Jedidah Isler: The Untapped Genius That Could Change Science for the Better | TED

Prevodilac: Milenka Okuka Lektor: Mile Živković

Great things happen at intersections.

Velike stvari se dešavaju na presecima.

In fact, I would argue that some of the most interesting things

Zapravo, tvrdim da se neka od najzanimljivijih

of the human experience occur at the intersections,

ljudskih iskustava dešavaju na presecima,

in the liminal space,

na liminalnom prostoru,

where by liminal I mean the space in-between.

gde pod liminalnim podrazumevam međuprostor.

There's freedom in that in-between,

U tom međuprostoru je sloboda,

freedom to create from the indefiniteness of not-quite-here, not-quite-there,

sloboda da se stvara iz neodređenosti iz postojanja ni tamo ni ovamo,

a new self-definition.

novog samoodređenja.

Some of the great intersections of the world come to mind,

Padaju mi na pamet neki od najvećih svetskih preseka,

like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris,

poput Trijumfalne kapije u Parizu

or Times Square in New York City,

ili Tajms skvera u Njujorku,

both bustling with the excitement of a seemingly endless stream of people.

oba su ispunjena uzbuđenom vrevom, kako se čini beskrajne bujice ljudi.

Other intersections,

Drugi preseci,

like the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama,

poput mosta Edmunda Petusa u Selmi, u Alabami

or Canfield Drive and Copper Creek Court in Ferguson, Missouri, also come to mind

ili Kenfild Drajva i Koper Krik Korta u Fergusonu u Misuriju, takođe

because of the tremendous energy at the intersection of human beings,

zbog ogromne energije na raskršću ljudskih bića,

ideologies and the ongoing struggle for justice.

ideologija i stalnih borbi za pravdu.

Beyond the physical landscape of our planet,

Mimo fizičkog pejzaža naše planete,

some of the most famous celestial images are of intersections.

neki od najpoznatijih zvezdanih prizora su preseci.

Stars are born at the messy intersection of gas and dust,

Zvezde se rađaju u haotičnom preseku gasa i prašine,

instigated by gravity's irrevocable pull.

koje podstiče neopoziva privlačnost gravitacije.

Stars die by this same intersection, this time flung outward

Zvezde umiru zbog istih ovih preseka, ovaj put hitnutih ka spolja

in a violent collision of smaller atoms,

u nasilnom sudaru manjih atoma,

intersecting and efficiently fusing into altogether new and heavier things.

koji se presecaju i efikasno spajaju u nove i sveukupno teže stvari.

We can all think of intersections that have special meaning to us.

Svi možemo da se setimo preseka koji imaju posebno značenje za nas.

To be intersectional, then,

Biti presečan, onda,

is to occupy a position at an intersection.

znači zauzimati mesto na preseku.

I've lived the entirety of my life in the in-between,

Živela sam čitav svoj život u međuprostoru,

in the liminal space between dreams and reality,

u liminalnom prostoru između snova i stvarnosti,

race and gender,

rase i roda,

poverty and plenty,

siromaštva i obilja,

science and society.

nauke i društva.

I am both black and a woman.

Ja sam i crnkinja i žena.

Like the birth of stars in the heavenlies,

Poput rođenja zvezda na nebesima,

this robust combination of knowing results in a shining example

ova moćna kombinacija znanja za posledicu ima blistav primer

of the explosive fusion of identities.

eksplozivnog stapanja identiteta.

I am also an astrophysicist.

Takođe sam astrofizičarka.

I study blazars, supermassive, hyperactive black holes

Izučavam blazare, supermasivne, hiperaktivne crne rupe

that sit at the centers of massive galaxies

koje se nalaze u središtima masivnih galaksija

and shoot out jets nearby those black holes

i izbacuju mlazove u blizini tih crnih rupa

at speeds approaching the speed of light

pri brzinama koje se približavaju brzini svetlosti

in a process we are still trying to completely understand.

u procesu koji još uvek pokušavamo da u potpunosti shvatimo.

I have dreamed of becoming an astrophysicist

Sanjala sam da ću da postanem astrofizičarka

since I was 12 years old.

od svoje 12 godine.

