How these women changed science forever
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Transcript
Hey there. Welcome to Life Noggin.
When people talk about women in science, their first thought is almost always of Marie Curie – the first female scientist to receive a Nobel Prize in Physics, and the first scientist to ever receive two Nobel Prizes. She won these thanks to her groundbreaking work studying radiation and discovering two new elements – polonium and radium. And while it's important to know about her contributions to science, many people's knowledge of women in STEM ends there. So today I'm going to help fix that.
Let's start off with another scientist who worked with radioactive elements – Lisa Meitner. Along with physicist Otto Hahn, she discovered a new element called protactinium. But more importantly, she also noticed a strange result when uranium atoms were bombarded with neutrons. See, whenever this happened, the neutron did not stick to the uranium atom. Rather, it caused the atom to split, forming lighter elements in the process and also releasing a tremendous amount of energy. Meitner called this 'nuclear fission', which led to the creation of the atomic bomb. In fact, after her discoveries were published, Albert Einstein wrote a warning letter to US President Franklin D Roosevelt, which resulted in the creation of the Manhattan Project.
If you watched our video on why humans reproduce sexually, you'll know that genes have the ability to move within and between chromosomes. By studying the changes of pigmentation of corn kernels over many generations, Barbara McClintock discovered that genetic information is not stationary. However, at the time, this went against everything that was known about genetics. In fact, it took over 30 years for her work to be seriously considered – eventually resulting in her winning the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
On a related subject, let's talk about DNA. You probably learned in school that its double-helix structure was discovered by scientists James Watson and Francis Crick, but this is only partially true. See, the real discovery was made by Rosalind Franklin in the 1950s. Her X-ray diffraction photographs of DNA were unknowingly shown to Watson and Crick by her colleague Maurice Wilkins. And after seeing the photo, the two scientists almost immediately published a paper in Nature, explaining their findings. Unfortunately, the Nobel Prize was awarded to Watson, Crick and Wilkins after Franklin's death, but it's unsure if she would have even been included if she had still been alive. But regardless, it's clear that we should know her name just as well as we know Watson and Crick.
And lastly, let's talk about Jane Goodall. She is a primatologist and best known for her work with chimpanzees in Tanzania. During her time with them, she discovered that chimpanzees were able to make and use tools, which, at the time, only humans were thought to do. This was a huge breakthrough, and she also discovered that chimpanzees ate meat, throw stones as weapons, embrace one another for comfort and formed familial bonds. In fact, the chimps even had a war! After years of research, she speaks out for these animals that cannot speak for themselves. And on top of all of this, she is an advocate for conservation and founded the Jane Goodall Institute, a global non-profit organisation.
So, clearly there are some incredible scientists that you should have learned about in school. But obviously there are tonnes more, so let me know who you want to learn about next time.
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After reading this text, I discovered new facts about women in science.
I was impressed by Lise Meitner. I didn’t know that her discovery helped to create the atomic bomb.
I also found Barbara McClintock’s story interesting. It seemed unfair that people didn’t believe her for more than 30 years, even though she was right. It shows how difficult it was for women to get respect in science
My favorite scientist in the text was Jane Goodall. I liked reading about how she studied chimpanzees and discovered that they could use tools like humans. I think it’s cool that she still works to protect animals.
These women’s names aren’t so famous, and I think schools should teach us more about them, because their stories are motivating and important.
This text talks about famous women scientists and their important discoveries. I like that it shows not only Marie Curie, but also other women we usually don’t hear about. The information is interesting and useful because we can learn more about the history of science and the people who changed the world.
This is a great summary, but the situation with the Nobel Prize is even more complex and frustrating than it seems. While Watson and Crick certainly used Rosalind Franklin's data without permission, part of the tragedy is that the Nobel Committee generally doesn't award prizes posthumously, and Franklin had sadly passed away before the prize was given in 1962.
However, there is absolutely no excuse for the exclusion of Lise Meitner. She was alive, active, and the theoretical brain behind fission, yet Otto Hahn took the sole credit. It is widely considered one of the biggest snubs in Nobel history. It’s refreshing to see a channel like Life Noggin giving these women the screen time they earned decades ago.
Marie Curie revolutionized science by pioneering research on radioactivity, becoming the first person ever to win two Nobel Prizes in different scientific fields. Her discoveries of polonium and radium opened the door to modern nuclear physics, medical imaging, and cancer treatments. Curie’s dedication, courage, and groundbreaking work not only transformed our understanding of matter and energy but also paved the way for future generations of women in science
I am very keen on STEM topics and was interested to learn something new. The author of the video did a great job of talking about women who changed science forever.
Before that, I had only heard of Marie Curie. I was surprised to learn how many discoveries women have made in various fields of science, such as Lisa Meitner's discovery of protactinium and Jane Goodall's in-depth study of chimpanzees.
So, I want to thank him for this video and learn more from him in the future!
I found this video really inspiring. Most people only know about Marie Curie, so it was great to learn about other female scientists like Lise Meitner and Jane Goodall.
I was especially surprised by the story of Rosalind Franklin. It seems very unfair that she did not get the Nobel Prize for her work on DNA, while her male colleagues became famous for it. These women faced many challenges, but their discoveries changed the world forever. I think schools should teach us more about them so they finally get the recognition they deserve.
I think that the invention of Lise Meitner is among the most important ones in the world, because it enabled mankind to produce the atomic bomb, which in my opinion has led to a radical change in how countries make war.
All women in the video are wonderful,I really admire them all and their groundbreaking discoveries,I impressed by Lisa who discovered the atomic bomb, although bombs are threatening humans life but I am looking from the point of view,that she really an intelligent woman
There is a stereotype that female is inferior to male in science field which discourage girls from being a scientist. Maybe that is the reason why a lot of female scientists could not get recognition in time and their accomplishments have always been underestimated and neglected. Fortunately, these female scientists set an good example for all the girls who want to pursue their dreams.
I think it's really cool that we remember these women even now. But what impressed me the most is Rosalind Franklin's story. She get zero recognition during her lifetime. But why people don't talk about it now? Even now, when people know that she did most of the research, her name is hardly ever found in textbooks. I know that she can't win the Nobel prize because she's dead. But why don't talk about her the same way we talk about James Watson and Francis Crick? I think that now we have to give her the recognition she deserves.