56 | New Scientist | 2 November 2019
The back pages Q&A
Teasel Muir-Harmony is curator of the Apollo
collection. She describes her lifelong passion
for space history, and how she has to break it to
visitors that no, they can’t go inside the spacecraftAs a child, what did you want
to do when you grew up?
All I knew was that I wanted to work at either the
Smithsonian Institution or National Geographic.
It is a bit surreal to me that I ended up at the
Smithsonian and published a book with National
Geographic, but it was not exactly an accident.Explain your work in one easy paragraph.
I spend half of my time researching and
writing and the other half developing exhibits,
overseeing artefact collection and giving lectures.What do you love most about what
you do? And what’s the worst part?
Research with archival material is a bit
like detective work. It’s suspenseful, and
immensely gratifying making new discoveries.
The worst part might be breaking it to people
that they cannot go inside the spacecraft.What’s the most exciting thing you’re
working on right now?
My current book tells the story of how Project
Apollo shaped the US’s role on the global stage.
My research material is rich and, for the most
part, previously overlooked. It’s exciting to
publish a book reframing such an important event.What achievement or discovery are
you most proud of?
In July, I organised an event on the history
and future of space diplomacy for the 50th
anniversary of the first moon landing, and shared
a platform with Apollo 11 astronauts Michael
Collins and Buzz Aldrin. It felt like the capstone of
many years of research. I’m still pinching myself.What’s your favourite Apollo artefact?
Neil Armstrong took small pieces of the Wright
brothers’ airplane to the moon. As a curator, I
appreciate how he used an artefact to connect the
most important events in the history of flight.How has your field of study changed in the
time you have been working in it?
Histories of space flight have become more
broad-minded. They acknowledge diverse
contributions, often take a global perspective and
investigate issues at the core of society.Were you good at science at school?
I was OK. My passion really lay in the history
of science, specifically astronomy.If you could have a conversation with any
scientist, living or dead, who would it be?
Benjamin Franklin, a scientist and a science
diplomat. He was flawed, but his curiosity,
imagination and talents seem unmatched.What scientific development do you
hope to see in your lifetime?
It will take more than scientific development
to address climate change, so the development I
hope to see most is greater trust in climate science,
as well as in political and collective action.What’s the best thing you’ve read
or seen in the past 12 months?
I read Michael Collins’s memoir, Carrying the
Fire, again this year. It is always top of my list.Do you have an unexpected hobby, and
if so, please will you tell us about it?
I’m restoring a 1962 Ducati 250cc
Scrambler motorcycle.How useful will your skills be after
the apocalypse?
I’m sure my knowledge of the history of
scientific and technological development
will come in handy. Maybe I could even write
a history of the apocalypse, à la Edward Gibbon.OK, one last thing: tell us something that
will blow our minds...
A few days before my dissertation deadline, I was
struck by lightning. As I sat on a patio, typing away,
a storm rolled in. Fortunately, it was an indirect
strike and I only had minor injuries. I worked
through the pain to submit the dissertation.
It was a reminder that you never know what
might strike you at the last minute. ❚Teasel Muir-Harmony is curator of the Apollo
collection at the Smithsonian National Air
and Space Museum in Washington DC“ A few days
before my
dissertation
deadline,
I was struck
by lightning.
I worked
through
the pain”
TOP: CLAIRE SCOVILLE. SIDE: RALPH MORSE/THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION VIA GETTY IMAGES