Hidden Figures Page #2

- Oh! Yes, maam.

Katherines the gal for that.

She can handle any numbers you put

in front of her.

Ill check her credentials.

Didnt think of comin all the way

down here.

Here.

Please spread these out.

Mrs. Mitchell!

If I could.

My application for supervisor, maam.

Was just wondering if theyre still

considering me for that position.

Yes.

Well, the official word is: no.

Theyre not assignin a permanent

supervisor for the Colored Group.

May I ask why?

I dont know why.

I didnt ask why.

We need a Supervisor, maam.

We havent had one since Ms. Jansen got sick

It's been almost a year.

Things are workin just fine as is.

I do the work of a Supervisor.

Well.

Thats NASA, for ya.

Fast with rocket ships.

Slow with advancement.

Get those trajectories calcs worked out.

We need em for the Redstone test.

Mach 1 tunnel test, T-minus one minute.

No shoe is worth your life

One.. One moment!

Shut it down.

If we alter the exterior from smooth

to corrugated, the capsule would

have more stability,

But the friction,

its under during reentry..

most shield erosion occurs

on the posterior side abutting

the retro-boosters.

Conclusion?

The area closest to the boosters

is closest to the heat.

Coupled with rising temperatures

on reentry,

the contacts soften.

We could consider another fastener

other than bolts.

Yes!

Yes.

Theres another opening in

the Engineer Training Program.

Flat head rivets would reduce wind drag.

Mary! a person with an engineers

mind should be an engineer.

You cant be a Computer

the rest of your life.

Mr. Zielinski.

Im a Negro woman.

Im not gonna to entertain the impossible!

Then Im a polish Jew whose parents

died in a Nazi prison camp.

Now Im standing beneath a space ship,

thats going to carry an astronaut

to the stars.

I think we can say,

we are living the impossible.

Let me ask you..

If you were a white male,

Would you wish to be an engineer?

I wouldnt have to.

Id already be one.

Skirts must be worn past the knee.

Sweaters are preferred to blouses.

No jewelry.

A simple pearl necklace is the exception.

Your supervisor is Mr. Al Harrison.

Director of the Space Task Group.

write research,

proof calculations, so forth.

Dont talk to Mr. Harrison lest

he talks to you.

Not many Computers last

more than a few days,

Hes been through a dozen

in as many months.

Come on! Keep up!

I think it's a little faster to run here!

Your clearance.

Theyve never had a colored in here before,

Katherine.

Dont embarrass me.

This wasnt emptied last night.

Im sorry. Im not the..

Curses on me!

Excuse me, maam.

Mr. Harrisons Computer reporting.

Take the desk in the back.

Ill get you work in a..

Bit.

Mr. Harrison wont warm up to you,

dont expect it.

Do your work, keep your head down.

Thank you.

Go on. Get settled.

Well..

Why are we still losing shingles off

the heat shield?

Well, Were working with a

prototype of the capsule, Al.

There is one third the size..

- And I get that. So..

Well, do we need to turn

our million dollar fan down, Karl?

- Turn it down?

- No, I don't think...

Hey! That was a joke.

Paul. If the heat shield comes off,

What'do gonna happens to our astronaut?

I know.

So were gonna..

Then come up with a solve, right?

Yes, sir. Were working on it.

Ruth. Whats the status on my Computer?

Shes right behind you, Mr. Harrison.

Does she handle how's Analytic Geometry?

Absolutely. And she speaks.

Yes, sir. I do.

- Which one?

- Both.

Geometry and speaking.

Ruth. Give me that.

Do you think you..

You think you can find me the Frenet frame

for this data,

Using the GramSchmidt...

With Orthogonalization algorithm.

Yes, sir.

I prefer it over Euclidean coordinates.

OK. Good.

Good. Then, Im going to need it

by the end of the day.

Yes.

Im also going to ask you to check

Mr. Staffords math

as well as others on this

floor from time to time.

I can.. I can handle'm all, Al.

Im sure you can, Paul.

Im sure all of you can.

But if that were the case,

Shingles wouldnt be flying off the

heat shield, now would they.

Excuse me. Can I have

everyone's attention for a moment?

Thank you. Just a..

Just to be clear..

In 14 days the Mercury 7

will be here for training.

And I have no doubt in my mind

that theyre going to be

Asking us questions about our work.

I think that's a pretty reason

we're giving. We're putting a human..

on top of a missile and

shooting him into space?

And its never been done before.

And because its never been done.

Everything we do

between now and

then is going to matter.

Its going to matter to their wives.

To their children.

I believe its going to matter to

the whole damn country.

So this Space Task Group will be

as advertised.

America's greatest engineering

and scientific minds

will not gonna have a problem

with having their work checked.

Will they, Paul?

No, sir.

Good. So lets have an amen, damnit

Amen.

Amen.

All right!

My numbers are spot on.

Ill double check them, sir.

No problem.

- Im not gonna be able to..

- Work on what you can read.

The rest is classified.

You dont have clearance.

Excuse me...

May I ask you where the ladies room is?

Sorry, I have no idea where

your bathroom is?

Yes, sir.

Ah! Yes.

- Ruth!

- Yes, Mr. Harrison.

Wheres that girl go with the numbers?

On a... break.

We take breaks now.

My God, where have you been?

Are you finished yet?

Almost.

He said about the end of the day?

The end of the day around

here was yesterday.

I need those done first.

He wants those done first.

- OK !

- Get going.

Mr. Harrison.

Oh! Yeah, just settle up,

you know.

And Staffords heat shield calcs?

Its hard to be sure, sir.

Hard to be sure.

You know what were doing here?

Trying to put a man in space, sir.

Thats right.

Thats right. So you can

throw that in the trash.

Excuse me?

I said you can throw it away!

Here.

It's not an insult to your work.

It's just..

.. Obsolete.

That's how fast things are moving around here.

If I said I was sorry,

I'd be saying it all day.

What Im asking you to do.. what Im

asking everyone one in that room,

all my... geniuses,

is to look beyond the numbers.

To look around them.

Through them.

For answers to questions we dont even

know to ask.

Math that doesnt yet exist.

Because without it,

were not going anywhere.

I mean, were staying on the ground.

Were not...

flying into space. Were not..

circling the earth. And were certainly

not touching the moon. And in my mind..

In my mind, Im already there.

Are you?

Yes, sir.

Good.

Because I dont need another smart girl

with a adding machine.

Can I go, sir?

Go? Yeah. Go, yeah.

Go home.

Yes, you can go.

..I'm saying this is so much.

I'm not saying that.. I..

Weve been waiting for hours.

Next time you take the bus.

Shes in a mood.

I havent been late one day in ten years.

Havent been out sick.

Havent complained. My works on time.

Its done right. Its done well.

Its not fair, thats a fact.

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