The article discusses Carl Zimmer's exploration of the history of aerobiology, focusing on Mildred Weeks Wells and William Firth Wells, who in the 1930s demonstrated that airborne pathogens could spread over long distances. Despite their pivotal findings, the scientific community dismissed their work for years, contributing to a lack of awareness about airborne transmission in diseases such as tuberculosis, SARS, and COVID-19. Their story reflects the challenges pioneering scientists, especially women, faced in gaining recognition within their fields.
Mildred Weeks Wells and her husband, William Firth Wells, challenged the prevailing belief that diseases like tuberculosis could not spread through the air, proving otherwise in 1930s.
Despite their groundbreaking discoveries in aerobiology, which could have saved lives from airborne diseases, Mildred and William Wells faced significant resistance and were ultimately lost to history.
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