Chanda Prescod-Weinstein - The Disordered Cosmos

I had fully anticipated being delighted by Chanda Prescod-Weinsteins mastery of the math and science behind existence; she is, after all, enormously brilliant. What I had not expected, though, was to be so moved by how these subjects are raced, gendered, sexed, and politicized in ways that might have prevented a scholar like Prescod-Weinstein, or any marginalized person in existence, from sharing her testimony. And what a cosmic testimony it is! It glitters like night and reveals like day. It is mathematical equation in the tenor of reverence; a science-sermon to the Black, the queer, the trans, the disabled, and all others who seek to be as free as the cosmos allows. Through her lens, I have permission to see the universe in a way that feels intuitive, if not altogether permissible. That is to say that The Disordered Cosmos revealed to me that there is, in fact, plenty room in the universe for those who, on Earth, are forced to shrink themselves down and fold themselves up. Rejoice! For we have the space.

Robert Jones, Jr., author of The Prophets

Breathtakingly expansive and intimate, Disordered Cosmos guides us to the farthest reaches of the universe so that we may finally face ourselvesour assumptions, uncertainties, and aspirations. In these pages, scientific curiosity and criticality collide, as Chanda Prescod-Weinstein demonstrates a profound truth: loving and idolizing science are not the same.

She is a griot of the universe and her powerful storytelling reveals why the language of diversity and inclusion falls short in confronting white supremacist and colonial practices in the sciences. Whether you geek out over particle physics, dark matter, and quantum gravity, or you get fired up by the deep injustices in our educational system that squash many peoples ability to geek out in the first place, this book will reignite your commitment to creating a world in which we all have the spacetime to think and dream.

Ruha Benjamin, author of Race After Technology

There are very few books that will ignite the finest poets, memoirists, scientists, novelists, and folks who love reading. The Disordered Cosmos does all that, but whats most otherworldly is that its a book that families in this world must read. It will change how we talk, think, communicate, and, most of all, imagine.

Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy: An American Memoir

The Disordered Cosmos is a moving and eye-opening account of both what is deeply wrong with the wayand by whomphysics has been done, and also what is so inspiring about doing it. Professor Prescod-Weinstein invites the reader to share her wonder and passion for the study of the universe through the intensely personal experience of her successful career despite being multiply marginalized in an egregiously white and male-dominated field. Refusing to be confined to the margins, Prescod-Weinstein both does, and calls for, a deep investigation of how science is done, who does it, and why.

Anthony Aguirre, author of Cosmological Koans: A Journey to the Heart of Physics

As we enter a new decade, it has never been more clear that we need new origin stories to understand the cruel, beautiful, giving world we currently inhabit. Chanda Prescod-Weinsteins The Disordered Cosmos is just thata rethinking of what time, space, and matter mean when we understand the systems of oppression and exploitation that structure our realities. This book brilliantly blends personal reflection, social analysis, and scientific theory to create new spaces for dreaming, new ways to understand who we are. Weve never more needed a map of the stars to guide us, and Chanda gives us a great big new one in this book.

Kaitlyn Greenidge, author of We Love You, Charlie Freeman

Expansive, lucid, and beautifully written, The Disordered Cosmos is a groundbreaking work of science and arta clarion call to think rigorously, to question fearlessly, to challenge what weve long been told, and reimagine what could exist in our search to better understand ourselves and our universe. Through the generous sharing of truths, we can verify and possibilities weve only begun to dream, this book will resonate with and inspire so many readers, scientists, and non-scientists alike.

Nicole Chung, author of All You Can Ever Know

Disordered Cosmos is the book I wish Id read in college. As I read this work, I thought of so many people of color Ive met who think on theoretical physics, quantum physics, and astrobiology as they seek to deconstruct their own relationship to space/time but rarely see their life stories weaved into the narrative. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein writes with these curious philosophers in mind. She adeptly writes about the intersections of identity and space science, while acknowledging the complicated history between race and science as she dissects the frameworks for understanding the evolution of theory on the ever-expanding universe. Afrofuturists seeking a deeper grounding in sciences that stretch beyond Earths terrain will enjoy this well-crafted book that both centers Black Lives and space theory in a quest to understand the universe.