Throughout history many women have contributed to the evolution of the sciences, brilliant women whose discoveries and advances have made their mark over the years.
In honor of this, we celebrate the International Day for Women and Girls in Science on February 11th, shedding light on the role that women have played in shaping the world of science and encouraging the sciences among young girls today.
Here we have gathered a list of 5 women that we admire for having made history in the sciences.
Ada Lovelace (1815-1852)
The daughter of the romantic poet Lord Byron, Ada Lovelace is known for being the first programmer in history whose algorithm initiated the information systems that we know and use today.
In 1842, Ada started translating the works of Luigi Menabrea who had done an extensive study of Charles Babbage’s machine analytics. As she worked, she created a series of algorithms and automatic methods which ultimately helped her compute Bernoulli numbers. Her notes not only explained the procedure but pointed out that machines were capable of understanding symbols, which is considered to be the first information technology program in history.
Marie Curie (1867-1934)
Polish scientist, with degrees in physics and mathematics, Marie Cure was the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize and the first person to receive medals in two different fields, both physics and chemistry.
A pioneer in the field of radiation, she received her first Nobel Prize in 1903 in Physics, which she shared with Pierre Curie and Henri Becquerel. Then their investigations led them to the discovery of two elements, radium and polonium. The discovery for which she received her second Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Lise Meitner (1878-1968)
Swedish and Jewish physicist, she had to flee from Germany during WWII, but that didn’t stop her communication with her research partner, Otto Hahn. After an experiment carried out by her partners, she discovered the separation of uranium into two nuclei, making them the first to prove Nuclear Fission.
Lise was nominated for a Nobel Prize along with her research partner. Although she never received the prize given different circumstances, she did receive many other awards. In 1946, she traveled to the United States where she received important recognition as the “Woman of the Year”
Jane Goodall (1934)
English primatologist and Doctor of Ethology, Jane Goodall is considered an expert in chimpanzees as well as one of the most important references in her field. One of her original methods that she used during her research of chimpanzees was naming every animal that she worked with, a practice that was originally criticized but is now considered common practice.
Nowadays she is well known for continuing to be a major activist dedicated to saving the planet.
Elizabeth Blackburn (1948)
Australian biochemist and Doctor of Molecular Biology, her discovery of telomerase, an enzyme that lengthens telomeres (ends of chromosomes) and her influence in the understanding of cell life led her to win a Nobel Prize in medicine in 2009.
Her research about this enzyme is considered an important study for cancer treatment therapies.
Looking to the past is the best way to understand the future and push us towards the future. Because of this, Nutty Scientists wants to highlight the work of these scientific women throughout history and to be inspired by the enormous effort put forward by these women. To complete this mission, we are offering a Scientists of Equality program with the goal of inspiring the love of science among young women and girls. Because that what you learn in a fun and hands-on way stays with you in life.
