Ada Lovelace Interview

Question 1

Amanda - What events in your life inspired you to become a scientist?

Ada Lovelace – Well as a child my mother studied in mathematics. She wanted me to be more widespread like my father so she had me study math and science. I caught on to the concept of them very quickly.

Question 2

Amanda – What role did mentors play in helping you develop talents and skills?

Ada Lovelace – I had multiple tutors when I was younger. My tutors were William Frend, William King and Mary Somerville. They played a huge role in helping me to further to where I am. My mother also encouraged me as I was growing up.

Question 3

Amanda – What knowledge was there when you entered the science field?

Ada Lovelace – When I first started there wasn’t much that anyone had known about science and technology. Everyone before had always said things about what they thought. But as time has gone by we have realized that you have to actually test your idea to know that it is true. We have started testing and experimenting so that we know the things are true and not something that we just came up with out of no where. When I first started computers were just being figured out. We didn’t really know much about them.

Question 4

Amanda – What were some of your major accomplishments?

Ada Lovelace - As a scientist I have furthered my education and others about science and technology. We were able to come up with software that helps the computers be able to function more easily. The software that we scientists as a team have come up with is able to allow people to communicate with others in a short amount of time.

Question 5

Amanda – What were some of your limitations as a scientist?

Ada Lovelace - When I first began science and technology was at its start. There was not much information for us to further our inventions. As a scientist I had to do many experiments to figure out the information that I needed. I went through many experiments that didn’t work. But I looked at them as furthering my education about computers. This came as a limitation to me but I was able to learn more.

Question 6

Amanda – What major events were taking place while you were beginning in the science industry?

Ada Lovelace - As I was majoring in my career there were many events taking place. The railroad was just being invented as I was starting. This helped make transportation faster and easier to get supplies and people around. Jacksonian Democrats were taking place. They were splitting into two groups as time went on.

Question 7

Amanda - What artists and musicians were working around the time period with you?

Ada Lovelace – As I was in my career, there were many other experiments taking place. Louis Braille was experimenting with ways for the blind to be able to write. He created Braille, which helps the blind to be able to communicate. Also, Henry Bell was experimenting with creating a way to improve transportation. He created the steamboat.

Question 8

Amanda- Did you have to be in any societies or academies as a beginning scientist?

Ada Lovelace – When I was beginning as a scientist there wasn’t really anything that you had to do or join. It was a bit harder for me because I am a female but once I got to experimenting and people saw what I was coming up with they accepted me.

Question 9

Amanda – How did the gender roles differ in society?

Ada Lovelace – The gender roles during this time period were strict but not too strict. The women were supposed to stay at home and work. When I started I wasn’t married and didn’t have kids so I really didn’t have anyone that I had to “obey”.

Question 10

Amanda – How did the class roles differ during this time?

Ada Lovelace – In this time period, I was considered upper class. My father was wealthy so I was classified as being wealthy as well as him. But the society also had the lower and middle class as well as the upper class.

Sourses that I used to find my information:
http://womenshistory.about.com/cs/sciencemath1/a/bio_lovelace.htm
http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/lovelace.htm
http://www.sdsc.edu/ScienceWomen/lovelace.html