5 Women Scientists Who Changed the World
Marie Curie, Lise Meitner, and three other women scientists have made significant contributions to the field of nuclear science. Learn more about their accomplishments and how they have changed the world.
Office of Nuclear Energy
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SAD FACT: Women make up less than 25% of the nuclear energy workforce—despite making significant contributions to the field of nuclear science. Here are five absolute legends 👇https://t.co/pHWRKmA0mk 🧵: (1/6)
— Office of Nuclear Energy (@GovNuclear) March 24, 2023 -
1. Marie Curie (1867-1934) and her husband Pierre discovered the element radium. This led to the discovery of radioactivity and laid the foundation for modern day cancer treatments. She's also the first woman to be awarded a Nobel Prize. (2/6) pic.twitter.com/rorGeuLpie
— Office of Nuclear Energy (@GovNuclear) March 24, 2023 -
2. Lise Meitner (1878-1968) is one of the most significant woman scientists of the 20th Century for her discovery of nuclear fission. Meitner was also the first female professor of physics in Germany and helped discover the radioactive element protactinium. (3/6) pic.twitter.com/YP7IrwQhWv
— Office of Nuclear Energy (@GovNuclear) March 24, 2023 -
3. Katharine Way (1902-1995) is best known for establishing the Nuclear Data Project, an effort to organize and share nuclear data. She was also one of Manhattan Project’s leading female scientists during World War II, and later, a professor of physics at Duke University. (4/6) pic.twitter.com/4rOjTfm11j
— Office of Nuclear Energy (@GovNuclear) March 24, 2023 -
4. Chien-Shiung Wu’s (1912-1997) famous “Wu Experiment” was based on the beta decay of cobalt-60. It shattered a fundamental concept of nuclear physics that had been accepted for more than 30 years. (5/6) pic.twitter.com/rgp9QmLN5K
— Office of Nuclear Energy (@GovNuclear) March 24, 2023 -
5. Physicist Leona Woods Marshall Libby (1919-1986) also had ties to the Manhattan Project. She was the youngest person and only woman on the team responsible for the world’s first controlled nuclear chain reaction at Chicago Pile-1. (6/6) pic.twitter.com/sfg0mKSERH
— Office of Nuclear Energy (@GovNuclear) March 24, 2023