide us, and Chanda gives us a great big new one in this
book."
--Kaitlyn Greenidge, author of We Love You, Charlie Freeman
"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
"Eye-opening, provocative, and ultimately inspiring: if we can
grasp the enormity of the cosmos, surely we can look within
ourselves and try to be better to each other."
--Sean Carroll, author of Something Deeply Hidden: Quantum Worlds
and the Emergence of Spacetime
"Imagine if someone could make you fall in love not only with the
nighttime sky not only as a thing of beauty but as a matter of
matter, the stuff of our existence seen and unseen. Imagine a
physics professor who could assure you that the world and its
wonder belongs to all of us, Black women included. That is what you
have in Chanda Prescod-Weinstein's The Disordered Cosmos. Her
writing is beautiful and clear, her ideas are expansive, honest and
precise. You will feel yourself grow inside this book. Finally,
this is the decolonized science we have yearned for, a gift from a
rare intellectual who fights for freedom on every page and inside
every theory."
--Imani Perry, author of Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and
Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry
"This book will change the way you think about the universe, and
about the how, why, and whom of academic culture."
--Katie Mack, author of The End of Everything
"Afrofuturists seeking a deeper grounding in sciences beyond
Earth's terrain will enjoy this well-crafted book that centers both
Black Lives and space theory in a quest to understand the
universe."--Ytasha L. Womack, author of Afrofuturism: The World of
Black Sci Fi & Fantasy Culture
"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
"In this powerful and compelling book, Prescod-Weinstein lays it
out patently: Racist and sexist policies and behaviors are rampant
across all scientific disciplines...From the hunt for dark matter
(her area of expertise) to the often fraught relationship among
Indigenous peoples, their lands, and high-tech experiments,
Prescod-Weinstein's deep dives into complex subjects are accessible
and exhilarating... A timely, necessary, stellar book--a
game-changer."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"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
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