I had no idea that at that time,

Nisam imala pojma tada,

according to Dr. Jamie Alexander's archive of African-American women in physics,

prema arhivi dr Džejmija Aleksandera o afro-američkim ženama u fizici,

only 18 black women in the United States had ever earned a PhD

da je samo 18 crnkinja u SAD-u ikada doktoriralo

in a physics-related discipline,

iz neke oblasti fizike

and that the first black woman to graduate with a PhD in an astronomy-related field

i da je prva crnkinja koja je doktorirala iz oblasti astronomije,

did so just one year before my birth.

to učinila godinu pre mog rođenja.

As I journeyed along my path,

Na svojoj životnoj stazi

I encountered the best and worst of life at an intersection:

nailazila sam na najbolje i najgore životne pojave na preseku:

the tremendous opportunity to self-define,

ogromna prilika za samoodređenje,

the collision of expectation and experience,

sudar isščekivanja i iskustva,

the exhilaration of victorious breakthroughs

stimulans pobedonosnog probijanja

and, sometimes,

i, ponekad,

the explosive pain of regeneration.

eksplozivan bol obnavljanja.

I began my college experience just after my family had fallen apart.

Moje fakultetsko iskustvo je počelo nedugo nakon što mi se porodica raspala.

Our financial situation disintegrated

Naša finansijska situacija se osula,

just after my father's departure from our lives.

čim je moj otac otišao iz naših života.

This thrust my mother, my sister and I

Ovo je odgurnulo moju majku, sestre i mene

out of the relative comfort of middle-class life

van relativnog komfora, koji nudi život u srednjem staležu,

and into the almost constant struggle to make ends meet.

u skoro svakidašnju borbu spajanja kraja s krajem.

Thus, I was one of roughly 60 percent of women of color

Tako sam postala jedna od otprilike 60% obojenih žena

who find finances to be a major barrier to their educational goals.

kojima su finansije glavna prepreka za obrazovne ciljeve.

Thankfully, Norfolk State University provided me with full funding,

Na sreću, državni Univerzitet Nortfolk mi je obezbedio punu stipendiju

and I was able to achieve my bachelor's in physics.

i mogla sam da steknem zvanje bečelora iz fizike.

After graduation, and despite knowing that I wanted a PhD in astrophysics,

Nakon diplomiranja i, uprkos tome što sam znala da želim doktorat iz astrofizike,

I fell through the cracks.

propala sam kroz rupe u sistemu.

It was a poster that saved my dream,

Jedan poster je spasio moj san,

and some really incredible people and programs.

kao i neki zaista neverovatni ljudi i programi.

The American Physical Society had this beautiful poster

Američko udruženje fizičara je imalo prelep poster

encouraging students of color to become physicists.

koji je ohrabrivao obojene đake da postanu fizičari.

It was striking to me because it featured a young black girl,

Bio mi je upečatljiv jer se na njemu nalazila mlada crnkinja,

probably around 12 years old,

verovatno stara oko 12 godina,

looking studiously at some physics equations.

kako studiozno gleda u neke jednačine iz fizike.

I remember thinking

Sećam se da sam pomislila

I was looking directly back at the little girl

kako gledam direktno u devojčicu

who first dared to dream this dream.

koja se prva usudila da sanja ovaj san.

I immediately wrote to the Society

Istog momenta sam pisala Udruženju

and requested my personal copy of the poster,

i zahtevala svoj lični primerak postera,

which to this day still hangs in my office.

koja mi i dan danas visi u kancelariji.

I described to them in the email my educational path,

Opisala sam im u mejlu moj obrazovni put

and my desire to find myself again in pursuit of the PhD.

i moju želju da se ponovo zateknem u potrazi za doktoratom.

They directed me to the Fisk-Vanderbilt University Bridge Program,

Uputili su me na Fisk-Vanderbiltov fakultetski program Bridž,

itself an intersection of the master's and PhD degrees

koji je i sam bio presek master i doktorskih studija

at two institutions.

na dve institucije.

After two years out of school, they accepted me into the program,

Nakon dve godine provedene van škole, primili su me u program

and I found myself again on the path to the PhD.

i ponovo sam se zatekla na putu ka doktoratu.

After receiving my master's at Fisk,

Nakon što sam završila master na Fisku,

I went on to Yale to complete my PhD.

otišla sam na Jejl da završim doktorske.

