The 'Human Computer' Behind the Moon Landing Was a Black Woman (thedailybeast.com)

Reader bricko writes: The 'Human Computer' Behind the Moon Landing Was a black woman (video). She calculated the trajectory of man's first trip to the moon by hand, and was such an accurate mathematician that John Glenn asked her to double-check NASA's computers. To top it off, she did it all as a black woman in the 1950s and 60s, when women at NASA were not even invited to meetings. And you've probably never heard of her. Meet Katherine Johnson, the African American woman who earned the nickname 'the human computer' at NASA during its space race golden age.

Comments

Re:Necessary?

[Anonymous Coward]

Is it really necessary to bring the racial component into this?

It's necessary for the apologists who are desperate to trot out the one in a million black person who isn't a criminal and who has actually done something worthwhile.

Re:So...

[PopeRatzo]

We have B.E.T. (Black Entertainment Television) on cable tv, but if someone made W.E.T.

Someone did make W.E.T.

It's called "television". It took about half a century before a black face showed up on television who wasn't playing a sport. And the only reason they were allowed in sports is because they were so much better than white players it was starting to get a little embarrassing to keep them out.