Who invented the printing press? Not who you think. NJ student aims to set record straight
Who was Lise Meitner? Who was Muhammad al-Idrisi?
The first was a pioneering female chemist from Austria who was denied her share of a Nobel Prize. The latter, a 12th-century geographer, created one of the most advanced maps of his time but is little-remembered today.
They are two of the lesser-known figures in the world of science whose accomplishments have been given recognition by the Historia Project, a nonprofit founded by Bergen County student Nicholas Yoo and staffed by a group of teen partners from Morris and Bergen counties and beyond.
Their goal: to popularize the too-often-ignored scientific contributions of diverse cultures.
Yoo, a senior at the private Delbarton School in Morris Township, created the Historia Project after being inspired by an assignment in his Advanced Placement world history class in the spring of 2022.
"We had a research paper that was due on the scientific revolution, and I wanted to focus on the origins of different technological inventions and describe the history behind it and its impact," said Yoo, 17, who lives in Ramsey.
In doing research for the class, Yoo found that although 15th-century German inventor Johannes Guttenberg is known as the “father of the printing press,” an article published by MIT led him to consider otherwise. Woodblock printing dates back to the ninth century in China, although historians do credit Guttenberg with creating a technology for mass-producing books that triggered an information revolution.
The printing press "was actually from China, long before it had even reached Europe," Yoo said. "That took me down the whole journey of discovering other inventions from around the world and seeing how they were miscredited."
"I wanted to start Historia as a way where we can discover the history of science in a way where we can discover and learn about the diverse cultures and communities that have made an impact, at least in the scientific realm, to our world today," he said.
That prompted him to do more research about scientists from minority groups and underserved communities and their discoveries forgotten in history.
Soon, the Ramsey resident informed fellow students and friends about his efforts to spotlight little-known scientists. After a few months of gaining enough interest and support, he formed the nonprofit.
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Since then, over 800 young people around the globe, from New Jersey to China, have joined the Historia Project. They have a variety of responsibilities, including contributing research on scientists, finding locations for in-person workshops and handling social media for the group.
The project has published a children's picture book spotlighting the stories of underappreciated scientists that has been shared with 130 families, Yoo said. He also has organized virtual presentations by guest speakers about the history of science.
The teen recently received a call from Gov. Phil Murphy to discuss his initiative.
"He said that it was a very excellent organization for sharing the diversity, different demographics and communities through the history of science," Yoo said. "So we just had a nice little chat about that."
Spotlight on the forgotten
Eventually, Yoo learned about people like Meisner, an Austrian physicist who was one of the first scientists to discover nuclear fission but was excluded from consideration for the 1944 Nobel Prize for chemistry for her discovery. And there was al-Idrisi, the cartographer who created the Tabula Rogeriana, one of the most advanced world maps of its time.
They are among more than 20 figures spotlighted by the Historia Project.
Yoo plans to continue the project while in college with the help of his leadership team at the Historia Project, which includes 31 students from various schools, including Delbarton and Ramsey High School.
He sees this creation of his as a way of connecting with others around the world to overcome fear and prejudice.
Noting the rise in reports of hate crimes at the onset of the COVID pandemic, Yoo said, "Part of it is because of the stereotypes and generalizations we develop about such individuals or communities — the fear of the unknown."
"If we recognize or learn about these impacts or influences that different groups of people have made on our society that have helped us in many ways, maybe we can start recognizing them and start establishing this idea of a global interconnectedness," he said.
Ricardo Kaulessar covers race, immigration, and culture for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: kaulessar@northjersey.com
Twitter: @ricardokaul
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Delbarton student a champion for scientists who never got their due
