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

“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.

“‘The reason why we don’t fall through the floor, the reason why my sweater is blue, and the reason why the lights work is because of the way that atoms interact with each other,’ said Professor L. Ben Freund. ‘And if you can find out how they do that, you can also change the way that atoms act to make them do new things.’” 

Professor Freund rekindled Ramirez’s interest in the sciences. Before taking his course at Brown, Ramirez suffered through dry science classes that left her questioning her chosen career path. Freund’s course was life-changing for her because it introduced her to materials science. His words made her look at the world in a new light. She came to understand the role of atoms in objects she used every day, such as pencils, eyeglasses, and rubber-soled shoes.

“After both the glass and I cooled off, I had a moment to contemplate what had happened and an idea came to me. I shaped the glass, and the glass was shaping me.” 

This passage explains how Ramirez arrived at the premise of her book. A mishap during a glassblowing class alerted her to the two-way relationship between people and materials. Ramirez arrived at her class in a bad mood. In a moment of distraction, she left the vase she was working on in the furnace too long. The vase fell on the floor, but it was not lost. Rather, Ramirez’s teacher salvaged it and transformed it into something unintended but beautiful. At the end of the class, Ramirez realized that glassblowing provided a distraction that changed her mood. Most scientists focus on how people shape materials to arrive at new inventions. By contrast, Ramirez considers the impact materials can have on individuals and society.

“Timekeeping is ever present in our society. One question that comes to mind is ‘does timekeeping affect the brain?’” 

Ramirez’s book addresses the inadvertent effects of inventions on the human body. Advances in timekeeping affected many facets of daily life, compelling people to work, eat, and sleep during specific times of the day. Although accurate timekeeping increases worker productivity, it may also impact the brain. Studies suggest that the brain gets cues about time from its environment. Strict approaches to timekeeping alter the brain’s internal clock, which may contribute to sleep disorders.

“Together with Arnold, Ruth provided the time, but in the end she had a limited supply of it.” 

The Alchemy of US differs from most popular science books in that it tells the personal stories of inventors. Chapter 1 opens and closes with the story of Ruth Belville, who made a living selling time with her highly accurate pocket watch, Arnold. Ramirez’s emphasis on context draws in non-specialists, as does her accessible and engaging writing style. This quote, the last of the chapter, relates to Belville’s death from asphyxiation. Belville died accidentally after leaving the gas lamp on her nightstand on a low setting. Carbon monoxide leaked from the lamp, killing Belville in her sleep. 

“Like many brilliant people, Bessemer was a study in contradiction: He was at times engaging, but at other times explosive. He was stubborn but spontaneous, generous but overbearing. He was talkative, but he preferred solitude with his machines. Even his physique presented a paradox: his chest was stout, but his legs were lanky.” 

Ramirez does not idealize inventors. Rather, she discusses their shortcomings as well as their talents. This approach allows readers to see themselves in her book. Bessemer invented steel, a material that had a profound impact on society. As this passage illustrates, however, Bessemer was not perfect but an individual with physical and character flaws. 

“With the steel rails, the nature of commerce itself was altered.” 

The Alchemy of Us highlights the unintended outcomes of inventions. Steel railways not only connected people as never before but also altered the nature of commerce. Before trains connected various parts of the country, shops had to stockpile goods, so they were susceptible to theft and damage. Railroads allowed stores to replenish their stocks every few weeks, which helped store owners operate more easily with less inventory and thus reduce their risk. Railways also changed the nature of small business. Before railroads, commerce on the western frontier was seasonal. Sales were steady in the summer but tapered in the winter when canals and rivers froze and prevented products from reaching stores. Railways divorced travel from winter freezes, thereby allowing a steady stream of goods to reach even the most distant towns.

“The Christmas we know was born in a boardroom, swaddled in steel.” 

Ramirez posits unexpected connections between science and culture. In Chapter 2, she argues that the invention of steel and its application in railways led to the commercialization of Christmas. The growth of rail lines in the 19th century allowed businesses to ship goods to all parts of the country. Intent on stimulating the economy, businesses sold trees and cards during the winter holiday. Gift-giving and receiving eventually became the norm during Christmas. Railways and businesses not only created Christmas as we know it but also promoted a key aspect of American culture: shopping.

“Morse’s instrument resembled the equipment in a playground.” 

Ramirez appeals to a broad audience by steering clear of overly technical explanations. Instead, she compares unfamiliar inventions to familiar objects. In this quote, she likens Morse’s telegraph to playground equipment. The comparison helps a wide range of readers envision an invention they might never encounter. 

“The telegraph was an engineering wonder, providing information with dispatches of lightning, but soon the telegraph became part of the social fabric of the nation, weaving it together.” 

Ramirez underscores the social impact of scientific inventions rather than focusing on technical details. This passage draws attention to the changes that the telegraph brought to sharing information. The telegraph not only allowed news to travel across the country instantly but also marked the start of a new national habit: the mass consumption of information.

“The news editors hungered for lean language, and Hemingway served up skinny sentences.” 

This quote refers to the impact of the telegraph on American English. The telegraph made the short, simple report standard in newspapers across the US. This approach impacted American literature and speech. Hemingway wrote for the Kansas City Star in his youth. During this period, he gained access to the Star Copy Style sheet, which laid out stylistic rules for reporters. These rules influenced Hemingway’s works of fiction, which in turn influenced other American writers and American speech. 

“Stanford needed a picture and wanted Muybridge to get it for him.” 

Ramirez’s contextual approach to materials science draws attention to unexpected influences on technology. Stanford wanted a picture of his fastest horse to prove his theory that when a horse ran, it had moments of unsupported transit, when all four hooves were off the ground. Muybridge set out to capture this moment, which led to advances in photography. Muybridge eventually became famous for his photographic studies of motion.

