![]() ![]() ![]() When recalling her childhood, West describes waking early to perform work on the farm before going to school for the day, and upon returning from school, having to complete more farm work before doing homework and having dinner. The Great Depression in the late 1920s and early 1930s hit Virginia farmers especially hard, as smoking declined significantly during this time. Her mother worked at a tobacco factory, and her father worked for the railroad while also being a farmer, growing mostly corn, cotton, and tobacco. Gladys West, born 27 October 1930, grew up in rural Virginia on her family’s small farm. Specifically, her work was used to put together extremely precise models of the Earth’s shape, enabling GPS technology which impacts every single one of us on the planet. Her work was critical in the development of global positioning systems (GPS). Gladys West was a pioneer in geodesy-the branch of mathematics that deals with the precise shape and area of the Earth. When was the last time you used a satnav in your car? Tagged your location on a social media post? Or used maps on your phone to figure out where to go? Allow me to introduce a significant figure to you, without whom none of those things would be possible. To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use. Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. Dog leads, mirrors and Hermann Minkowski.Significant figures: David Singmaster (1938–2023).Do the shuffle: finding π in your playlists.Penguins: the emperors of fluid dynamics.Chalkdust issue 14 – Coming 22 November.
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