Once I was physically occupying the space that would ultimately give way

Čim sam fizički zauzimala prostor koji će mi konačno prokrčiti put

to my childhood aspirations,

do mojih dečjih težnji,

I anticipated a smooth glide to the PhD.

očekivala sam mirnu plovidbu do doktorata.

(Laughter)

(Smeh)

It became immediately apparent

Odmah je postalo jasno

that not everyone was thrilled to have that degree of liminality

da nisu svi oduševljeni tolikim stepenom liminalnosti

in their space.

u svom prostoru.

I was ostracized by many of my classmates,

Bila sam izopštena od strane mnogih mojih kolega,

one of whom went so far as to invite me to "do what I really came here to do"

jedna je čak otišla dotle da me je pozvala da "radim što sam zaista došla da radim"

as he pushed all the dirty dishes from our meal in front of me to clean up.

dok je gurala sve prljavo posuđe od našeg obroka pred mene da počistim.

I wish that were an isolated occurrence,

Volela bih da je to izolovan slučaj,

but for many women of color

ali za mnoge obojene žene

in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM,

u nauci, tehnologiji, inženjeringu i matematici iliti STEM-u,

this is something they have long endured.

ovo je nešto kroz šta odavno prolaze.

One hundred percent of the 60 women of color

Sto posto od 60 obojenih žena,

interviewed in a recent study by Joan C. Williams at UC Hastings

intervjuisanih u skorašnjem istraživanju Džoane K. Vilijams sa Hejstingsa

reported facing racialized gender bias,

je prijavilo da se suočava s rasno-rodnim predrasudama,

including being mistaken for the janitorial staff.

kao i da ih mešaju s pomoćnim osobljem.

This mistaken identity was not reported

Ovu zamenu identiteta nije prijavila

by any of the white women interviewed for this study,

nijedna belkinja koju su intervjuisali u istraživanju,

which comprised 557 women in total.

koje je uključilo ukupno 557 žena.

While there is nothing inherently wrong with a janitorial position,

Iako nema ništa suštinski loše u tome da ste član pomoćnog osoblja,

and in fact my forefathers and foremothers were able to attend college

i zapravo su moji preci bili u mogućnosti da pohađaju fakultete

because many of their parents worked these jobs,

jer su mnogi njihovi roditelji radili te poslove,

it was a clear attempt to put me in my place.

bio je to jasan pokušaj da me stave na moje mesto.

While there was certainly the acute pain of the encounter,

Iako mi je ovaj susret uzrokovao akutni bol,

the real issue is that my appearance

pravi problem je bio u tome što moja pojava

can tell anyone anything about my ability.

može da govori bilo šta o mojim sposbnostima.

Beyond that, though, it underscores

Mimo toga, pak, to podcrtava

that the women of color in STEM do not experience the same set of barriers

da obojene žene u STEM-u nisu suočene sa istim nizom prepreka

that just women or just people of color face.

s kojim su suočene samo žene ili samo obojeni ljudi.

That's why today I want to highlight women of color in STEM,

Zato danas želim da istaknem obojene žene u STEM-u,

who are inexorably, unapologetically

koje neumoljivo i bez pardona

living as the inseparable sum of identities.

žive neodvojive zbirove identiteta.

STEM itself is an intersectional term,

Sam STEM je termin ukrštanja,

such that its true richness cannot be appreciated

takav da njegovo istinsko bogatstvo ne može da se ceni

without considering the liminal space between disciplines.

bez uzimanja u obzir liminalnog prostora među disciplinama.

Science, the pursuit of understanding the physical world

Nauka, pohod na razumevanje fizičkog sveta

by way of chemistry, physics, biology,

posredstvom hemije, fizike, biologije,

cannot be accomplished in the absence of mathematics.

ne može da se ostvari bez prisustva matematike.

Engineering requires the application of basic science and math

Inženjering zahteva primenu osnova iz nauke i matematike

to the lived experience.

u praksi.

Technology sits firmly on the foundation of math,

Tehnologija čvrsto stoji na temelju matematike,

engineering and science.

inženjeringa i nauke.

Math itself serves the critical role of Rosetta Stone,

Matematika sama je odigrala ključnu ulogu kod kamena iz Rozete,

decoding and encoding the physical principles of the world.

u dekodiranju i kodiranju fizičkih principa sveta.

STEM is utterly incomplete without each individual piece.

