One of the themes in my writing for young readers has been that a scientist’s achievements flow from the richness of his or her life, that s/he is more than his/her discoveries. So I share this obituary of Jim Elliot, who was planetary astronomer Heidi Hammel’s mentor. I never met him, but his kindness was apparent through e-mails exchanged during and after my writing of Heidi’s biography in the Women’s Adventures in Science series.
Other books where I address that theme are
To the Young Scientist: Reflections on Doing and Living Science (Franklin Watts, 1997)
and
Dr. Fred’s Weather Watch: Create and Run Your Own Weather Station (McGraw-Hill, 2000), which was based on a state second-prize-winning science fair project by collaborator J. Marshall Shepherd, Ph.D.
If our reporting has informed or inspired you, please consider making a donation. Every contribution, no matter the size, empowers us to continue delivering accurate, engaging, and trustworthy science and medical news. Independent journalism requires time, effort, and resources—your support ensures we can keep uncovering the stories that matter most to you.
Join us in making knowledge accessible and impactful. Thank you for standing with us!