Dr. Mae Jemison and Defying Gravity： Women in Space

When I was a little girl growing up, I was really irritated that there were no women astronauts and there were no people of color. I thought, what about if aliens run into this crew? They're gonna think that those are the only people on Earth. I thought it was unreasonable not to have everyone represented. It's critical that Microsoft, NASA, that they're involved in promoting inclusion and diversity. Why? Because who decides which solutions are going to be tested makes a difference in how it affects our world. Today, we're able to get images and ideas around the world much more rapidly. Through mixed reality, building models, being able to share a 3D image of that model to people other places, it helps to foment creativity. We all have wonderful imaginations, so we need to use every perspective we have. And it's incumbent upon organizations with the wherewithal to make sure that they actively include people. One of the important things is understanding what you do with your place at the table once you have it. Thinking about that young girl in Chicago who just knew she was gonna go into space, I would tell her, you have the right idea. Just because there's no one else doing something doesn't mean you can't be the absolute first one. And women have contributed to the development of this world for thousands of generations. And we're gonna continue to chart the course. Welcome to Define Gravity, Women in Space. I'm very thrilled to share with you some of the critical contributions women have made to space exploration, especially the shuttle program. So follow me and let's get started. I hope this experience, hearing about the women who helped to make the shuttle possible and space exploration possible, I hope that story sticks. And don't stand around waiting for someone else to give you permission to do something. You go ahead and you make your way. Doesn't matter about gender, ethnicity or whatever because we need to use all the talent we have available for us to solve the world's problems and to move us forward.