Lise Meitner (7 November 1878 – 27 October 1968)

An Austrian/Swedish physicist, Lise was part of the team that

discovered nuclear fission, the building block of nuclear plants

today. She had many troubles as a scientist, being of Jewish descent during the Nazi invasion, but her findings prevailed as her life went on. She was also one of the people who identified protactinium and the element meitnerium is named in her honour.

 

Ada Byron/Lady Lovelace (10 December 1815 – 27 November 1852)

Ada was an English mathematician who created the first algorithm carried out by a machine. Known as the early pioneer of computer science, she saw an engine as more than an engine, something profound and beautiful. Her algorithm, regarded as the first program in history, calculated Bernoulli numbers. Her science has been described as ‘poetic science’ — the best kind!

 

Rosalind Franklin (25 July 1920 – 16 April 1958)

At the young age of 15, Rosalind’s heart was set on becoming a scientist. Her sexist father disapproved, believing that women were unfit for college. After a lot of persistence, she finally got to study what she loved. Rosalind was the first woman to adjust fine beams of X-rays on DNA molecules, playing a critical role in the discovery of the double helix. This discovery lead to understanding and curing the polio virus.

 

Marie Curie (7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934)

This Polish physicist and chemist was one of the most important woman in history.

Along with her husband, Marie created techniques for isolating radioactive isotopes.

Before her time, it was postulated that invisible rays were emitted from uranium

(a radioactive element). She also discovered elements such as radium and polonium.

Marie was the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize and the only person to ever win

in multiple scientific fields!

 

Dorothy Hodgkin (12 May 1910 – 29 July 1994)

Dorothy was a British physicist  who hugely contributed to developing protein

crystallography (a method using X-rays that determines the atomic and molecular

structure of a crystal). She eventually discovered the structure of a steroid and

created penicillin and insulin. Her curiosity began when she was ten years old.

Unlike Rosalind Franklin, her father encouraged her by letting her experiment

with chemicals.

 

These women not only pushed the boundaries of science but also inspired many

other women to branch out and try their hands at professions and hobbies that

were previously reserved for men.

 

 

Are there any women from more ‘masculine’ fields that you think deserve a shout out? Tell us in the comments below!