STEM je krajnje nepotpun bez bilo kog pojedinačnog dela.

This is to say nothing of the enrichment that is realized

Da ne govorim o bogatstvu koje se postiže

when STEM is combined with other disciplines.

kada se STEM kombinuje s drugim disciplinama.

The purpose for this talk is twofold:

Svrha ovog govora je dvostruka:

first, to say directly to every black, Latina, indigenous, First Nation

prva je da se direktno obratim svakoj crnkinji,

latino-amerikanki, urođenici, devojci iz prvog sveta

or any other woman or girl

ili bilo kojoj drugoj devojci

who finds herself resting at the blessed intersection

koja se zatekne na blaženom preseku

of race and gender,

rase i roda,

that you can be anything you want to be.

da im kažem da mogu da budu sve što požele.

My personal hope is that you'll become an astrophysicist,

Ja se lično nadam da ćete postati astrofizičarke,

but beyond that, anything you want.

ali mimo toga, šta god poželite.

Do not think for one minute

Nemojte ni na tren da pomislite

that because you are who you are,

da zato što ste to što jeste,

you cannot be who you imagine yourself to be.

ne možete da budete ono što zamišljate da možete da budete.

Hold fast to those dreams

Čvrsto se držite tih snova

and let them carry you into a world you can't even imagine.

i pustite ih da vas nose u svet koji ne možete ni da zamislite.

Secondly, among the most pressing issues of our time,

Pod dva, jedno od gorućih pitanja našeg doba:

most now find their intersection with STEM.

mnogi danas pronalaze svoj presek sa STEM-om.

We have as a global society solved

Na globalnom planu smo rešili

most of the single-faceted issues of our time.

većinu jednostranih problema našeg doba.

Those that remain require a thorough investigation

Oni koji su preostali zahtevaju temeljno ispitivanje

of the liminal space between disciplines

liminalnog prostora među disciplinama

to create the multifaceted solutions of tomorrow.

kako bismo stvorili svestrana rešenja sutrašnjice.

Who better to solve these liminal problems

Ko može bolje da reši ove liminalne probleme

than those who have faced their whole lives at the intersections.

od onih koji su čitav život suočeni sa presecima.

We as thought leaders and decision makers

Mi koji smo obrazovani da budemo vođe i donosioci odluka,

must push past the first steps of diversity

moramo da poguramo prve korake raznolikosti

and into the richer and more robust territory

do bogatije i moćnije teritorije

of full inclusion and equal opportunity.

potpune uključenosti i jednakih šansi.

One of my favorite examples of liminal excellence

Jedan od mojih omiljenih primera liminalne izvrsnosti

comes from the late Dr. Claudia Alexander,

dolazi od pokojne dr Klaudije Aleksander,

a black woman plasma physicist,

crnkinje i fizičarke plazme,

who passed away this past July after a 10-year bout with breast cancer.

koja je umrla prošlog jula, nakon 10-ogodišnje borbe s rakom grudi.

She was a NASA project scientist who spearheaded the NASA side

Bila je projektni naučnik u NASA-i i predvodila je NASA-in deo

of the Rosetta mission,

misije "Rozeta",

which became famous this year for landing a rover on a comet,

koja se proslavila ove godine jer su spustili rover na kometu,

and the 1.5 billion dollar Galileo mission to Jupiter,

kao i misijom "Galileo" do Jupitera, vrednom 1,5 milijardi dolara,

two high-profile scientific victories

dve visokoprofilne naučne pobede

for NASA, the United States and the world.

za NASA-u, SAD i svet.

Dr. Alexander said it this way:

Dr Aleksander je to ovako sročila:

"I'm used to walking between two cultures.

"Navikla sam da se krećem između dve kulture.

For me, it's among the purposes of my life

Za mene je to jedan vid smisla mog postojanja,

to take us from states of ignorance to states of understanding

da nas vodim iz stanja neznanja do stanja razumevanja

with bold exploration that you can't do every day."

odvažnim istraživanjem koje ne možete da radite svakodnevno."

This shows exactly the power of a liminal person.

Ovo upravo pokazuje snagu liminalne ličnosti.