“Unbeknownst to the good Father Goodwin, he inadvertently entered into a chess match with one of the largest monopolies in the world.” 

One of the strengths of Ramirez’s book is that it foregrounds inventors who have not gotten their due. Kodak is a household name in the field of photographic film. By contrast, few people have heard of Father Goodwin. As Ramirez explains, Goodwin invented the plastic film roll two years before George Eastman of Kodak, but a lengthy patent fight nearly bankrupted the pastor, prevented him from profiting from his invention, and nearly erased him from the history books. 

“After the Supreme Court desegregated schools with the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954, the color photo of schoolmates sitting elbow-to-elbow didn’t capture black and white children equally.” 

This quote is about institutional racism. Kodak developed color film with white people in mind. Their film was not designed for dark hues, such as dark skin tones. Therefore, early color photographs were unable to capture the facial features of Black people. Only after chocolate and furniture companies complained did Kodak alter its formula to represent various shades of brown.  

“As Edison departed, he turned to Wallace and gave him a hearty, almost-congratulatory handshake. Then, Edison uttered something that struck Wallace like lightning. ‘Wallace, I believe I can beat you making the electric light.’” 

Ramirez writes about little-known inventors such as Wallace. Most science and technology books focus solely on famous inventors—specifically, white men like Edison. Ramirez’s inclusive approach allows readers from a variety of backgrounds, including women and minorities, to connect with the material. As a Black woman, Ramirez understands the importance of representation. One of her goals with The Alchemy of Us is to help diversify the sciences. 

“In our modern era, with bright lights, we lost an ancient companion along the way—the dark.”

The Alchemy of US addresses the effects of inventions on society, including their unintended impact. The invention of artificial light had unexpected consequences for human health. The body rests and heals itself at night. Humans experience too much of the wrong kind of light during the wrong part of the day, which researchers have linked to various ailments, including cancer.  

“Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, with its iconic first notes that rip open the silence of space, was also accompanied by Senegalese percussion, Azerbaijani flutes, Navajo chants, Melanesian panpipes, and African-American jazz.” 

This passage is about the importance of diversity. NASA launched two space probes in 1977, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. Both probes carried the Golden Record, which contained sounds and images portraying the diversity of life and culture on Earth, including music. The original musical selections for the Golden Record reflected the tastes of senior members of the Voyager Record Committee, namely, classical pieces. Younger members, as well as anthropologists, suggested that the record should include a wide range of musical genres from across the planet. The committee ultimately heeded this advice and produced a record that more accurately reflected music on earth.

“Speech has become immortal.” 

Before the invention of the phonograph, people could enjoy music only during live performances. The phonograph allowed sound to be recorded for the first time—and thereby transformed the ephemeral into something permanent. 

“With Edison’s phonograph, music became the data to be collected, but with today’s technology, humans are now the data.” 

The phonograph and, later, the cassette tape allowed sound to be recorded and broadly disseminated. Both inventions collected data in the form of music. Digitization reversed the relationship between music and people. Media services, such as Spotify, gather data about listeners. These services track not only which song a listener chooses, but also how long the song is played and how often. They also amass data about where the listener is, when they listen to music, and who is around them. These businesses then share the data they collect with other businesses, agencies, and advertisers. As Ramirez observes, humans have become data.

“Glass is an ancient material with opposing traits. It can be strong like a car windshield or fragile like a Christmas ornament.” 

Ramirez excels at explaining the different properties of materials in clear, non-technical terms. This quote, which conveys the strength and delicacy of glass, opens her discussion of innovations in glassware and their impact on society. Glass originates from beach sand and has a long history. Ancient Egyptians used glass to make delicate vessels and ornaments. Developments in glass have made it a versatile material, allowing for its use in railway lights, heat-resistant bakeware, and scientific instruments. Today, optical fibers made of glass carry information over the internet. 

“Phineas Gage should have been dead.” 

Ramirez uses anecdotes to engage readers and appeal to non-specialists. Chapter 8 opens with the story of Gage, a man who suffered a brain injury at a construction site in Vermont in 1848. An iron rod pierced Gage’s frontal lobe. Gage survived the accident, but his personality was much altered. Before the accident, Gage was affable, reliable, and clever. Afterwards, he became irascible, erratic, and childlike. Ramirez uses this story to explain how different parts of the brain function. 

“Our gray matter is more complex than a set of switches that swiftly make ‘yes’ and ‘no’ decisions using sophisticated software. Our brains hold the mystery of our genius, our creativity, and our imagination. We are flawed and inefficient, but we are also flexible and intrepid. We do things that seem illogical, but we also innovate. We can create chaos, but we can also create beauty.” 

This quote addresses the inability to map the human brain onto computers. Computer processors were originally based on the human brain, but humans are now growing to resemble computers. Ramirez warns readers about the negative effects of computers on the brain. Computers inundate the brain with information, which weakens the ability to think deeply. In addition, the internet has taken over roles that the brain used to play, such as memory. The internet also impacts knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and creativity. On the one hand, it provides access to vast amounts of information. On the other hand, with its tremendous number of distractions, it hinders the ability to digest information and put it together in new ways. Without training, the brain will lose its ability to understand, think, and create.

“From my experience as a black woman scientist, I often found that my reflection in textbooks was hidden, missing, overshadowed, or cast in a poor light.” 

The Alchemy of Us is an atypical book. Most science writers convey technical information about well-known inventors, most of whom are men of European descent. By contrast, Ramirez amplifies a wide range of voices by including lesser-known inventors, women, and people of color in her narrative. Her personal experiences as a Black woman scientist convinced her of the importance of representation and affected how she approached the material.