The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another

“I loved programs like Star Trek (with Spock), The Bionic Woman, and The Six Million Dollar Man, but the show that solidified my path toward science was a public television show called 3-2-1 Contact. One of the repeating segments had a young African American girl solving problems, and when I saw her using her brain, I saw my reflection.” 

This passage raises a key issue in The Alchemy of Us: representation. Conventional history underrepresents Black women in many fields of study, including the sciences. This lack of representation is apparent in the popular television programs of Ramirez’s youth—except 3-2-1 Contact. One of Ramirez’s goals with The Alchemy of Us is to allow diverse readers to see themselves in her book—and to encourage them to pursue careers in the sciences. To this end, she amplifies the voices of women and minorities, including inventors and people who contributed to scientific developments.

“Science in my childhood was full of fun and wonder. Years later, however, my dreams of becoming a scientist nearly flatlined, as I sat in a science lecture hall with tears welling up in my eyes. The science lectures were far from being any fun or bringing any wonder. In fact, these classes were dry and the lessons were designed to weed out students.” 

Ramirez aims to generate interest in the sciences by filling readers with wonder. Her approach differs from traditional science education, which highlights technical explanations. Ramirez tells stories about inventors and what drove them to innovate in their fields. In addition, she contextualizes inventions by discussing their intended and unintended impact on society. Ramirez suffered through dull science courses in college. These experiences nearly ended her career before it began. After graduating, Ramirez swore never to make students suffer the way she did. The Alchemy of Us is her attempt to fulfill that promise.