A Quantum Life by Hakeem Oluseyi
Like many nerds, I’ve seen “Hakeem” on popular science TV shows, along with a stable of other “cool” scientists. He’s great! He’s definitely a nerd celebrity, for whatever that’s worth.
So I was mildly curious about his autobiography, and willing to buy a book from a living author.
OK, I don’t know what the norm is for autobiographies of scientists, but I’ll bet this one is several sigmas off the norm.
Oluseyi recounts his early life in deep poverty and domestic instability. Growing up in Mississippi and several cities, he experienced ubiquitous racism as well as poverty and a very complicated family life. And, like many kids in his shoes, he mixed with drugs and other lethally dangerous situations.
It’s a sad (and infuriating) story of wasted lives and wasted opportunities. So many places in this story I had to grit my teeth and struggle to go on. It’s not fun to read. Unfortunately, it’s not news, either. This is the way it is in America, despite our efforts to improve.
The interesting thing, of course, is how in the world could this kid become an outstanding Astrophysicist, with a degree from Stanford, no less? “Unlikely” doesn’t begin to describe it!
Obviously, Oluseyi is gifted with an amazing brain. Even more amazing, he managed to not only get through high school (first in his immediate family), but also get into college. And graduate. And get into Stanford. And make it at Stanford. And finish his PhD despite Stanford.
Like many people I struggled in grad school, and definitely experienced imposter syndrome at times. So that part resonated. But Oluseyi dealt with orders of magnitude more challenges than I ever did.
Most of us wouldn’t have made it. Heck, he’s lucky he even survived that long.
Obviously, celebrity nerd Hakeem is way, way cooler than I realized!
If I have a complaint about this book, it’s that this is really “volume 1” of his life. The story basically ends when he gets his PhD. This event was the triumphant culmination of his long struggle, but only the beginning of his career in science and teaching. Heck, he takes the name Hakeem Muata Oluseyi only 15 pages before the end of this volume. That’s kind of a huge thing, to just toss in at the end!
The short epilog hints at some of the cool stuff he has done in his professional career. Surely there is enough material for “volume 2”!
This is a very personal book, with a lot of nods to good people he met coming up. Whatever other goals, I’m sure Sensei Oluseyi hopes to inspire kids to aspire to become scientists, even if they are not privileged. He is proof that it can be done.
This book will also be inspirational for science teachers everywhere, who are in the front lines every day. Oluseyi also makes us all want to redouble our efforts to mentor and nurture kids, in school ore out, science nerds or those with other interests.
Aim high. Never give up.
Yes we can.
- Hakeem Oluseyi and Joshua Horwitz, A Quantum Life: My Unlikely Journey form the Street to the Stars, New York, Ballantine Books, 2021.
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