In this interview, I talk to Dr. Ainissa Ramirez about her new book, The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another (MIT Press, 2020)

Dr. Ramirez examines eight inventions―clocks, steel rails, copper communication cables, photographic film, light bulbs, hard disks, scientific labware, and silicon chips―and reveals how they shaped the human experience. These fascinating and inspiring stories offer new perspectives on our relationships with technologies.

Ainissa Ramirez, Ph.D. is an award-winning scientist and science communicator

Najarian Peters is a new associate professor of law at the University of Kansas and a Faculty Fellow at the Berkman Klein Institute at Harvard University. Her research interests and teaching areas focus on privacy and emerging technology. Email her at: [email protected], [email protected]