She had the technical ability to spearhead

Imala je tehničke mogućnosti da predvodi

some of the most ambitious space missions of our time,

neke od najambicioznijih svemirskih misija našeg doba

and she perfectly understood her place

i savršeno je razumela svoje mesto

of being exactly who she was in any place she was.

i bila je ono što jeste, na bilo kom mestu da se nalazila.

Jessica Matthews, inventor of the SOCCKET line of sports products,

Džesika Metjuz, izumiteljka linije sportskih proizvoda SOCCKET,

like soccer balls, that generate renewable energy as you play with them,

poput lopti za fudbal koje proizvode obnovljivu energiju dok se igrate njima,

said it this way:

sročila je to ovako:

"A major part of invention isn't just creating things,

"Glavni deo kod izuma nije puko stvaranje stvari,

it's understanding people

već razmuevanje ljudi

and understanding the systems that make this world."

i razumevanje sistema od kojih se sastoji ovaj svet."

The reason I tell my story

Razlog zašto pričam svoju priču

and the story of Dr. Alexander and Jessica Matthews

i priču dr Aleksander i Džesike Metjuz

is because they are fundamentally intersectional stories,

je zato što su to priče čije su srži na preseku,

the stories of lives lived at the nexus of race, gender and innovation.

priče o životima proživljenim na sponama rase, roda i inovacije.

Despite implicit and explicit questions of my right to be in an elite space,

Uprkos implicitnim i eksplicitnim

pitanjima o mom pravu da budem na elitnom mestu,

I'm proud to report that when I graduated,

s ponosom vas obaveštavam da kada sam doktorirala,

I was the first black woman to earn a PhD in astrophysics

bila sam prva crnkinja koja je stekla zvanje doktora iz astrofizike

in Yale's then 312-year history.

u istoriji Jejla, tada dugoj 312 godina.

(Applause)

(Aplauz)

I am now part of a small but growing cadre of women of color in STEM

Trenutno sam deo malog, ali rastućeg kadra obojenih žena u STEM-u

who are poised to bring new perspectives and new ideas to life

koje su spremne da donesu nova gledišta i nove životne zaimisli

on the most pressing issues of our time:

o gorućim pitanjima našeg doba:

things like educational inequities,

poput nejednakosti u obrazovanju,

police brutality, HIV/AIDS, climate change, genetic editing,

policijske brutalnosti, HIV/AIDS-a, klimatskih promena, genetske obrade,

artificial intelligence and Mars exploration.

veštačke inteligencije i istraživanja Marsa.

This is to say nothing of the things we haven't even thought of yet.

A tek stvari na koje još ni ne pomišljamo.

Women of color in STEM occupy some of the toughest

Obojene žene u STEM-u se bave nekim od najtežih

and most exciting sociotechnological issues of our time.

i najuzbudljivijh socio-tehnoloških pitanja našeg doba.

Thus, we are uniquely positioned

Samim tim smo na jedinstvenom položaju

to contribute to and drive these conversations

da doprinesemo i da usmeravamo ove razgovore

in ways that are more inclusive of a wider variety of lived experience.

na načine koji su više inkluzivni, kad je u pitanju širi spektar iskustava.

This outlook can be expanded to the many intersectional people

Ova perspektiva može da se proširi na mnoge ljude na preseku,

whose experiences, positive and negative,

čija iskustva, pozitivna i negativna,

enrich the conversations in ways that outmatch

obogaćuju razgovore na načine koji nadmašuju

even the best-resourced homogenous groups.

čak i homogene grupe sa najboljim resursima.

This is not a request born out of a desire to fit in.

Ovo nije zahtev nastao iz želje da se ukolpim.

It's a reminder that we cannot get to the best possible outcomes

Ovo je podsetnik da ne možemo da dobijemo najbolje rezultate

for the totality of humanity

za sveukupno čovečanstvo

without precisely this collaboration,

bez upravo ove saradnje,

this bringing together of the liminal,

ovog pridruživanja liminalnog,

the differently lived, distinctly experienced

sa drugačijim životom, različitim iskustvom

and disparately impacted.

i različitim uticajima.

Simply put, we cannot be the most excellent expression

Jednostavno rečeno, ne možemo biti najizvrsniji izrazi

of our collective genius

naše kolektivne genijalnosti

without the full measure of humanity brought to bear.

bez uzimanja u obzir sveukupnog čovečanstva.

Thank you.

Hvala vam.

(Applause)

(Aplauz)